Tollefson Publishing hires new GMOver the course of the past couple of years, we have made a lot of changes in our office. Some longtime employees have left, and several new faces have replaced them.But next Monday, the biggest change of all will happen when Rick Peterson joins the Tollefson Publishing family as the new General Manager.Rick is currently the publisher of the Redwood Falls Gazette and serves as regional director for the Liberty Group, overseeing the operations of five other Liberty publications in southwest Minnesota.Along with being responsible for all the day-to-day operations for the Rock County Star Herald, Luverne Announcer, Hills Crescent, and Announcer Printing, Rick will also become my partner in the business.It’s a great opportunity for Rick, and I am thrilled to have someone with his background and abilities to work with.Rick’s first day will be next Monday and I can assure you that he is very excited about the new venture ahead of him.I know Rick is looking forward to getting to know the community and giving everyone a chance to get to know him.With that in mind, please look for a complete feature story on Rick in next week’s Rock County Star Herald.Palace to premiere ‘Wellstone!’The recently released documentary "Wellstone!" will have its southwest Minnesota premiere in Luverne at the Palace Theatre.The initial showing will be at 7 p.m. Friday, March 11. A reception at the Pizza Ranch will take place at the film’s conclusion.Subsequent showings will be at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 12, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13.The $5 admission fee will be donated to the Southwest Crisis Shelter, a cause that Sheila Wellstone had championed for many years prior to her death.The documentary had begun filming prior to the plane crash that took the lives of Senator Wellstone, his wife Sheila, their daughter, two campaign workers and two pilots.Make your reservation now for your state park visitThe ground may still be frozen, but it’s not too early to make reservations for your summer state park visits.For the first time campers will be able to make site-specific reservations for campsites in Minnesota State park campgrounds.For those making plans for Memorial weekend, reservations began on Feb 26.Campers can make reservations for campsites up to 90 days in advance of their arrival date.According to Steve Anderson, park operations coordinator for the DNR, the new site specific reservation option will likely prompt a lot of campers to make a reservation by phone or online as soon as the 90-day window allows.By going online or making a call to the reservation service, customers will be able to find out if their favorite campsite is among those that can be reserved in advance.For customers who don’t like planning that far ahead, or who prefer not making reservations, up to 30 percent of campsites in state parks will continue to be kept available on a first-come, first-served basis.Other improvement made to the system include shortening the lead time for making last-minute camping and lodging reservations.If you would like to make reservations online, go to www.stayatmnparks.com or call 1-866-857-2757.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

For many people, the best part of waking up is coffee in their cup. That would be true for my parents, too … if they hadn’t been brewing under a curse that only Juan Valdez himself could have inflicted.Most of us think coffee can be great: the aroma and warmth draw us together for breaks during the day, and it helps us start our mornings on a collectively better (and livelier) note.Coffee can unite us. For my parents, however, their most recent coffee maker almost tore them apart.Mom woke up most mornings for the better part of two months scolding Dad under her breath and building resentment because there was water all over the counter top. She thought Dad poured water into the tank sloppily when he was preparing coffee the night before. Dad probably wondered why she spent her mornings towel-drying the counters.They finally figured out that the mechanism which carries water from the tank to the grounds was spraying water all over.Mom said, "If it was a shower head, I wouldn’t complain, but this was ridiculous."They returned it and Mom and Dad have had dry counter tops and pleasant mornings for about a week. … But they aren’t betting it will last. They’ve been through so many coffee makers that they’ve started asking people and taking notes on what make and model of coffee makers they use. Everyone they’ve asked reports they’ve happily used the same coffee pot for years — all different ones.They’ve had coffee makers that are so loud they couldn’t watch morning TV, coffee makers with timers that are difficult to program, coffee makers with faulty timers and coffee makers that took too long to brew. They’ve had Mr. Coffees, a Norelco, a Braun, a free one that came from ordering gourmet coffee, and a few Black and Deckers.They had one whose heating element went out and their coffee wasn’t really" cooking" through the grounds, so they kept adding scoops — hoping for better tasting coffee. Then there was the one whose carafe had to be so strategically placed for the drip to continue. It had a sensor that allowed for pulling the carafe away during the brewing process to pour a cup. By taking the carafe away, it would stop the drip. The problem was, Mom and Dad kept waking up to a counter, lower cupboards, and floor doused with coffee and chunks of grounds because they didn’t place the carafe "just so" and it sensed that there was no carafe in which to drip. So, the process backed up and overflowed the basket holding the grounds.For the past five years, whenever I go home to visit, it’s fun to check on their latest investment in what should be a simple appliance. The bedtime ritual usually involves a comic routine of both of them hovering over the coffee pot, carefully preparing for our upcoming morning’s brew.Maybe they sip and say "ah" with a little more enthusiasm than the rest of us because they have to work harder for their reward.

Happiness aboundeth in my heart. Martha Stewart is scheduled to be released from prison on Sunday, March 6. My heart is going "pitter-patter" with joy that the trauma is over. Poor Martha, I missed her so much. In honor of this significant occasion, we will prepare a display of Martha’s books at the library on Monday, March 7, (the day after). You will also have an opportunity to register for a chef’s apron that says "I Love Martha" with a red big heart on the front. One requirement: You must love Martha to register. If you don’t love Martha, please don’t register. That would be like lying to a librarian, and frankly, you don’t want to do that. It is common knowledge that lying is one of the seven deadly library sins. The punishment is swift and it is harsh. Happiness will abound in your heart, too, because the new Danielle Steele book, "Impossible," is on the shelf and ready to check out. Everything Sasha does is within the boundaries of tradition. Liam is sockless in December. Sasha is widowed, a woman who knows she was lucky enough to be married to the most wonderful man in the world and thankful for every moment they had. Liam is half in and half out of a marriage that his own impossibly impulsive behavior has helped tear apart. While Sasha has been methodically building her father’s Parisian art gallery into an intercontinental success story, Liam has been growing into one of the most original and striking young painters of his time. So while the two are utterly unalike and a nine-year age difference stares them in the face, the miracle of art brings them together. The question is, can Sasha guard her reputation while juggling a secret and somewhat scandalous relationship? And how can Liam put up with a woman who insists on having things her own way, in her own style, and at her own time?For Sasha it’s a matter of keeping Liam hidden from her grown children and well-heeled clientele. For Liam it’s about creating chaos out of order, bringing out the wild streak that Sasha barely knows she has. That is, until a family tragedy suddenly alters Liam’s life and forces a choice and a sacrifice that neither one of them could have expected. Also new on the shelf this week is "Missing Persons" by Stephen White. The stakes have just been raised for psychologist Alan Gregory. His friend and fellow therapist Hannah Grant has disappeared, mysteriously and suddenly. The police are baffled, leaving another apparent homicide unsolved in Boulder, Colo. Only Alan has the means to decipher Hannah’s clues, a quest that will take him to Las Vegas and lead him to question the integrity of those closest to him. The clock is ticking as Alan tracks one of Hannah’s most elusive patients; has she been kidnapped, or is she a runaway? The answers to both cases may be locked in the mind of a patient he has been treating for a schizophrenic personality disorder. In a maze of dilemmas that could cost him his career or his life, Alan takes a bold risk that will have readers racing to the stunning conclusion of "Missing Persons." Preschool Story Hour for 4- and 5-year-olds begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 15. Pre-registration is required and you may do so by stopping in or calling the library at 449-5040. Story hour will run seven weeks, through the end of April.

Damage of the storm continues:The following appeared in the Rock County Weekly News on July 25, 1884:RANDOM REPORTSThe full extent of the damage done throughout the county to buildings and crops can not be determined at this writing, but enough is known to give unpleasant assurance of the fact that the total amount of damage will be very large. Of the instances of damage done the following have thus far been reported:A granary on J.B. Shawver’s farm was unroofed, fences blown down and trees injured. Damage about $500.The Norwegian church in Mound township was moved twelve rods and left right side up in good condition. Windmills on Rock county farms and cupolas on barns blown down.E. Furguson’s barn and new house nearly demolished. Rev. E.H. Bronson’s barn blown down.Mr. Campbell’s new barn on McCarthy’s old place moved from its foundations. Barns and granaries on Mr. Snook’s farms all destroyed.Joseph Wright’s house and barn both demolished.M.D. Dimick’s large new barn badly damaged.Edwin Gillham, who was out of town during the storm, reports that nearly all the barns and many buildings northwest of Luverne are blown down. The grain along the entire track of the storm was laid flat, but reports this afternoon give reason to hope that the damage will not be so great as was feared at first. T.J. Bailey’s granary was blown down and his barn racked. Damage about $500.The Norwegian church in Martin township, in course of erection, was entirely demolished. Mr. Preston’s new residence near Luverne was badly damaged. Magnolia townshipBADLY DAMAGEDOur Magnolia correspondent, Illini, gives the following report under date of July 22:Our town was visited on Monday afternoon about half past three o’clock with one of the worst wind storms it has ever been our lot to witness. It blew down Mr. Wm. Kline’s machine shed and carried his tool house 50 feet through the air, turned it half-way around and let it down in good position. Word has just been brought that Mr. Welch’s barn is gone also Paul Veighlander’s. Mrs. J.J. Roger’s shingles were all taken off of her house. Wm. Travis’s chimney was carried away. It took lumber off Mr. Yale’s lumber piles and hurled it against the fence and broke it into kindling wood. Crops are down as flat as if rolled with a roller and a good deal of the grain is beyond all hope of ever raising again. Hay stacks are badly demolished and a great amount of hay is spoilt. A good many hay roofs are blown off. Word came this morning that the large warehouse at Drake station has been carried off its foundation and the old store building has been bent over so that Mr. M.J. Phinney who is living in it is afraid to remain in it longer. Mr. Chatfield’s barn is a total wreck. Mr. Darling’s large granary was taken up and moved about 8 feet from its foundation. Mr. Morton’s house is moved about two feet from its foundation. Next week will continue further damage in other townships. Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcome correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

He’s the world’s fastest eater and, surprisingly enough, he’s not your brother-in-law. According to Nature Magazine, the star-nosed mole "can detect, identify and gulp down its small prey (usually insect larvae or earthworms) in an average of 227 milliseconds, less than a quarter of a second." This may all sound familiar to any cook who has ever prepared a holiday dinner, only to see it disappear in the blink of an eye. However, this world champion eater prefers to burrow in marshlands rather than socialize with humans.If you’re wondering how long a quarter of a second is, consider this comparison. USA Today reports that it takes 650 milliseconds for a car driver to brake after seeing a traffic light turn red. With reference to the ravenously hungry, star-nosed mole, 227 milliseconds is slightly less time than pop singer Britney Spears was married for the first time to her former high school sweetheart. In all fairness, the star-faced mole might eat fast simply out of frustration and loneliness. It can’t be easy to burrow most of the day and have a face that looks like it exploded. (The photo of the mole was unlike anything ever shown by on-line dating services.) On second thought, the mole’s face strongly resembles a popular taste treat, a deep-fried onion blossom.Because of our own heating habits, it’s easy to believe the story about the mole with the 22 little food-grabbing appendages ringing its nose. Reuters recently revealed that working parents aged 25 to 54 have only three hours a day to shop, do personal grooming and eat. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to chew and swallow.Americans spend so little time carefully chewing food or being seen doing it, that you might think "masticate" is a bad word. Fifty-dollar-a-plate wedding dinners and family holiday dinners, which have taken hours if not days to prepare, are gulped down faster than proverbial speeding bullets. "What a great-looking dinner!" and "My, that was good!" are often uttered in the same breath.The following guidelines might suggest if we’re eating too fast for our own good:Within a few seconds of finishing a meal, we can’t recall a single thing we’ve eaten. After scarfing down a meal that appeared to feature some sort of undercooked bird, we find out that the family’s pet canary is inexplicably missing from its cage. When the last dinner guest is taking his seat at the table, we’re already finishing off our desserts. Finally, although we have been told that chewing each mouthful of food 32 times is important for adequate digestion, we consider chewing to be an overrated waste of time. Instead of chewing, we shovel and gulp. Nature Magazine also noted that the star-nosed mole’s feeding pace "is so fast that they frequently make mistakes, skipping over edible food but later returning." Most of us can relate to that particular eating habit. In our world, it’s thought of as a meal do-over. The food items we overlook during the first feeding frenzy are stored in the refrigerator until the next mealtime. And we don’t refer to them as mistakes — they’re called leftovers.

Once again Luverne businesses, civic organizations and parents have shown that kids count in this community. More than $4,000 in donations has been given to keep the second and third grade swimming program in elementary curriculum. The lifelong fitness skills and safety importance will benefit all kids for years to come. We would like to thank the following for their generous donations: city of Luverne, Luverne-Sioux Valley Physicians, Luverne Optimists, Gold’n Plump, First Farmers and Merchants Bank, Lions 92 and Glen’s Food Center.It’s nice to raise families in such a caring community. Dawn FrankenhoffKatie Baustian PPIE swimming program co-chairs

By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth boys battled their away into the semifinals of the South Section 3A Basketball Tournament by posting a pair of wins at different sites late last week.The Panthers coasted to a 27-point win over Westbrook-Walnut Grove in the tournament’s opening round in Fulda Thursday. Ellsworth advanced to the semifinals by stunning second-seeded Fulda by 10 points during Saturday’s quarterfinals in Worthington.Ellsworth, 16-12 overall, will play Adrian in tonight’s semifinals in Worthington. The EHS-AHS clash will be the second semifinal game of the night and is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.Ellsworth 69, Fulda 59The Panthers pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament’s first two rounds by shocking the Raiders by 10 points Saturday in Worthington.Seventh-seeded EHS cashed in on 22 of 29 free throws in the game to help knock off No. 2 Fulda in what developed into a really physical battle."They were the favorites, but our guys were confident," said Panther coach Ken Kvaale."We played really good defense, and our guys played one of their better physical games of the year. We stayed in our half-court offense, and we were able to stay in our sets even though it was a very physical game."After falling behind early, the Panthers came from behind to gain a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.With Darrin Weikamp nailing five of six field goals and scoring 10 of his 24 points in the second quarter to lead the way, Ellsworth opened a 10-point (32-22) by halftime.Fulda trimmed the difference to seven points (45-38) by the end of the third period and trailed by as little as three points (49-46) in the fourth quarter. Ellsworth, however, finished the game with a 10-3 spurt to advance to the tournament’s semifinal round for the fourth straight year.Cody Schilling, who drained eight of nine free throws and scored 12 points in the crucial fourth quarter, finished the game with 27 counters, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Weikamp added eight rebounds to the winning effort.Box scoreDeutsch 0 0 2-4 2, Kramer 1 0 2-2 4, DeBerg 1 0 0-2 2, Schilling 7 1 10-11 27, Weikamp 7 1 7-8 24, Klaassen 2 0 0-0 4, Van Der Stoep 1 0 1-2 3, Herman 0 1 0-0 3.Team statisticsEllsworth: 22 of 38 field goals (58 percent), 22 of 29 free throws (76 percent), 30 rebounds, 10 turnovers.Ellsworth 79, W-WG 52The one-two punch of Wiekamp and Schilling carried the Panthers to a 27-point win during Thursday’s tournament opener in Fulda.Weikamp and Schilling combined efforts to score 44 points and pull down 17 rebounds during a convincing win over the 10th-seeded Chargers.With Schilling and Weikamp leading the way, seventh-seeded EHS iced the contest by opening a 50-17 lead in the first half.Weikamp netted 18 of his team-high 23 points in the first two quarters. Schilling scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half.W-WG scored the first two points of the game before Ellsworth took over. The Panthers reeled off seven straight points to highlight a 15-2 run that ended with Schilling turning an offensive rebound into a field goal at the 3:13 mark of the first quarter that gave EHS a 15-4 lead.The Chargers trimmed the difference to 10 points (20-10) by the end of the opening period, but Ellsworth settled the issue by outscoring W-WG 30-7 in the second period to lead by 33 points at the intermission. The Panthers converted 13 of 14 field goals in the second stanza.Ellsworth led by as many as 45 points in the third quarter, which ended with the Panthers sporting a 70-32 advantage. W-WG outscored EHS 20-9 in the final eight minutes of play to make it a 27-point difference at game’s end.Schilling led the winners with 10 assists, nine rebounds and four steals. Weikamp added eight rebounds to the cause.Box scoreDeutsch 0 0 0-0 0, Kramer 3 0 0-0 6, DeBerg 1 0 0-0 2, Schilling 9 0 3-5 21, Weikamp 8 1 4-5 23, Klaassen 1 0 0-0 2, Van Der Stoep 2 1 2-3 9, Nolte 1 0 0-0 2, Herman 2 10-0 7, Bittner 0 0 0-1 0, Kix 2 0 1-1 5, Jansma 0 0 0-0 0.Team statisticsEllsworth: 32 of 50 field goals (64 percent), 12 of 19 free throws (63 percent), 34 rebounds, 12 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseHills-Beaver Creek passed its first test as the No. 1 seed of the South Section 3A Boys Basketball Tournament by defeating a scrappy Southwest Christian squad 65-49 in Worthington Saturday.Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema expected a tough challenge from eighth-seeded SWC in the quarterfinals, and he got one.The Patriots, however, were able to turn a nice second-quarter run into a 10-point halftime lead and H-BC led by as many as 20 points in the second half before settling for a 16-point win.The victory ups H-BC’s season record to 25-2. The Patriots will return to Worthington tonight to take on fourth-seeded Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin, a 60-46 winner over Southwest Star Concept Saturday, in the semifinals. Game time is 6 p.m.Like Saturday’s game against SWC, Wiertzema said ML-B-O will likely offer another stiff challenge to the Patriots."The sub-section is really strong this year. Seeds 1 through 8 are very good teams," he said. "It’s always hard to win the first game, and you would think you would be playing someone other than the perennial favorite in the first round." SWC always offers a strong defensive effort when it takes the floor, but the Patriots were able to meet the challenge with timely shooting from the floor and one of their best efforts from the free-throw line this season. H-BC converted 21 of 25 free throws (84 percent), including an 11 of 14 effort in the fourth quarter.The Eagles led 4-2 in the first quarter when H-BC reeled off seven straight points with senior Kale Wiertzema hitting a three-point shot at the 4:35 mark to give the Patriots a 9-4 advantage. SWC pulled within one point (11-10) of the Patriots as the period progressed, but H-BC guard Tyler Bush drained a pair of charity shots with two-tenths of one second left to give the Patriots a 13-10 lead heading into the second period.H-BC, a team that scores in bunches, opened the second quarter with a 13-3 run that ended with the Patriots sporting a 26-13 cushion when Bush drained a field goal at the 2:51 mark of the second period. SWC cut H-BC’s lead to nine points twice as the second quarter progressed and trailed 33-23 at halftime."It was very important," coach Wiertzema said, about H-BC’s 13-3 run to start the second period. "We’re a team that scores in runs. We want to run the floor. That’s how we play."The Patriots scored the first five points of the second half and led 50-30 when Bush scored two of his 19 points with 1:00 remaining in the third quarter, which ended with H-BC sporting a 52-32 advantage.SWC climbed within 14 points (60-46) of the Patriots with 2:20 left to play in the fourth quarter, but H-BC made its free throws down the stretch to win by 16."We got them down in the third quarter, and we survived in the fourth quarter. We didn’t take care of the ball very well at the end of the game, but their quickness had something to do with that. SWC is a good defensive team," Wiertzema offered.Kale Wiertzema led the Patrioits with 25 points (13 in the second half), 10 rebounds, eight steals and five assists. Bush, who scored 15 first-half points, added eight rebounds and four assists to the cause.Box scoreWysong 1 0 4-4 6, Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, Bush 4 0 11-13 19, Wiertzema 5 3 6-8 25, Baker 1 0 0-0 2, Broesder 1 1 0-0 5, LeBoutillier 3 0 0-0 6.Team statisticsH-BC: 20 of 48 field goals (41 percent), 21 of 25 free throws (84 percent), 30 rebounds, 19 turnovers.SWC: 20 of 49 field goals (40 percent), nine of 15 free throws (60 percent), 30 rebounds, 29 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys moved into the semifinal round of the South Section 3AA Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive year after posting a convincing win over Tracy-Milroy-Balaton during a quarterfinal-round game played in Luverne Saturday.Luverne, which struggled at times during the game, made 48 percent of its field goals to set the stage for a 66-37 win over the Panthers.The win gives Luverne a 15-8 record heading into tonight’s semifinals, which the Cardinals will host since they are the tournament’s No. 1 seed.At 6 p.m. the Cards will play No. 4 Renville County West, a 41-37 winner over Windom in the quarterfinals. Redwood Valley and Pipestone will meet in the second semifinal game of the night, which will be played after the LHS-RCW clash.Although the Cardinals posted a 29-point win over eighth-seeded T-M-B, LHS coach Tom Rops wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s performance. Inconsistent play, a possible result of tournament jitters, topped Rops’ list of concerns."We played good second and fourth quarters, but we played poorly in the first and third quarters. I’m glad we got a win, but we need to maintain our intensity for 32 minutes," he said.Luverne scored the game’s first three points before T-M-B moved in front 6-5 2:36 into the contest.The Cards countered with a 6-0 surge that ended with John Tofteland’s reverse layup to take an 11-6 lead at the 1:46 mark of the first quarter. T-M-B, however, scored the final two points of the quarter to trail 11-8 at period’s end.Luverne dominated the action in the second quarter.The Cards scored the first two points of the period during what turned into a 12-1 run that ended with the hosts porting a 23-9 lead when Brandon Deragisch converted a field goal at 3:28. Luverne proceeded to outscore the Panthers 10-6 the rest of the stanza and led 33-15 when Andy Haakenson scored the final two points of the first half with 12 seconds remaining.Luverne struggled early in the second half as T-M-B scored the first eight points of the third period to trail 33-23. The Cardinals answered the challenge by outscoring the Panthers 7-2 in the final 4:30 of the period, increasing their advantage to 15 points (40-25) when Dusty Antoine turned an offensive rebound into a basket with 16 seconds left to play.The Cards settled the issue early in the fourth quarter, when a 10-2 run capped by two free throws from Tofteland at the 6:18 mark gave the hosts a 23-point lead at 50-27. Luverne went on to outscore the Panthers 16-10 the rest of the period to prevail by 27.Tofteland led the Cards with 13 points and four steals in the game. Antoine, who netted 12 points, nabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Brad Herman added three assists to the winning cause.Box scorePick 1 0 2-2 4, Haakenson 1 0 0-0 2, Ward 0 0 0-0 0, Herman 2 0 2-4 6, Deragisch 4 0 1-4 9, Hendricks 1 0 2-2 4, Antoine 4 1 1-3 12, Tofteland 4 0 5-9 13, Miller 0 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 0 0-0 2, Boeve 0 0 1-4 1, DeBoer 0 0 0-0 0, Boelman 2 0 1-4 5, Heronimus 3 0 0-0 6, Clark 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsLuverne: 25 of 52 field goals (48 percent), 15 of 32 free throws (47 percent), 32 rebounds, five turnovers.T-M-B: 12 of 50 field goals (24 percent), 13 of 24 free throws (54 percent), 30 rebounds, 21 turnovers.