Fair GameA bill making its way through the Minnesota House of Representatives would get duck hunters out of bed earlier on opening day, reinstate a game bird season that has been outlawed for several years, and encourage youth hunting.Some of the bill’s provisions include:
Mourning doves would be added to the statutory list of game birds and authorize a mourning dove hunting season, which has been prohibited since 1947.
The bill will also move opening day for duck hunters to 9 a.m. from its current noon start. Woodcocks and mourning doves would stay at noon.
Toughen up the law for people who fail to show up in court or pay court-ordered fines for game and fish violations. Under the bill, those transgressions could result in the three-year revocation of game and fish license privileges.
Allow turkey hunters under the age of 16 to be accompanied by un- licensed, unarmed adults.Planning way aheadJust in case you are one of those people who like to plan way ahead, there is an All-School Reunion on the drawing board.The event will be next summer, July 29-31, 2005.Moonlight bowling, various individual class reunions and a movie at the Verne Drive-In will consume most of Friday.Saturday’s schedule will include a parade, golf tournament, the all-school reunion dinner and program and a Brandenburg/Monroe show at the Palace Theatre that evening.A Buffalo Brunch will begin at noon on Sunday, with a replay of the Brandenburg/Monroe show at the Palace that afternoon.A prairie program will conclude the weekend at 4 p.m. on Sunday.A lot of scheduling is still in the planning stages. Some things can, and probably will, change between now and then, so we will keep you posted.The reunion is being organized by the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce, so if you would like to volunteer to help with some aspect of the weekend, give them a call at 283-4061.Brandenburg receives book awardLuverne native, Jim Brandenburg has received a Minnesota Book award for "Looking for the Summer."Brandenburg received his most recent award at the 16th annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony.Brandenburg was one of five finalists in the nature and region category.According to the judges, Brandenburg "reminds us that none of us owns nature, but we have an ongoing relationship with it and a responsibility for it.""Looking for Summer" is a collection of photos around Brandenburg’s Ely home."Looking for Summer" is the first completely digital story published in National Geographic Magazine and Outdoor Photography Magazine and is the sequel to the best-selling book "Chased by the Light."This is Brandenburg’s 4th Minnesota Book Award.Watch out for deerThe Minnesota Department of Public Safety is putting on a big push to get people to look out for deer.According to the Department of Public Safety, more than 5,000 deer-vehicles crashes are reported every year in Minnesota, and it speculates that number could be as high as 60,000 if you add in the number of unreported crashes.Because of recent mild winters, the number of deer in the state is estimated to be more than 1 million, and those 1 million deer are continuously coming in contact with the 12,000 miles of state highways.Motorists can increase their safety by remembering:
Deer are most active from dusk until dawn.
The majority of deer-vehicle crashes occur between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Deer often travel in groups. Drivers who see one deer should expect to see more.
Deer pop up everywhere, but most often in wooded areas and near waterways.
Motorists should watch for deer-crossing signs. They mark areas where deer-vehicle crashes are common.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

By Jolene FarleySince 2002 local vehicle owners have had the option of renewing their license plate tags online directly through a Department of Revenue Web site instead of at the county court house. The cost for tags is the same on the Web site, but when renewals are done online, Rock County loses the revenue generated from fees charged for each license plate renewal and title transfer.Rock County charges a $4.50 fee when license plate tags are purchased for motor vehicles at the courthouse and a $7 fee for long form applications used when transferring a vehicle title. License plate and title fees alone generated a record $66,310 for the county in 2003, up from $65,358 in 2002, according to Rock County Deputy Registrar Wanda Kafka. The office also handles driver’s license applications and renewals, boat and snowmobile licensing and hunting and fishing licenses. Rock County officials have no way to gauge how much revenue has been lost by online renewals but they suspect it is a low amount."We don’t know who sends them in," Kafka said. "I have a feeling it’s quite low for Rock County." But Kafka said if more people renew online, the county will lose money."It will be less revenue because we will not see any of the fees, everything goes directly to the state," she said. "When 100 people do that it’s quite a lot of money. … That’s the operating income for our office. The state doesn’t fund the offices with any income to operate off of."Kafka attributes the low Internet renewal rate to the fact that some in the county don’t have Internet access or a computer and some don’t like to give credit card information online.Kafka said she never knows how many renewals they will have during the year because residents aren’t required to renew their license plates in the county they live in.

By Lori EhdeCell phone users dialing 911 will get better emergency service in Rock County, thanks to grant money that’s allowing some local improvements.Dispatch Supervisor Terri Ebert learned last week that the Rock County Sheriff’s Department was approved for a $164,800 grant through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.The money will be used for hardware improvements that will make it possible for Rock County dispatchers to locate cell-phone users using Global Positioning System."If someone’s upside down in their vehicle in a blinding snowstorm, they call us, and we ask them where they are and lots of times they have no idea," Ebert told County Commissioners at their Tuesday meeting.With Rock County’s current emergency system, 911 calls placed from residential locations automatically alert dispatchers where the call is coming from.Cellular 911 calls aren’t linked to this system."We’re getting cell 911 calls, but they’re coming up with no information," Ebert said.She said cell phone companies assign their users to geographic emergency centers, but since Rock County borders South Dakota and Iowa, it presents unique problems."We get calls from Iowa — way down in Iowa," she said.In addition to improving emergency cell service, the grant will allow Rock County to make related technical improvements in the Law Enforcement Center and to boost reception on the west side of the county with a 150-foot-high radio tower.Out of 110 applicants vying for $2.5 million in available grant dollars, Rock County was one of 17 recipients.This year has been a good year for emergency management money in Rock County, with a total of $220,000 granted so far in state and federal funding.Rock County has also been approved for an additional $50,000 in federal Homeland Security funding, and another 4,000 from the Minnesota Office of Domestic Preparedness.

By Sara StrongRock County Sheriff Mike Winkels said the battle against methamphetamine is a part of his every day work. Whether someone calls a dispatcher about suspicious activity, or a deputy and investigator compare notes, meth is much more than a loose topic."People are talking about it all the time — that’s the important thing, that people are more aware," Winkels said.The awareness appears to be countywide, not just in his office.Retailers let the Sheriff’s Department know about suspicious purchases and the general public reports quick stops at certain homes — adding up to many eyes and ears working for the sheriff."The public in the last couple years has really been affected and they know about it," Winkels said.County Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "Law enforcement has done an effective job in making these arrests. Per capita, we’re near the top in our ability to make arrests."When asked whether department dog Tarzan should get credit, Winkels said, "If I have to attribute it to anything, I have to attribute it to the public. A couple years ago we had a big push for the public to be involved — and they’re doing it."He said people in all age groups are concerned about the drug problem.Its devastating side effects are felt in many families, and almost everyone knows of a user or past user. One mother of an addict previously told the Star Herald, "It’s a mean drug. I think it’s the Devil."Counting the costEven if there wasn’t a human element, the county is concerned about meth because of its monetary cost.Ten meth labs in just two years had to be cleaned and property reclaimed, and numerous possession cases had to make it through the court system, usually with a public defender.Meth users typically cost the county more than the standard $55 a day for jail costs, because they often require more medical, dental, nursing and psychiatric services.Many of those services are picked up by public agencies long after a meth user is out of jail.Costs such as children in Social Services, and medical costs are difficult to tally over a lifetime. Many related social problems can’t be calculated. Winkels said the trend for meth manufacture and use spreading to rural areas doesn’t seem to be subsiding. "They can rent houses really cheap, and the nearest neighbor isn’t for a mile or more," Winkels said. The southwest region of Minnesota is seeing similar counts of meth labs as other areas of the state.Meth labs in the immediate area through the past five years are: Cottonwood, 0; Jackson, 2; Lincoln, 6; Lyon, 12; Martin, 4; Murray, 5; Nobles, 2; Pipestone, 2; Redwood, 3, and Rock, 10.These numbers of reported labs include large anhydrous ammonia thefts, because it assumes those thefts went toward manufacturing the drug.There are a few stand-out counties with high numbers of labs throughout the past five years: Anoka had 82; Chisago had 67, and Olmsted had 77.The drug itselfMethamphetamine, or speed, is common in the Midwest after rapidly gaining popularity across the country.It is a stimulant that sends a message to the brain to produce more dopamine. Hours after ingestion, the feel-good chemical, dopamine, isn’t turned back on, and the brain wants more meth to pick up the slack. Other drugs considered to be heavy stimulants allow the brain to repackage the dopamine, but methamphetamine doesn’t. Instead, the brain cells release another enzyme that diminishes the dopamine and kills it off for a long time. With repeated meth use, there is a chemical change in the brain that lasts a long time and can create a violent, irritable person incapable of feeling happiness or having fun, even after the meth use stops.Many people are on medications for lifelong mental and emotional problems brought on by meth.Methamphetamine can be smoked, inhaled or injected. Symptoms of use:oincreased alertnessoparanoiaohallucinationsoaggressive behavioroviolent behavioroloss of appetiteoacne or sores odepressionoconvulsionsosevere weight loss oputrid body odoroopen sores on the skinoliver damageostroke or heart attackMeth is made from:olantern fuelodrain cleanerobattery acidocold tabletsorock saltosulfuric and muriatic acidSheriff Winkels said that meth manufacturers are continually finding faster, more efficient means to make the drug. What used to take several steps, can be done by some in less than an hour. Winkels said anhydrous ammonia is being substituted by other chemicals in some recent formulas.If anything should be known by the public at this point, Winkels said, it’s that people shouldn’t be under the false impression that large or recent arrests are curbing use. "It’s a daily concern for us, and it hasn’t gone down," Winkels said.

10 years ago (1994)"Area students celebrated what administrators hope will be winter’s last hurrah April 29.A seven-inch snowfall made soupy messes of gravel roads and sent countless vehicles sliding off paved roads. The Luverne School Board meeting was postponed from Thursday to Friday.The unexpected snow day won’t be made up with extra days this year."25 years ago (1979)"Over 500 books are on their way to a mission school in India, thanks to efforts by the United Methodist Women of Luverne. Just over 862 pounds of books, wrapped in 10 pound packages and placed in direct mail bags, left the Luverne Post Office on Friday."50 years ago (1954)"A new Rock County Community hospital was virtually assured here this week with the announcement that half of the money needed to build the hospital is already available.Further assurance was added Tuesday night when the city council agreed to purchase the former Our Savior’s Lutheran Church property for location of the new hospital. … Total cost of the new hospital, which will be a 22-bed unit, has been estimated at $125,000."75 years ago (1929)"Manager Herman Jochims, of the Palace Theatre, announced yesterday that he has practically completed the installation of the new Vitaphone equipment, which gives assurance that all will be in readiness for the first presentation on next Thursday afternoon, May 9.The picture selected to feature the first presentation of the Vitaphone is ‘Sonny Boy,’ which in itself is one of the greatest productions in recent years. This picture, an all-talking production, will be the offering for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and will feature the installation of the first continuous performance plan at the Palace."100 years ago (1904)"The Luverne Automobile company has made several trips into the country and about town with their new touring car during the past week, giving the car a general test. The tests have proved very satisfactory to the makers and have also greatly stimulated interest in autos."

By John RittenhouseAll three track programs from the Star Herald coverage area traveled to Pipestone Tuesday for the annual Arrow Relays.Luverne, Adrian and Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton competed at the meet.The Luverne teams competed in the Class A field, where the boys placed second and the girls finished third in eight-team fields.The Adrian girls turned in an impressive performance during the Class B competition, winning the team title with 115 points. The AHS boys placed fourth in a nine-team field.H-BC-E-E’s boys placed third and the girls were fourth in the Class B division.The Cardinal boys won five meet titles during their appearance at the meet.Tim Rust won a pair of events, taking top honors in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with respective 11.24 and 23.24 times.Justin Van Wyhe, who placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 41-2, won the long jump with a 20-3 effort.Scott Goebel, who placed second in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:50.85, won the 800-meter run in 2:06.83.Luverne also received a meet title from the boys’ 1,600-meter relay team, which recorded a time of 3:40.32. Jake Hendricks, Andy Stegemann, Goebel and Nick Otten formed the team.The Cardinals placed second in the 400- and 3,200-meter relays with respective 46.1 and 8:59.8 times.Rust, Ben Cornish, Jordan Siebenahler and Van Wyhe ran the 400. Thomas Pinkal, Ruston Aaker, Stegemann and Otten teamed up in the 3,200.The LHS girls landed four meet titles during their appearance in Pipestone.Lexi Heitkamp had a big meet for the Cards, setting a meet record with the winning time of 2:25.35 in the 800-meter run before bettering her school record of 5:19.1 during a championship performance in the 1,600-meter run.Luverne’s Marissa Stewart, who placed second in the shot put with a distance of 33-6, won the discus with a toss of 99-7.The girls’ 1,600-meter relay team of Amanda Saum, Kayla Raddle, Kelsey Dooyema and Tera Boomgaarden won the event with a time of 10:40.6.Saum also placed second in the 3,200-meter run in 12:46.8.The Dragon girls won five events while capturing their team title.Sarah Kruger claimed two individual crowns by winning the 200- and 400-meter dashes with respective 27.12 and 1:01.35 times.Amanda Lynn won the triple jump with a distance of 30-1 1/2, and Morgan Lynn established a new school record by winning the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:24.46. The old standard of 5:25.5 was set by Traci Scheidt in 1982.Adrian also fielded the winning medley relay, which turned in a 4:41.73 effort. Samantha Lynn, Emily Thier, McCall Heitkamp and Erica Thier formed the team.Heitkamp (12:49.9 in the 3,200-meter run), Leslie Stover (2:41.12 in the 800-meter run) and Ameila Mulder (93-6 in the discus) placed second individually for AHS.The girls’ 800- and 1,600-meter relays placed second with respective 1:54.14 and 4:23.41 times.Reisdorfer, Amanda Lynn, Sarah Jensen and Kruger ran the 800. Reisdorfer, Morgan and Amanda Lynn and Erica Thier teamed up in the 1,600.Adrian’s boys claimed four meet titles at the event.Kyle Knips emerged as a double-winner, taking top honors in the 200- and 400-meter dashes with respective 23.9 and 53.75 times.Casey Knips, who placed second in the shot put with a toss of 36-0, won the discus with a 132-0 effort.David Brake, who covered 38-0 to place second in the triple jump, won the high jump and bettered his school record in the event by clearing 6-1.Adrian’s Billy Anderson, Pete Jensen, Jory Haken and Kyle Knips placed second in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:40.78.H-BC-E-E’s boys landed three meet titles during the course of the event.Tom LeBoutillier, who placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.4, won the long jump by covering 19-9.The Patriots took top honors in the medley and 3,200-meter relays with respective 3:50.7 and 8:41.7 times.Lee Jackson, LeBoutillier, Kale Wiertzema and Tyler Bush ran the medley. Jackson, Wiertzema, Todd Alberty and Bush joined forces in the 3,200.H-BC-E-E’s Cody Scholten placed second in four individual events. He cleared 6-1 in the high jump, covered 19-1 in the long jump, ran 100 meters in 11.61 and dashed 200 meters in 24.14.The boys’ 1,600-meter relay of Alberty, Wiertzema, Jackson and Bush placed second with a time of 3:35.38.The H-BC-E-E girls won three relay races and set two meet standards during the competition.Meet records fell in the 400- and 3,200-meter relays as the Patriots produced the winning times of 53.77 and 10:10 in the events.Amanda Connors, Cassi Tilstra, Mya Mann and Kelly Mulder ran the 400. Jocelyn Bucher, Mann and Amanda and Cassi Tilstra formed the 3,200-meter team.Mann, Connors, Ashley Bucher and Cassi Tilstra took top honors in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 4:17.4.Here is a look at the team standings and the rest of the individual efforts turned in by area athletes during the Arrow Relays.Class A boys: Redwood Valley 110, Luverne 102, Pipestone 80, Murray County Central 71, Worthington 60, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 57, Westbrook-Walnut Grove-Red Rock Central 41, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 37.Class A girls: T-M-B 119, Pipestone 108, Luverne 98.5, Worthington 63, W-WG-RRC 56, R-T-R 50, MCC 44.5, RWV 19.Class B girls: Adrian 115, Fulda 113, Southwest Christian 83, H-BC-E-E 73, Southwest United 61, Lincoln HI 38, Elkton (unavailable), Lakeview (unavailable).Class B boys: SWC 124, Fulda 113, H-BC-E-E 109, Adrian 95, Lakeview 43, Baltic 37, SWU 22, Elkton (unavailable), LH (unavailable).Luverne boysThird place: Pinkal, 3,200, 11:11.1. Hendricks, 400, 52.1;medley relay (Cornish, Siebenahler, Aaker and Otten), 3:51.83.Sixth place: Ben Uphoff, 300 hurdles, 46.7; Nick Van Wyhe, shot, 42-4 1/4.Luverne girlsThird place: 400 relay (Callen Bosshart, Amanda Dooyema, Cassie Pap and Nicole Willers), 54.56; 800 relay (Bosshart, A.Dooyema, Willers and Jenni Christensen), 1:54; 1,600 relay (Christensen, A.Dooyema, Victoria Arends and Heitkamp), 4:21.3; medley relay (Morgan Bosshart, Pap, Arends and Boomgarden), 4:46.1.Fourth place: C.Bosshart, 200, 28.1; Christensen, 400, 1:05.84.Fifth place: Heitkamp, high jump, 4-8; Maggie Kuhlman, 100 hurdles, 18.32; Kuhlman, 300 hurdles, 52.8.Sixth place: A.Dooyema, triple jump, 30-7.Adrian girlsThird place: Reisdorfer, long jump, 13-10 1/2; 400 relay (Em.Thier, A.Lynn, S.Lynn and Reisdorfer), 55.48.Fourth place: Jensen, 300 hurdles, 55.21.Sixth place: Em.Thier, 100, 14.0.Adrian boysThird place: Lee Stover, 800, 2:15.03; 400 relay (Chad Janssen, Jordan Brake, Haken and Anderson), 49.05; 3,200 relay (Stover, Jesse Brake, Paul Honermann and Jensen), 9:08.28.Fifth place: Anderson, 100, 11.9; Jr.Brake, 300 hurdles, 46.34.Sixth place: D.Brake, 110 hurdles, 20.68.H-BC-E-E boysThird place: Derek Haak, 3,200, 11:17.7; LeBoutillier, 300 hurdles, 43.98; Greg Van Batavia, 1,600, 5:07.64.Fourth place: John Sandbulte, triple jump, 37-3; 400 relay (Paul DeLeon, Devin DeBoer, Cody Rozeboom and Roger DeBoer), 49.9.Fifth place: Soren Trebesch, 400, 58.1; 800 relay (Sandbulte, Rozeboom, D.DeBoer and DeLeon), 1:45.4.Sixth place: Robert Baker, 800, 2:20.44.H-BC-E-E girlsThird place: A.Tilstra, triple jump, 29-2; Rayna Sandoval, 3,200, 13:14; A.Bucher, 1,600, 5:47.4; medley relay (Rosie Lewis, Mulder, J.Bucher and A.Tilstra), 4:45.76.Fourth place: Lewis, shot, 30-0; Lewis, discus, 91-3; Kari Roozenboom, 110 hurdles, 18.69.Fifth place: Roozenboom, triple jump, 28.5; 800 relay (Connors, Lewis, Brittany Helgeson and Mulder), 1:58.67.Sixth place: Mulder, long jump, 13-4; Roozenboom, 300 hurdles, 59.68; Brooke Kramer, 800, 2:54.56.

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian baseball team went 1-2 during a three-game stretch that began last Thursday.The Dragons lost home games to Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin and Pipestone Thursday and Monday respectively before winning a 12-run decision in Minneota Tuesday.Adrian, 8-5 overall, plays in Edgerton today and takes on Red Rock Central-Westbrook-Walnut Grove in Lamberton Tuesday.Adrian 14, Minneota 2The Dragons scored 14 runs in the first three innings and coasted to a 12-run victory in a five-inning game played in Minneota Tuesday.Adrian scored three runs in the first and second innings before icing the contest with an eight-run third frame.The Dragons loaded the bases in the first with Tyler Wolf slapping a single, Brandon Wolf drawing a walk and Glen Kruger reaching base on an error. Will Lutmer delivered a three-run triple to give AHS an early lead.Adrian’s Levi Bullerman belted an RBI single and Brandon Wolf added a two-run double to give the Dragons a 6-0 cushion in the third.Brandon Diekmann doubled home two runs, David Hoffer and Brandon Wolf added two-run singles, and Tyler Wolf and Bullerman drew bases-loaded walks to account for Adrian’s eight runs in the third.Minneota scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth, but it did little to influence the outcome of the game.Tyler Wolf, who led AHS with three hits, tossed all five innings to pick up the win. He allowed four hits and three walks during a five-strikeout performance.Hoffer and Brandon Wolf added two hits each.Pipestone 10, Adrian 8A two-homer, five-RBI effort from senior Tyler Wolf wasn’t enough to lift the Dragons to a home victory over the Arrows.Wolf belted two- and three-run homers in the first two innings of the game, but the Arrows scored seven runs in the second inning to set the stage for a two-run win over the Dragons.Wolf gave the Dragons a 2-0 lead with a two-run clout in the home half of the first inning before Pipestone moved in front 7-2 in the top of the second.Adrian rallied to tie the game at seven in the bottom of the second, but the Arrows outscored the hosts 3-1 the rest of the way to prevail by two.Lutmer walked and David Hoffer singled to get things rolling for AHS in the second. Diekmann slapped a two-run double to make the difference 7-4. Kontz singled to put runners on first and third for Wolf, who knotted the score at seven with a three-run blast.Pipestone regained the lead by scoring two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth.Adrian scored its final run in the bottom of the fifth. Brandon Wolf singled and scored on a fielder’s choice by Lutmer.Tyler Wolf, who now has a pair of two-homer games this season, led the Dragons with three hits. Kontz, Bullerman, Hoffer and Brandon Wolf slapped two hits each.Brandon Wolf tossed the first inning and two-thirds for AHS without gaining a decision. Kontz pitched the next three and two-thirds innings and took the loss. Hoffer worked the final inning and two-thirds.ML-B-O 9, Adrian 4The Dragons lost an opportunity to move into a first-place tie in the Red Rock Conference when they dropped a five-run decision to the Wolverines in Adrian Thursday.ML-B-O, which took a 4-0 league record into the clash against the 4-1 Dragons, plated six unearned runs to set the stage for a victory that gave it a two-game lead in the conference.The game was tied at three after three innings of play, but the Wolverines outscored AHS 6-1 the rest of the way to win handily.ML-B-O led 3-0 before the Dragons battled back to knot the score with a three-run third inning.Brandon Wolf and Kruger singled home runs for Adrian in the third. Tyler Wolf picked up an RBI for a fielder’s choice that tied the game.ML-B-O, however, regained control of the game by scoring four runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth to open a 9-3 cushion.Bullerman, who had two hits in the game along with teammates Brent Tjepkes and Brandon Wolf, singled and scored a run for Adrian in the seventh inning when Tyler Wolf lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.Hoffer started the game on the hill and took the loss. He allowed seven runs, seven hits and three walks in three and one-third innings. Kontz tossed the final three and two-thirds frames. He surrendered five hits and two runs.

Luverne senior Kyle Fletcher concentrates on the ball during a home match against Sioux Falls O’Gorman’s junior varsity team Wednesday, April 28. The Knights handed the Cardinals their second setback of the season during the match.By John RittenhouseThe Luverne tennis team was put to a test of playing in four events during a seven-day span.The Cardinals lost a home match to Sioux Falls O’Gorman’s junior varsity squad Wednesday, April 28 before topping Redwood Valley in a Southwest Conference match played in Luverne Tuesday. The Cardinals went 2-1 at the St. James Tournament Saturday, and completed the stretch with a win in Worthington Tuesday.Luverne, 9-3 overall, will remain busy by playing in Pipestone today and at the Benson Tournament Saturday before hosting Worthington Monday.Luverne 6,Worthington 1The Cardinals rolled to a five-point victory when they played the Trojans in a non-conference match in Worthington Tuesday.LHS swept the hosts in singles play and went 2-1 in doubles to win the match convincingly."Our singles players really did a nice job," said LHS coach Greg Antoine. "They went out and played up to their ability. They were patient and got the job done. Our doubles teams hung in there and got the job done, but we did make it hard on ourselves."All of Luverne’s singles wins came in straight sets.Dusty Antoine notched a pair of 6-0 wins over Jordan Willemssen at No. 1, Patrick Bennett notched 6-0 and 6-1 wins against Cody Neyens at No. 2, Derek Boeve recorded 6-2 and 6-1 victories over Tim Miller at No. 3, and David Nelson topped Quentin Dudley by 6-4 and 6-1 scores at No. 4.Luverne’s No. 2 doubles team consisting of John Kreuch and Kyle Fletcher recorded a 6-0, 6-7 (3-7 in the tiebreaker), 6-4 victory over Ben Clark and Justin Langseth. Chris Vickery and Nick Heronimus won a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 match from Tim Roos and Kale Calvin at No. 3.Worthington’s point came at No. 1 doubles, where Jason Johnson and Nate Peterson handed Steven Althoff and Brandon Deragisch a 7-6 (7-3 in the tiebreaker), 6-3 setback."If we went to go on and play well in the postseason like we want to, we need to improve," Antoine added. "The two things I see right now are serving better, and finishing points. There were a number of times when we could have put points away in this match, but we didn’t, and they got the points. We need to get those type of points against good teams, or it will come back and hurt us."St. James tourneyThe Cardinals went 2-1 and placed second during Saturday’s four-team tournament in St. James.Luverne posted 6-1 and 5-2 victories over Yellow Medicine East and Cannon Falls during the first two rounds of the event. Host St. James topped the Cardinals 5-2 in the finale."We played well," said Cardinal coach Antoine. "Our match with St. James was really close. They won three tiebreakers, and we won one. We just needed to finish off a few more points."One Luverne singles player and one LHS doubles team went 3-0 during the tournament.Boeve won all three of his matches at No. 4 doubles. He recorded 5-1 and 5-3 wins over YME’s Eric Dubbelde, he registered 5-2 and 5-1 wins over CF’s Micah Pfohl, and he topped SJ’s Josh Doll 1-5, 6-5 (7-4 in the tiebreaker) and won the super tiebreaker by a 10-6 count.The No. 3 doubles team of Trevor Maine and Heronimus also went 3-0.They topped YME’s Colin Bennett and Eric Lynner by 6-4 and 5-1 tallies, they coasted to a pair of 5-0 wins over CF’s Bobby DeLanghe and Petey Brown, and they posted a pair of 5-2 wins against SJ’s Adrian Reyes and Nathan Jurgens.Luverne’s Dusty Antoine, Bennett and Fletcher all went 1-3 at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles respectivley.Althoff and Deragisch posted a 2-1 record at No. 1 doubles. John Kreuch and Nelson went 2-1 at No. 2.Luverne’s Zach Sanderson and Matt Kreuch went 3-0 in exhibition play. They recorded a pair of 5-2 wins against a team from YME, they prevailed by 5-1 and 5-3 scores against CF, and notched 5-3 and 5-1 victories against SJ.Luverne 7, RWV 0The Cardinals moved within one win of locking up the Southwest Conference championship by defeating Redwood Valley in Luverne Thursday.The win upped Luverne’s SWC record to 2-0 with a seven-point sweep of RWV. The Cards can wrap up the league title with a home win over Worthington Monday."We were very aggressive and took charge right away in a lot of the matches," said Cardinal coach Antoine. "This was the first 7-0 win we’ve had since I’ve been coach, and it was fun to watch. It’s very rewarding as a coach to watch your players play that well."All of Luverne’s wins came in straight sets.Antoine bested Reed Larson by 6-0 and 6-3 scores at No. 1 singles, Bennett topped Jordan Boushek by 6-1 and 6-0 tallies at No. 2, Boeve handed Devan Blaine 6-1 and 7-5 setbacks at No. 3, and Nelson recorded 6-1 and 7-5 wins over Drew Draeger at No. 4.Althoff and Deragisch notched a 7-6 (7-5 in the tiebreaker) and 6-1 victory over Dave Sandvold and Daylon Tiffany at No. 1 doubles. John Kreuch and Fletcher topped Mike Pendleton and Sean Ferguson by 6-2 and 6-1 scores at No. 2. Chris Vickery and Maine upended Justin Thiel and Dan Stephens by 6-1 and 7-5 counts at No. 3."It’s so nice to have seniors in five of the six doubles spots," Antoine offered. "It’s nice to have that luxury, and it’s a luxury most coaches don’t have."O’Gorman JV 7,Luverne 0A talented junior varsity squad representing Sioux Falls O’Gorman dominated play during a 7-0 win over the Cardinals in Luverne Wednesday, April 28.The Knights won six of seven points in straight sets during a performance that impressed LHS coach Antoine."They are very good," he said. "They were hitting the corners, they were very aggressive and they didn’t miss any shots. The key was they didn’t make any unforced errors."Luverne’s lone set win came at No. 2 doubles. After dropping a 6-3 decision to Steve Dix and Mike Billion in the first set, Luverne’s Deragisch and Althoff evened the match with a 6-4 victory in the second set. The O’Gorman squad won the battle by securing a 7-6 win (7-3 in the tiebreaker) victory in the third set.O’Gorman’s Kevin Brennan and Dan Philippe posted 6-3 and 6-0 wins over Fletcher and Nelson at No. 1 doubles. Phil Amor and Matt Rippe topped Vickery and Nick Heronimus by 6-0 and 6-1 scores at No. 3.Andrew Rance downed Dusty Antoine by 6-3 and 6-1 scores at No. 1 singles, Matej Kaiwicka handed Bennett 6-1 and 6-3 setbacks at No. 2, Jon Swanson bested Boeve by 6-3 and 6-2 scores at No. 3, and Matt Finnegan notched a pair of 6-2 wins over Maine at No. 4.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne track squads mixed it up against some strong competition during the Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls Friday and Saturday.The Cardinals competed in the Class A version of the event, and their appearance at the meet was highlighted by five Top 10 performances turned in by different athletes.Senior Tyler Elbers recorded Luverne’s best finish at the meet.Elbers cleared 6-2 to finish eighth in the high jump.Tim Rust and Justin Van Wyhe also placed in the Top 10 during different events for the LHS boys.Rust, who placed 14th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.44, cleared 12-6 and placed ninth in the pole vault.Van Wyhe, who placed 24th in the long jump with a distance of 19-10-1/4, covered 41-6 and placed 10th in the triple jump.A record-setting performance turned in by Lexi Heitkamp proved to be the highlight of the meet for the Luverne girls.Heitkamp, an eighth-grader, established a new school record in the 1,600-meter run when she finished ninth in the event with a time of 5:24.7.Heitkamp’s effort surpassed the old school standard of 5:25 set by Hannah Dietrich in 1998.Heitkamp also ran a leg with Luverne’s sprint medley relay team, which placed 10th with a time of 4:27.1. Victoria Arends, Maggie Kuhlman and Jenni Christensen are other members of the team.Here is a look at the rest of the performances turned in by LHS athletes during the meet.Luverne boys11th place: 800 relay (Rust, Ben Cornish, Jake Hendricks and Elbers), 1:34.81.15th place: 3,200 relay (Thomas Pinkal, Ruston Aaker, Scott Goebel and Nick Otten), 9:02.9.19th place: 1,600 relay (Hendricks, Aaker, Goebel and Elbers), 3:37.5.24th place: Pinkal, 3,200,10:47.1.32nd place: Goebel, 1,600, 4:47.1.40th place: Travis Halfmann, 3,200, 11:29.5.65th place: Andy Stegemann, 1,600, 5:17.5.Luverne girls14th place: Kuhlman, 300 hurdles, 50.62.17th place: 800 relay (Callen Bosshart, Amanda Dooyema, Nicole Willers and Christensen), 1:53.4; 1,600 relay (Christensen, Dooyema, Victoria Arends and Heitkamp), 4:17.75.18th place: 400 relay (Bosshart, Dooyema, Cassie Pap and Willers), 53.75.30th place: Arends, 300 hurdles, 52.9; Kayla Raddle, 3,200, 12:40.15.31st place: Kelsey Dooyema, 1,600, 5:45.2.32nd place: Amanda Saum, 3,200, 12:43.26.38th place: Kuhlman, 100 hurdles, 17.71.44th place: Jessica Willers, 100 hurdles, 18.6.47th place: Bosshart, 100, 13.6.Marissa Stewart threw the shot put 32-6 and the discus 110-0 without placing.