10 years ago (1996)"Jeff Johnson, Hills, has just had original poetry published in "A Sea of Treasures" and "Sparkles in the Sand," two treasuries of today’s poetry compiled by The National Library of Poetry. The poems are entitled "Someday" and "In Memory of John Kennedy," and the main subject of one is meeting our loved ones in Heaven.Johnson has been writing poetry for nearly four years and his favorite subjects and ideas are theology."25 years ago (1981)"January first marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for the city of Hills, and for the first time in thirty years, the mountains of numbers, facts and figures that make up the financial picture of the city will not be under the watchful eye of Bill Ehde. Bill is retiring after thirty years as the Hills city treasurer. He took over the job in 1950 from retiring P.L. Breden."50 years ago (1956)"Chuck’s Champlin Service will hold a grand opening on Saturday. Charles ‘Chuck’ Ward has been handling the station since early this fall after its purchase from the Backer Estate by Fabian Scholtes of Wilmont. Since them Chuck has become the owner and many improvements have been made."75 years ago (1931)"Just as the church bells were ringing for Christmas Eve a large number of Hills creamery trucks paraded through the streets and they had a real Santa Claus along, too. He stood on top of the cab of the leading truck ringing a bell, and in a loud voice proclaimed "Happy Christmas to You All." It was a real pretty sight, and everybody is still puzzled just how Santa was able to stand on top the cab while the car was in motion."100 years ago (1906)"John Goldberg, the lonely old widower, was in our sanctum Saturday and informed us that what he had looked forward to as a cheerless and lonely Christmas had been transformed into a very happy one by a visit from his sister Mrs. John Larson and daughter Jennie of Emmett County, Iowa. Mr. Goldberg met them at Lester Friday before Christmas."

Mary A. Reiman, 49, Iowa City, Iowa, formerly of Hills, died Monday, Dec. 26, 2005, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Services were Saturday, Dec. 31, at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Iowa City.Mary Van Driel was born to Claude and Verna (Lawrence) Van Driel on March 1, 1956, in Sioux Falls, S.D. She earned a degree in fashion merchandising from Alexandria Tech Institute, Alexandria. She later earned a business degree from Worthington Community College in Worthington. She married Dale Reiman on Sept. 8, 1979, in Hills. She worked for Steve Betcher Insurance Company/American Family Insurance. She and her husband were foster parents.Mrs. Reiman was a member of PEO and University Club. She was a member of Christ the King Lutheran Church. She was an Iowa Hawkeyes fan and a professional seamstress. Survivors include her parents, her husband, Dale Reiman, Iowa City; two daughters, Moriah Reiman, Coralville, Iowa, and Danielle Rieman, Philadelphia, Pa.; two sisters, Jayne (Ron) Peterson, St. Cloud, and Bette (Arthur) Krause, Colorado Springs, Colo., father and mother-in-law, Leonard and Anice Reiman, Altoona, Wis.; two brothers-in-law, James (Dianne) Reiman, Eau Claire, Wis., and Ryan (Libby) Reiman, Prescott, Ariz. and one sister-in-law, Susanne (Duane) Baron, Sauk Rapids. She is also survived by a special foster son, Jawon Perry, Iowa City. Mrs. Reiman was preceded in death by her brother, Bruce Van Driel. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Mary A. Reiman Memorial Fund, c/o Hills State Exchange Bank, HillsOn-line condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.comLensing Funeral Home, Iowa City, was in charge of arrangements.

Frank De Boer, 89, Hills, died Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005, at the Avera McKennan Hospice Unit in Sioux Falls, S.D.Services were Friday, Dec. 30, at United Reformed Church in Hills. The Rev. Doug Barnes officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery.Frank De Boer was born to Charles and Maggie (Elgersma) De Boer on Sept. 30, 1916, at Primghar, Iowa. He attended school in the Sanborn, Iowa, area, graduating from the eighth grade at Sanborn Christian School. He married Berdella Vander Meulen on Feb. 20, 1940, at Ocheyedan, Iowa. They began living in Rock Rapids, Iowa, and then moved to Sanborn, Iowa, to Ocheyedan, and back to Sanborn, working for farmers and driving truck. In 1944 they began farming at Harris, Iowa, and then Lake Park, Iowa, before moving to Hills to begin a portable feed grinding business. He sold the feed grinder and worked for Hills Co-op Farm Service until retiring at age 65. The couple served as foster parents to several children. He moved to Tuff Memorial Home in Hills in 2002.Mr. De Boer cherished his connection to the farming community, especially working and visiting with the farmers. Survivors include his wife, Berdella De Boer, Hills; seven children, Charles (Rheta) De Boer, Erwin (Faith) De Boer, all of Hills, Mary (Allen) Van Raalte, Larchwood, Iowa, Alma (Erwin) Kooistra, Rock Valley, Iowa, Burdett "Butch" De Boer, Alvord, Iowa, Mina (Marvin) Brandt, Remsen, Iowa, and Carmen (Greg) Dougherty, Valley Springs, S.D.; 23 grandchildren; 55 great-grandchildren; one brother, William (Nelva) De Boer, Sibley, Iowa; and one brother-in-law, Ralph Weerheim, Rock Rapids. Mr. De Boer was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Geneva Weerheim. Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.

10 years ago (1995)
Luverne surgeon Theodore Devaraj has joined the Pipestone Medical Group.
Heartland Express Director Deb Fick has earned another award for professional achievements. The most recent was for efforts in obtaining a permit from the Interstate Commerce Commission for travel across state lines.
The most common names in Rock County for girls were Brenna, Kelsey, Jessica and Brianna for girls and Blake, Brian, Caleb, Jordan, Dalton, Cody and Joshua for boys.25 years ago (1980)
Shins are white with the ice shavings as the hockey boys take a few minutes after a spill to talk and laugh before going on with a game. Skaters are on the ice at the Luverne hockey rink now.
The Milton Scholten farm, 15 miles west of Luverne, has been busy with visitors who stop by to see his family farm stocked with a variety of animals. They have 14 kinds of pheasants, ducks and geese of all kinds, pygmy goats, deer, wild burros, 30 peacocks, a couple buffalo, rheas, one coon, doves, pigeons, turkeys, quail, partridges, guineas, two dogs, cats, mules, horses, donkeys, Mouflon sheep (with hair, not wool), and a grizzly bear. 50 years ago (1955)
Even though he has received numerous calls from Minnesota political leaders, Al McIntosh, publisher of the Rock County Star Herald, said he is not running for public office.He was mentioned on a statewide radio talk show as a Republican gubernatorial possibility.
Christmas bonuses totaling $12,000 plus Christmas turkeys were distributed Saturday to employees of A.R. Wood Co. Announcement was also made that the firm is paying for all polio vaccine shots for all children of its employees.
Council Oak stores advertised chuck roasts for 35¢ a pound; six grapefruits for 25¢, and coffee for 69¢ a pound.75 years ago (1930)
Corn is king in Minnesota, at least during the next year, by reason of it exceeding any other crop in total acreage and in gross farm value, based on the final report of acreage, yield, production and average farm price as of Dec. 1.The 1930 corn crop was 135,780,000 bushels. In 1930 there was produced 421,214,000 bushels of grain crops and potatoes; 1,068,000 bushels of carrots, cucumbers and onions; 143,700 tons of sweet corn and cabbage; 30,967,000 pounds of peas and 2,875,000 pounds of tobacco.100 years ago (1905)
In a letter to relatives in Luverne, E. Nelson, senior member of the firm of Nelson Brothers, who is spending the winter with his sister, Mrs. F.C. Mahoney, in Los Angeles for the benefit of his health, states that he is feeling fine and that his health is better than it has been for years.
W.L. Kerney, one of the early settlers of this county, arrived Friday from Cass Lake, this state, to which place he moved from about 10 years ago, is visiting with his father, J. Kerney, of Magnolia, and his sister, Mrs. O.E. Ferguson, of this city.

By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council certified the final levy Tuesday at 6 percent more than the previous amount. The total local taxes collected will be $789,077.Total taxes collected last year were $744,697.The tax levy percentage doesn’t mean individual taxes will increase by 6 percent, because the valuation system is considered in the tax calculation.In other business Tuesday, the Luverne City Council:
Approved the utility rate increases discussed at previous meetings.With sewer, refuse, recycling, water and electric rates, the average percentage increase on the monthly bill for typical users will be 9.32 percent in 2006.The average sewer portion of the bill will increase from $24.28 to $26.95 per month; refuse will go from $11.21 to $12.33; recycling will go from $3.16 to $3.48; water will go from an average of $26.04 to $27.03; electric will go from an average of $57 to $63.25. The average residential bill will increase from about $121.69 to $133.04 per month.
Voted to add a yield sign on West Veterans Drive at the driveway boulevard of Sioux Valley Luverne Hospital. The sign is intended to help prevent accidents and improve flow because drivers will see by the sign who has the right of way.
Changed the city code to allow liquor licenses to last until 2 a.m. Interested businesses must apply for this license with the city and state.

By Lexi MooreResidents of Beaver Creek will not be watching the construction of a cell phone tower anytime soon, and cell phone users in that neighborhood won’t see improved reception soon, either.Midwest Wireless representative Andy Bobrytzke’s building permit was denied during the December Beaver Creek City Council meeting.The building permit was for the construction of a 180-foot cell phone tower and a smaller structure to be placed on the land adjacent to Rauk’s Convenience Store front lot to the east.Bobrytske first appeared before the council in September to inquire about the possibility of placing the tower inside the city limits.Midwest Wireless had been exploring options for building a tower in the area to improve service to Beaver Creek and Highway 6.At that time he indicated that several local farmers had been unwilling to accept a deal from the company but that Phyllis Helgeson, a landowner within the city limits, had given the company an option to buy a portion of her property."The portion of her property we were considering is at the top of a hill. A tower would greatly improve reception to the area," he said.Bobrytske was also in attendance at the November meeting to inquire about the process of getting approval to build within the city.The council informed him that he would need to submit an application for a building permit.The application was submitted and the issue was placed on the agenda for the evening of Dec. 13.At the December meeting a motion was made by Burdell Willers to deny the building permit. Jamie Dysthe seconded the motion, bringing the issue to a vote.The council’s vote ended in a tie with Willers and Caroline DeBoer voting in favor of denying the permit and Dysthe and Arlyn Gehrke voting against the motion.The City’s policy in the case of a tie requires the mayor to cast the deciding vote.Mayor Al Blank voted to deny the permit because the area where Bobrytske wanted to build the tower was residential, not commercial property."Any way you look at it, a 180-foot tower is not residential," Blank said."Outside of added coverage for a few cell users, there is no monetary advantage for the city to accept this permit."Mayor Blank said he didn’t know if the company would submit another application in a different area."I got the impression that we were their last chance," Blank said.Bobrytske said that Midwest Wireless has already allocated the funds for the project and had wanted to finalize the deal before the end of the year."I guess now we will have to re-evaluate what we are going to do with the money. We can’t just let it sit there – that wouldn’t be good business."He doesn’t know whether or not the company will be able to secure another piece of land in the town, especially because the elevation drops so dramatically from the south portion of town to the north.

By Lori EhdeLuverne School Board members certified the school district levy at $1,912,049.80 at their Thursday, Dec. 22, meeting.That amount reflects the $700 per-pupil operating referendum voters approved in November.The new school levy for taxes payable in 2006 reflects a $555,904 (40 percent) increase over last year’s levy which was $1,356,145.51.The preliminary levy approved in September called for a 4-percent levy increase in 2006, but the referendum will have a big impact on tax statements next year.For example, property taxes on a $100,000 home in the district will increase by roughly $200 next year.The referendum will bring an additional $900,000 to the district per year for up to 10 years. The local burden of that amount will be 45 percent, with the state matching the remaining amount.The district went to voters with the referendum proposal in an effort to stay out of deficit spending. Statewide, legislative funding hasn’t kept pace with increasing school costs (fuel for heat and transportation, for example), and decreasing enrollment has further reduced revenue.Garage sale pendingThe city of Luverne has expressed interest in purchasing the former Community Education garage for $21,000.The garage is located in the parking lot of what is now Southwestern Mental Health Center. Before the new Community Education building went up with the new school in 1998, those offices occupied the brick the building once known as the Bell Telephone building.The city is interested in the garage to have it removed in order to make space for an anticipated Fire Hall expansion.The district currently uses the garage as storage space for Community Education recreational supplies.These supplies will be stored in the school bus garage, and a storage facility will be built under the athletic field bleachers to hold football and track equipment.The School Board can’t officially act on the agreement until council members formally approve it at their next meeting.Supplemental athletic activities payThe board approved an increase in pay for seventh- through ninth-grade athletic activities workers at the request of Activities Director Todd Oye, According to Oye, it’s becoming difficult to find people to help at events because of insufficient compensation.The board approved the request, bringing Luverne’s compensation in line with what other districts are paying. Luverne hasn’t increased its compensation since November 2000.Only some activities will see increases.For example, pay for junior varsity and ninth-grade football officials will increase from $25 per official per event to $30 for four-man officiating teams and $35 for three-man teams.Pay for ticket sellers at district events will increase from $30 to $40, and C-team volleyball line judges will get $7.50 instead of $5. In other business:
Finance Director Marlene Mann reported that the Luverne School Foundation had received a $500 donation earmarked toward building an additional tennis court.
Middle School High School Principal Donna Judson reported on open campus. "I’m impressed by how well they’re handling that responsibility," she said.
Judson also reported that cell-phones are banned from classrooms. She said students can have them, but they must be turned off. "I don’t want to see them or hear them," she said.
Fisher said he’d heard from several former students who told him they appreciated the college prep courses they were able to take while in high school in Luverne, because it put them ahead of other students – in some cases a whole semester ahead."It’s always good to hear our students are prepared once they leave here and go to college," Fisher said. "It reinforces our belief in preparing kids for life after high school."
Salary negotiations with Luverne teachers are now in mediation, the first meeting being Dec. 23.
The district will receive bids at 2 p.m. Jan. 24 for a bus and will receive bids on April 20 for a car and two suburban-type vehicles.

By Sara QuamRock County Commissioners Tuesday approved the levy for 2006, which was a little less than they thought it would be a few months ago.The final levy increase will be 2.69 percent more than 2005. The preliminary levy was set at 3 percent.The total amount collected from Rock County taxpayers will be $3.35 million. Including state aids and federal funding, the county will actually spend about $9.2 million.Commissioner Ron Boyenga voted against the levy increase.Board Chair Ken Hoime said, "At least we can say that it’s one of the few times we’ve come in under the preliminary levy."At the same meeting, commissioners dealt with pay plans for employees.The Family Services is on a merit-based pay plan that will include 2-percent cost of living adjustments. The County Board passed it, but it is actually set by the state.Non-union employees will receive a 3-percent pay increase.Contract employees and elected people also received their individual wage adjustments Tuesday.County Commissioners increased their salary from $13,000 to $14,300.Sheriff Mike Winkels’ salary will change from $62,500 to $65,625.Auditor Treasurer Gloria Rolfs’ salary will change from $46,800 to $52,000.Contract employees received three-year contracts.Engineer Mark Sehr’s salary will change from $75,000 to $80,000, $85,000 and $90,000 in the three consecutive years.Family Services Director Randy Ehlers’ salary will change from $67,500 to $70,875, $74,425 and $78,000.Tom Houselog of the Land Records Office, who does assessing and recording, will see a salary change from $62,752 to $66,000, $70,000 and $74,000.County Administrator Kyle Oldre’s salary will change from $70,000 to $75,000, $80,000 and $85,000.Ground source pump possible for new LECEngineering Design Initiative Ltd., Minneapolis, sent a report to commissioners about the feasibility of using an alternative heating and cooling system in the new Law Enforcement Center.Construction on the facility will begin in the spring, and final plans are almost complete.The board paid EDI $3,500 to do the feasibility study, which compared construction and operation costs of traditional heating, ventilation and cooling systems with that of a ground source heat pump.A ground source heat pump utilizes natural heat within the earth to heat a building and either "pumps" it in or out of the building, depending on seasonal needs. It is electrically powered.The payback for the alternative system is approximately 6.6 years.The traditional heating and cooling system has a predicted estimated yearly utility cost, including natural gas and electricity costs, of about $18,300 per year. The alternate ground source heat pump has a predicted estimated utility cost of $13,000 a year, or an annual savings of $5,300.There is a cost premium, $35,000, for designing and installing a ground source heat pump system in lieu of the traditional system.Maintenance costs are estimated to be the same.If natural gas rates continue to rise, the payoff period will be shorter. If they fall, the payoff will take slightly longer than the 6.6 years estimated. Also, the study was done before the city of Luverne announced electric rates will increase 10 percent. Commissioners said there would still likely be a savings realized.Solid waste contract with KetterlingThe County Board approved the solid waste contract with Ketterling Services, Luverne. The major difference in this contract from other years is that Ketterling has a clause now that protects the company from spikes in fuel prices. The county will reimburse Ketterling if fuel costs differ a monthly average of 5 percent from the January fuel price, which is used for the base of the contract. If fuel costs are reduced throughout the year, the county benefits in the contract.The costs will be examined monthly. This year, Ketterling worked under the same contract fee, even though fuel costs ranged from $1.40 per gallon to $3 per gallon.The contract is through 2008.Ketterling takes municipal solid waste from the Rock County Transfer Station and hauls it to the Lyon County Regional Landfill. From Lyon County, Ketterling brings demolition material to be deposited in the Rock County Landfill.For each round trip with full loads, Ketterling will receive $231.75 in 2006; $238.70 in 2007, and $245.86 in 2008.For each trip with a one-way load, Ketterling will receive $211 in 2006; $217 in 2007, and $224.01 in 2008.