By Sara StrongLuverne is trying to help out another city that needs an economic boost.Winsted requested some of Luverne’s Job Opportunity Building Zone acres in order to draw a business.The Rock County Board of Commissioners and the Luverne City Council approved a 10.79 JOBZ acres transfer at Tuesday meetings. The Luverne School Board will consider approval this week. Tax-collecting bodies have to give approval because JOB Zone involves tax breaks to businesses.Winsted has been working with three manufacturers to expand into the city. But without JOBZ that may not happen.LEDA Director Dan Statema said, "Personally, it seems like the right thing to do, to help out another city, especially since it doesn’t hurt us. Professionally, it looks good for us and it gets us name recognition from the state."The city heard that the state was frustrated with the lack of cooperation from other cities that had extra JOBZ acres. In correspondence to the state about the acreage transfer, the city will ask that the state consider this good-will measure in the event that Luverne needs those 10.79 acres again. The city would only need the acres if the remaining 330 acres are filled with businesses.Winsted City Administrator Brent Mareck said in a letter to Statema, "The city of Winsted appreciates your community’s own desire to foster strong economic growth in Luverne, which makes Winsted all the more grateful for your consideration of this request."Winsted, near New Ulm and Litchfield, is a town with a population of just more than 2,000.

By Jolene FarleyMost of Rock County has dodged the downpours and flooding that has plagued counties just across the South Dakota border.For the most part, local producers are optimistic that this year will be a good year for farmers. Hills Brothers Farms, two miles west of Hills, has tracked the rainfall so far this year, according to Gene "Pucky" Sandager. Sandagers have recorded rainfall amounts for their land since 1992.Hills Brothers Farm has received 2.7 inches of rain so far this month, while last year they received 3.5 inches of rain in June.During May this year, Sandager received 5.6 inches of rain compared with 3.9 inches in May last year."We’ve missed the ones (downpours) out of Sioux Falls," he said. "Those fronts have been coming up and staying west of us."Sandager, who just returned from a trip, saw standing water in fields south of Sioux Falls while flying overhead in a plane.Although the amount of rain hasn’t caused a problem for Sandager, the frequency of the rain has made haying difficult.All you need is a small amount of rainfall or heavy dew and you have to re-tip the hay or use a dryer, according to Sandager. There has been a stretch of only four days when conditions were ideal for drying the hay. Hills Brothers Farm has corn that is about knee high and will grow more rapidly as temperatures increase. The corn crop "looks very good" Sandager said, and he is optimistic about the bean crop, too."We’ve got a chance at some good crops," he said.Weed control has been the biggest issue this spring in Rock County, according to Southwest Minnesota Farmers Coop Agronomy Production Specialist Dustin Warns."Due to the longer spring, cool and dry conditions early on, pre-plant and pre-emerge herbicides weren’t as effective this year," he said.Post-emerge chemical applications are less effective this year because weeds aren’t actively growing.The county is also behind on heat units due to the cooler conditions the last week, according to Warns. Nitrogen leeching out of the soil in low-lying areas has been an issue in the portion of the county that received more rain. "Hardwick seems to be an area that got a little more rainfall than some of the others," Warns said.LeRoy Kellenberger, who farms three miles north of Hills, is also optimistic about his crops this year. "They’re looking good. For as long as the corn has been in the ground maybe a little behind, but she’s coming," he said."We’re getting the rains about right," he said.Kellenberger received a small amount of hail during a storm about a month ago but there wasn’t any lasting damage to his crops. Kellenberger has a weather wish list to make his crops grow this year."Bring on some sunshine and warm weather and slow the wind up so we can finish spraying," he said.

By Lori EhdeIt’s been nearly six weeks since the first handful of employees started training on the phones at Total Card Inc., Luverne. Now, with 23 on staff and 20 more to be trained in the coming two weeks, the Sioux Falls credit card company is well on its way to filling the former Tri-State building to capacity — which is about 300 employees. "Things are busy, but going well," said Jeff Strauss, who is heading up operations in Luverne. "We’re on track for 15 to 20 (employees) a month."TCI is a credit card processor and servicer that issues VISA credit cards under the name of Plains Commerce Bank in South Dakota.When the four-year-old business outgrew its Sioux Falls location, company executives chose to expand in Luverne.They saw the former Tri-State Building as the perfect fit for their needs and its close proximity to home base in Sioux Falls was also a plus.But on the Minnesota side of the border, the move was hailed as one of the first successful applications of the state’s new JOBZ legislation to encourage outstate economic growth.In fact, the TCI ribbon-cutting on April 23 turned into a large-scale community event with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty paying a personal visit to celebrate TCI’s growth in Luverne.Strauss said the quality labor market in southwest Minnesota has been an added bonus, and more than 400 people initially applied for TCI jobs.The 30,000-square-foot building was previously empty since January 2003 when Tri-State Insurance, now known as Continental Western Group, moved into the Berkley Technology Services building across the street on Roundwind Road.

By Lori EhdeAn early-morning planning meeting on Wednesday, June 16, laid the groundwork for future development of land near and around the new hospital campus.Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System executives requested the meeting to better prepare the hospital and city for development opportunities in the neighborhood.Architect plans for the 20-acre hospital and clinic campus already allows for future construction of health-related facilities, such as orthopedic or sinus specialists. But the hospital also owns an additional 35 acres between the boundaries of Highway 75 on the west, the gravel township road on the north, and Blue Mound Avenue on the east.This ground is currently zoned R-I for residential-institutional use and R-A for residential-agricultural use.The $17.8 million complex going up north of the Veterans Addition, will have nearly 95,000 square feet of space, more than doubling the space of the current landlocked hospital and clinic. Construction is projected to be complete by next summer.Once it starts attracting new traffic of hospital employees, patients and visitors, it’s only natural that new businesses and hospital-related ventures will turn to that area for development.The city of Luverne recently approved a new 10-year comprehensive plan, and one purpose of last-week’s meeting was to brainstorm for ways the hospital development will play into that plan.Among others, attending the meeting were Luverne Sioux Valley Hospital Administrator Gerald Carl, Sioux Valley executive Jim Striepe, Luverne City Administrator Greg LaFond, Luverne Mayor Glen Gust, Luverne Building and Zoning Administrator Dan Delgehausen, Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre, Rock County Commissioner Ron Boyenga and Rock County Economic Development Corporation representatives Greg Burger and Marilyn Bloemendaal.Participants were hesitant to share specific ideas that surfaced at the meeting, but the Developmental Achievement Center, Luverne, is advertising for bids on a five- to six-bedroom group home.Delgehausen said it would be the hospital’s decision, but in general he said the ground east of the hospital would be suitable for a business park — planned in a way that would meld well with a residential area.He also said plans will have to include a retention pond larger than the existing Veterans Home pond to slow water run-off from the northwest. The pond would be located in the northeast corner of the property at the intersection of Blue Mound Avenue and the township road. Overall reaction by meeting participants was that the June 16 gathering was a good place to start for future planning."The county certainly appreciates Sioux Valley’s openness in discussing the use of their land with us," Oldre said.

By Sara StrongWith the Luverne Economic Development Authority Director leaving in less than a month, the city started advertising the position.However the LEDA questions how that process started, and objected to it Tuesday.LEDA member Isaac DeBoer said to the City Council, "The EDA has been left in the blind on this."Advertising for the position comes on the heels of the LEDA trying to revamp how the position is supervised. The LEDA proposed at its last meeting that it, as a board, hire and supervise the director.Meanwhile, City Administrator Greg LaFond said the city needs to hire someone to fill the vacancy as soon as possible.The LEDA not only objected to the advertising without its supervision, but to the new job description of the position.The position was advertised as a "coordinator" rather than director, as it is currently.Coordinator is a lower ranking position.LEDA member Nate Golla said, "We’re concerned that we’re taking a step backward. Luverne is in a position to do more economic development than ever before, and this position seems like almost an administrative assistant. … It also puts more responsibility on the city administrator, who, as I understand it, already has a full-time job."Golla said that a director would be able to give his or her entire focus on economic development, rather than LaFond leading efforts with help from a coordinator.LEDA member Karis Gust said that while LaFond may have economic development and marketing skills — designing a system around an individual’s strengths doesn’t guarantee that individual will be working for the city in the future. In other words, a future administrator might not be suited to lead economic development.LaFond said, "Whether the title is coordinator or director or the job description changes, we’re getting good applicants who can fill the position."The job’s changesEven though the LEDA tried at its last meeting to get more control over the director’s position, the hiring and job profiling is still in the administrator’s hands.The new advertisement and job description includes more authority and involvement of the city administrator. The listed salary is in the range of $14.38 to $16.13 per hour.The general description includes assisting the administrator in planning and carrying out various economic development tools. The employee would also work as a liaison between the city and various community and state economic groups, as is currently the case.It was advertised as requiring a bachelor’s degree with major coursework in economic development, local and urban affairs, planning or related field and two years experience.

By Sara StrongThe city of Luverne formally proposed changes to Rock County regarding how it thinks law enforcement should be funded.The county’s budget for law enforcement and dispatch services includes the assumption that the city of Luverne will pay half. The city has disputed the charge, saying that Luverne residents already pay the county directly for the services through their county taxes, and that an additional charge isn’t fair.The county says Luverne residents get a premium service and use more of the Sheriff’s Department time than other parts of the county.City’s proposalThe city of Luverne just forwarded this proposal to the county for 2005 law enforcement and dispatching funding, which would save city taxpayers $360,000:
Dispatch would be funded on the basis of county taxes only, which means city residents would pay 18.95 percent of the bill.
Duties that dispatchers do now, such as working with private alarm companies, probably wouldn’t fall under their job descriptions without a separate contract with the city.
For law enforcement, the city proposes that inmate expenses be removed from the general Sheriff’s budget because that cost isn’t directly associated with Luverne. The inmate costs, including medical expenses, would be a part of a separate "law enforcement support services" under the city’s proposal.
The expenses of the investigator would be removed from the sheriff’s budget and be made a part of the separate "law enforcement support services" budget as well.
Annual expenses associated with "bailiff and matron" services would be removed from the sheriff’s budget and be made part of the "support services" budget too.
Law Enforcement Support Services operations would be funded only through county taxes.
City and county would review inmate costs on a rolling three-year average and determine if adjustments are necessary in the funding formula.
For sheriff costs, the city would pay the county an hourly rate based on the cost per hour associated with patrol activities. Such a rate would include wages, fringe benefits, supplies, capital expenditures and overhead. The city payment would equal the hourly rate multiplied by the number of patrol hours contracted for each year.
The proposal asks that the city and county establish a contingency fund to account for unanticipated expenses, of $25,000 per year until a maximum balance of $100,000 is reached. All expenditures from this account must be approved by a majority of the representatives from each party to the city-county liaison committee. This fund would be paid through regular county tax collections, with no separate fees or contributions from the city.County’s rebuttal The county and city will discuss it at a July 7 meeting, but the Rock County Commissioners looked at the city’s proposal Tuesday.Commissioner Richard Bakken said, "I don’t see any use in trying to develop something new. … It’s worked before and I think it will continue to work."Rock County proposed to the city that the contracts of all joint operations return to what they were last year, including the Pool and Fitness Center, dispatch and law enforcement.County Administrator Kyle Oldre said the board will have a difficult time accepting the city’s latest proposal.He said, "To make up the lost money, that’s a 12 percent levy increase, just for the law enforcement and dispatch. That’s not considering other budget increases we’re facing next year. … Law enforcement and dispatch are only about 10 to 15 percent of the county’s total budget."Recently, the county proposed a joint sheriff and dispatching budget since it couldn’t recoup funding losses from the city of Luverne canceling dispatch. Rolling the budgets together was seen as an underhanded move by the city and attorneys are discussing its merits.County Attorney Don Klosterbuer said it is odd that the city is expecting the same service for less money.He said, "Cities have, ‘in history and practice,’ provided a different level of service than a sheriff’s department provides to every area."Board Chairman Bob Jarchow said that although the city residents pay 18 percent of the county’s tax collection, they get more than 18 percent of the service.Jarchow said, "Are they saying they need the same service as a tract of land out in the county?"Commissioners said that if contracts can’t be agreed upon, services and personnel likely will be cut.The city of Luverne retained special legal counsel to give opinions on what services the Sheriff’s Department would have to provide to city residents if the contracts are not settled before they expire.

By Lori EhdeTemperatures dipped into the 30s Friday night into Saturday morning, but that didn’t stop Rock County Relay for Life teams and volunteers from walking through the night around the Luverne City Park.The local event raised a record $60,700 for the American Cancer Society, again surpassing the original $35,000 target goal and even the $45,000 stretch goal."It was an awesome turnout," said Luverne’s Glenda Schomacker, cancer survivor and this year’s Relay co-chair."We’ve got an awesome community. … We have more luminaries than the Sioux Falls Relay for Life, and it’s year after year after year."Vivian Holst serves as treasurer for Rock County’s Relay for Life. She is still tallying results as money continues to trickle in. "It just overwhelms you," she said.She said generous donations this year may have been prompted by new and creative fund-raisers.For example each of the teams this year assembled theme baskets of products that were sold on silent auction. They brought in $1,485, with the top basket bringing $80."We were very well pleased with that," Holst said. "We’re going to do that again next year."Also, the Father’s Day brunch, which will be an annual event at future Rock County Relays added to this year’s total. "I think that helped a lot, and I think people are becoming more aware of cancer and that we do need research to find a cure."Of the 22 teams in this year’s Rock County Relay for Life, Continental Western Group-Berkley Technology Services raised $5,700. American Reformed Church, Luverne raised $4,700, and Steen Reformed Girls League raised $3,200.Local businesses making corporate donations at the $1,000 level were Minnwest Bank, the hospital and clinic (each at $1,000), Glen’s Food Center and the city of Luverne.Schomacker read a letter from cancer survivor Earleen Eitriem who wrote about the importance of research to finding a cure.The letter addressed concern among donors that the money doesn’t stay in communities that have Relay for Life.Schomacker said all of the money raised in Rock County this year wouldn’t fund an average person’s cancer treatment, so it’s important to support research on a national level."It seems like so much money could be used locally, and it probably could, but we would greatly negatively affect the future hope for a cure for cancer by not supporting research," Eitriem wrote. "I think I can truly say that if it were not for research, I would not be doing as well as I am, and or possibly even already passed on."In 2001, the community raised $51,750, an unheard first-time effort for a community starting Relay for Life. In 2002, the local event raised $44,128, and last year volunteers raised $57,763 for the Cancer Society.Relay for Life is the trademark fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. The annual event involves teams of runners and walkers competing against each other to raise the most money.Teams of individuals representing corporations, hospitals, neighborhoods and families take turns on the track through the night with at least one team member on the track at a time.The Relay for Life is now held nationwide, and thousands of people participate each year to help fight cancer.The event is most noted for its luminaries that glow in memory of individuals who have died from cancer or in honor of those who have survived cancer.While the Relay and luminaries are the focal point of the event, the field is filled with local entertainment, food booths and planned activities.

Everybody hurts, but in this town everybody helps, tooWhile covering Rock County’s Relay for Life in Luverne Friday night, an old R.E.M. song, "Everybody Hurts," kept popping into my head.It starts, "When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone, when you’re sure you’ve had enough of this life … well hang on.Don’t let yourself go. Everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes."A lump filled my throat when I imagined the collective pain of more than 500 people gathered at the city park that night.You don’t have to hang around a Relay for Life very long to realize nearly everyone you know is affected by cancer in one way or another.The way I saw it, there were three categories of people relaying Friday night: those in remission from cancer, those currently in treatment for cancer, and those relaying in memory of someone lost to cancer or in support of someone living with cancer.Bringing together all those people in the same place at the same time for the same reason produced an unmistakable emotional energy.The Survivor Walk was especially moving, when a throng of local cancer survivors released their white and purple balloons to "let go" of their illness, as if to declare themselves free.The tear-streaked faces turned upward while the purple and white dots disappeared into the great beyond. It was a powerful, overwhelming moment, even to the news photographer, who let go a tear of her own.It was a tear of joy — of shear triumph — for the survivors and their families who had been through so much to be able make that first heroic lap around the park.It was a tear of anguish for the cancer patients and their families currently structuring their lives around treatments and hospital stays. … It was a tear of hope that they’d be back next year to release another balloon in the Survivor Walk.Finally, it was tear of deepest sadness for the families relaying to remember those who lost the fight against cancer. How unfair for them to see the survivors complete the lap without their loved ones among them.Yet, in sharp contrast to all this pain, Friday’s Relay for Life again brought to light a silver lining on the cloud of cancer.Local volunteers raised a whopping $60,000 for the American Cancer Society to support research for a cure.It occurred to me that as long as everybody hurts, whether it’s cancer, or family changes, or physical disabilities, or financial stress or whatever … It’s best to hurt here in Rock County, where everybody also helps.The local event raises money for a cure, but more important, it raises awareness of the disease and brings the community together under a compassionate umbrella of support.On my way home, the R.E.M. song played quietly in the back of my mind: "Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends. Everybody hurts. Don’t throw in your hand. Oh no. Don’t throw in you hand. If you feel like you’re alone, no, no, no, you are not alone."

Jubilee Days in Hardwick this SaturdayIt’s going to be a big weekend in Hardwick.The 112th annual Jubilee Days will start with a co-ed slow-pitch softball tournament on Friday night. You can contact Dan Kindt about that.Saturday’s events will include:
Kid’s karaoke at KJ’s
Spotlight Dancers
Free mini train rides
Whopper feed
Culvers ice creamThe Jubilee Days Parade will begin at 7 p.m. with a raffle drawing following.The night will be topped off with a street dance with music provided by the Stormdogs.An outdoor community worship service will be 10 a.m. Sunday at Zion Lutheran Church.The Hardwick Community Club sponsors the weekend’s festvities.The country, as well as Rock County, are building bison herdsPeople in Rock County are used to see bison roaming the local prairie, but the rest of the country is starting to see and hear more and more about the herds.Bison, also known as American Buffalo, were brought back to Rock County in 1961, when Blue Mounds State Park acquired two animals from a South Dakota Ranch.That number has now grown to 79 adults and 24 calves.The park has decided to increase the herd to 100 or more by next year, but will still hold their annual auction.Rock County is also home to Prairie Heights Bison, the Bowrons’ private bison ranch.According to the Washington Post, the number of commercially raised bison has increased drastically in recent years and totaled 231,950 animals in 2002.Currently, wild buffalo number between 15,000 and 16, 000, the largest single herd is 3,800 and lives in Yellowstone National Park, according to Josh Osher, coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign.These numbers compare to the 20 to 30 million that roamed the plains before Europeans settled the west.Someone was $604 million short on their taxes; pay upAccording to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the difference between the amount of Minnesota income tax that was actually paid and the amount that should have been paid was approximately $604 million.That amount represents 10.5 percent of the total income tax due ($5.7 billion) for calendar year 1999.With 90 percent of all Minnesota taxpayers paying their legal obligations, the news isn’t all bad. According to Dick Gebhart, research director for the Revenue Department, the state doesn’t know how the numbers compare to other states because few, if any, comparable studies are available from other states.Most of the missing $604 million comes from taxpayers underreporting their income.Non-filers (those who did not file a tax) include taxpayers who may be due a refund.According to Jerry McClure, the department’s income tax director, "People who don’t pay what they owe are causing everyone else to pay more. Noncompliance unfairly shifts the tax burden to those who do comply."Minnesota’s income tax is the state’s largest revenue source, accounting for about 40 percent of the state’s general fund.The department estimates that 670,000 possible filers (individuals and married couples) are responsible for this shortfall.The department estimates that each individual Minnesotan pays about $120 more per year to make up for taxes not paid by others.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com