Operation Christmas Child Shoe BoxSeveral organizations in Luverne are participating in Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box.Operation Christmas Shoe Box gives people the opportunity to collect items for kids around the world who might not otherwise get a Christmas present.The program is a project of Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham.In Rock County, the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Home, The Oaks, American Reformed Church, Christian Reformed Church, New Life Celebration, Steen Reformed Church and the Kenneth/Adrian Lutheran Churches are participating in the project.If you would like to participate, here are the items they would like you to collect for your box.--Toys: small cars, dolls, stuffed animals, yo-yos, balls, jump ropes--School supplies: pens, pencils, markers, tablets, coloring books--Hygiene items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, combs, soap--Other: hard candy, mints, gum, socks, sunglasses, hair clips, watches--Do not include:chocolate, liquids such as shampoo, breakable items such as mirrors.If your church is not one of the participants, you can pick up a shoe box from Nancy Kaczrowski at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Home or call her at 283-2375Luverne is in the Upper Midwest region, for the project, which consists of Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa.Last year Operation Christmas Child collected 180,435 shoe boxes in the Upper Midwest Region, and these boxes were then sent to children in Estonia, Kazakhastan, Tajikistan, Angola, Armenia, Romania, Belarus, Ukraine, Bosnia, Rwanda, Moldova, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lithuania, Macedonia, and South Africa.In 2002, the program collected over 6 million shoe boxes worldwide and distributed them to children in about 95 countries.Cub Scouts double their food shelf collectionThe recent Cub Scout food shelf drive was a big success, collecting 1,097 pounds of food and 36 pairs of old eye glasses.That more than doubles the amount of food collected during their drive last year.According to local leader, Patti Aubert, 19 local Cub Scouts participated.Highway 60 is finally openThose that find themselves making a trek to the Twin Cities on a regular basis, will be happy to hear the last four-lane segment of Highway 60 is completed.This segment, which was the Heron Lake bypass, makes Highway 60 from Worthington to Windom all four-lane.The Heron Lake project was 8.4 miles long and cost $14 million.The project has been under construction since September 2001.The Windom to Wilder section was constructed in 1994; the Worthington to Brewster piece was completed in 1997; and Brewster to Heron Lake was done in 2001.Blood Drive set for Nov. 13If you would like to donate some life-giving blood, the Community Blood Bank Bloodmobile will have a blood drive in Luverne on Thursday, Nov. 13.The drive will be at the Luverne Community Hospital from noon to 6 p.m.If you would like to make an appointment, contact the Luverne Community Hospital at 283-2321, ext. 224.Want to send a Christmas greeting to a soldier?If anyone would like to send a greeting to one of the deployed soldiers from our local unit, you can do so by sending it toAny SoldierPSC 41, Box 9000APO AE 09464If you have a specific soldier you would like to get your greeting to just insert their name in place of "any soldier."If you have any questions about reaching them, contact John Swanson, Battery A, I-125 Field Artillery, 507-283-4403.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

By Jolene FarleyThe race for three open seats on the Hills-Beaver Creek school board ended Tuesday when the polls closed. Gary Esselink, Ann Boeve, Lloyd DeBoer and Stuart Leuthold vied for the four-year seats on the school board.Gary Esselink, with 157 votes, Ann Boeve with 150 votes and Lloyd DeBoer, with 129 votes, will fill the seats.In a close race, Stuart Leuthold received 124 votes.The Hills polling place had 114 voters, while the Beaver Creek polling place had 61 voters. Steen had 33 voters.School officials were pleased with voter turnout."When you look at it, we had over 200 voters," said H-BC Superintendent Dave Deragisch."I’m very pleased with the amount of voters."Esselink, Boeve and DeBoer are currently serving on the H-BC school board.Their new terms begin Jan. 1, 2004.

By Jolene FarleyLife in Beaver Creek is back to normal after the arrest of jail escapee Jason Lee Heasley the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 29. Heasley was caught hiding, unarmed, under a blanket in the crawl space of a Sioux Falls home. Law enforcement reported he had a bundle of cash and drugs with him when captured. Investigators are unsure if Heasley was at this location during his entire time on the run, but Beaver Creek citizens and school officials weren’t taking chances.The school had been on lockdown status since receiving a phone call around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 that 29-year-old Heasley, who has a son attending the school, was potentially headed to Beaver Creek.Heasley, considered armed and dangerous, faces drug and burglary charges. He escaped from a Beadle County jail Thursday, Oct. 9.A citizen’s tip to law enforcement led to Heasley’s apprehension. The citizen called while following a vehicle they thought Heasley was in. Officers believe Heasley left the car and walked a couple of blocks to a friend’s house. Investigators later found a meth lab in the trunk of the vehicle Heasley had been in. Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary principal Todd Holthaus was notified by Rock County Sheriff Mike Winkels about 7 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, of Heasley’s capture. Holthaus said citizens and school officials are relieved that life has returned to normal."We waited with the kids," Holthaus said. "We had them follow the routine in the morning, in the afternoon students were allowed to have normal recess outside."

By Lori EhdeLuverne’s Warren Herreid now has his World War II medals nearly 60 years after completing his service in the 103rd Infantry Division.He’s glad he bothered with the paperwork to finally receive them, and he’s encouraging all veterans of all wars to send for the medals that are due to them."Even though it makes very little difference to me, personally at this point in my life," Herreid said, "when I’m gone, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren might want to know what Grandpa did in the war."During Herreid’s service in WWII, he fought in historic blood baths, such as Rhine Land and the Battle of the Bulge. He was a communications specialist.When the war ended and it was time to go home, few soldiers were interested in medals. "At the time, no one had the time to get their medals," Herreid said. "We knew we were authorized, and it was in your discharge papers what medals you were eligible for, so most people said, ‘I want to go home.’"The military simply documented their services and discharged them with a tiny gold lapel pin, a flying eagle, that signified they’d been honorably discharged.For a long time, that tiny "ruptured duck," as the soldiers affectionately referred to it, was all they needed for recognition."It signified that you had been in the service and served your country," Herreid said."World War II veterans were very fortunate. The citizens treated you with respect. By being a veteran, there were a lot of benefits helping us to get caught up in the civilian world."There were some perks for available jobs. For example, veterans got extra points in job selection for government positions.Also, the GI Bill, among other perks, helped veterans go to college.Box full of hardwareAmong the boxful of medals Herreid earned during his 21 years of total service, he values a few above the others.The Bronze Star, for example, is given to servicemen for heroic acts in combat. The Combat Infantryman’s Badge is to the infantryman as the Silver Wings are to the pilot. "It says, ‘You were there and did that,’" Herreid said.Also special is his Bronze Star, which is given for valor under enemy gunfire.At one point, Herreid received minor shrapnel injuries while repairing a communication line under artillery fire between his battalion and headquarters.When the medic started filling out paperwork to award him a Purple Heart, he declined."Having many friends and comrades who suffered serious wounds, lost limbs and even their lives in battle … With my minor Band-Aid wound, I couldn’t in good conscience accept this prestigious medal," Herreid said."Those, like my good friend, John Gordon Johnson, who honestly earned this award with their sacrifices are the true heroes of the war."He doesn’t like the fact that people can buy medals from magazines, flea markets and gun shows with no documentation. "I think it is special to receive the awards from the U.S. Government and the service branch they served in," Herreid said.To obtain service medals, veterans need to send a request in writing, asking that their medals be issued to them. Families of deceased veterans can request medals on behalf of their loved ones.Along with letters of requests, writers need to send copies of both sides of discharge papers.The address is:National Personnel Record Center-Entitlement to Awards Division9700 Page Blvd.St. Louis, Mo, 63132Servicemen and families of deceased veterans who need to locate copies of discharge papers can request those by writing to:National Personnel Record Center9700 Page Ave.St. Louis, Mo., 63132-5100Herreid encourages all veterans to take steps to get their medals. "I think they should do it. It’s free, and the government would like to have you do it," Herreid said.He said it’s an important step in preserving family histories."So many veterans say it doesn’t mean much to them now in their later life, but the point here is that it isn’t for them," Herreid said. "It’s for their families and those who follow. It’s a heritage thing."In addition to applying for their medals, Herreid encourages veterans to share their war experiences with those close to them."Make sure you tell your story. It will mean something to them and their grandchildren," he said.

By Lori EhdeRock County Rural Water users can rest easy knowing the water their families are drinking is healthy."Our water quality is steadily improving," said Dan Cook, director of Rock County’s Rural Water system. In a Wellhead Protection Plan required by the Minnesota Department of Health, RCRW recently wrapped up a study of its drinking water sources.Since 1997, Rural Water and the Rock County Land Management Office have observed water draining into the drinking water supply management area several miles south of Luverne.Roughly 100 residents and landowners — including five small feedlot operators — live on Rock River and its tributaries. The primary area of concern is the 4,604-acre wellfield south of Luverne.Rural Water staff tested tributaries draining into the area for contaminants, such as chemicals and nitrates.The good news is they didn’t find levels that the Department of Health would consider a threat. That means, in essence, the first goal of the Wellhead Protection Plan — to maintain or achieve quality groundwater — is already done."We’ve really already achieved that goal," Cook said, "and we’re looking to send that message to everyone else in the county … that everything’s in order."This peace of mind is important in an area that gets its drinking water from shallow aquifers that are vulnerable to contamination.Cook said those water sources weren’t always in such good shape. It’s taken years of education and better farming practices to clean up the water draining into Rock County’s drinking water."There was a time when people thought if it’s good to put 10 pounds of nitrogen per acre, then it must be better to do 30 parts per acre, and we’ll get a heck of a crop," Cook said."In the past 10 years, we’ve seen some significant cleanup of our ground water."He attributed that success to the Rock County Land Management Office and its work with local feedlot operators and crop producers.Most all hog and cattle feedlots are operating within specifications of local ordinances and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency laws.Also, crop farmers are finding that practices that help the environment, such as no-till or low-tilling, contour farming and waterways, also help their long-term profits.By preventing water contaminants while at the same time instilling practices that helps to clean ground water before it filters to drinking water, Rock County’s drinking water sources are safer than ever.With the Department of Health’s Wellhead Protection Plan complete, the next step, Cook said is to continue monitoring water quality and preventing future contamination.For example, he said it’s common practice for Rural Water staff to test tributaries following a rain to check ground water for contaminants.If a particular tributary immediately downstream from a hog operation tests high for pollutants, that feedlot owner can be immediately notified so the contamination can be stopped.Much of this continuing Wellhead Protection work involves educating and getting the public involved.Assistant Land Management Director Doug Bos worked on Rock County’s feedlot plan, and is also involved with the Wellhead Protection Plan.He said establishing safe drinking water for area residents has been the driving force behind both projects."In Rock County, our well-fields are somewhat shallow, and they’re located only 40 to 70 feet below the ground surface, which is not a whole lot of soil to provide filtering for ground water," Bos said.In addition, he said there are sandy spots in the county which make the well-fields particularly vulnerable to contamination, because sandy soils allow water to run through more quickly, with less filtering heavier soils. The cleaning process isn’t as thorough."It’s a learning process and educational process for all agricultural producers and residents in these well-head protection areas," Bos said. "What they do can directly affect these aquifers."

By Sara StrongThe Rock County Commissioners are starting over with their search for a garbage hauler.After receiving three bids last month, they’re rejecting all of them because they’re not sure what their future at the Transfer Station is right now.County Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "Depending on how Luverne decides to do it, it would greatly affect how we do business at the Transfer Station — if at all."The city of Luverne is considering privatizing its refuse and recycling program, which gives Rock County 80 percent of its business at the Transfer Station. If Luverne’s trash doesn’t go through the county because of privatization, whoever gets the hauling from the county will have a different job than expected.The company that gets the contract will haul municipal solid waste to the regional landfill in Lyon County. That contract has been with Ketterling Services, Luverne, since Rock County has started hauling there.Whoever gets the contract is also paid to back haul demolition material to Rock County’s Transfer Station.Ritters Sanitary Services, Marshall, was the low bidder at $40,000 a year. A close second was Luverne’s Ketterling Services which bid $43,000.In the future, the county could choose to request proposals from companies to get the contract, instead of advertising for bids, which obligates the county to take the lowest reasonable bid.Family Services revenueRock County Family Services Director Randy Ehlers recommended to the board that it not implement a fee for daycare provider background checks and licensing fees.That could have cost providers up to $250 per year, and Ehlers said it would have passed on more costs to families with young children.The possibility of the new fees got a significant negative reaction from families and providers.Ehlers said he will find other places in his budget to make up the difference.Family Services already tries to recapture part of what it pays out each year. Of the $11 million it pays for different forms of assistance, an employee captured $116,239 from January to September this year. (The $11 million is mostly federal and state money that goes through the county.)The collections can come from overpayments by error or by fraud. However, most of the time, money is collected after people who received assistance die and the county has a claim on the assets. This can happen in the case of people in nursing homes who ran out of money to pay for their costs.The collections give money back to the federal and state governments and kept $39,921 in the county so far this year. Even after paying for the employee, the county is seeing a return.Drivers license fees wavedBecause of the changed rural addresses, Rock County is waving $8 fees for people needing new IDs and drivers licenses. The waiver doesn’t apply to people who would have had to renew their licenses anyway.The new rural addresses have been mailed to county residents and became effective Nov. 1. The Post Office said it will honor both addresses for a year, but residents should use this year to change their addresses for all correspondences.

By Sara StrongTwo years after getting a $250,000 business loan from the city, Netbriefings doesn’t have any employees in Luverne and hasn’t started repaying the loan.Luverne Economic Development Director Dan Statema said he’s spending a good part of this week negotiating with Netbriefings. The Luverne Economic Development Authority Tuesday told Statema he should meet with Netbriefings owner Gary Anderson in order to work out a payment schedule.As a part of the 2001 loan agreement, the company should have had five employees by its first anniversary in Luverne.In initial projections about Netbriefings, Anderson said there would be potential for 31 employees after three years. In 2002, the projections changed to 35 employees by the end of the fifth year to the 10th year.Luverne’s site was to be a customer and product service center. Netbriefings is a Twin Cities based Webcasting company. It streams live audio and video for businesses wanting to have meetings in different locations. The company can also archive the meetings for companies that may have employees who need to catch up. LEDA member Bob Kaczrowski said, "They’ve made it through the last two years, so there’s some potential."Anderson has communicated through letters shared with the LEDA. He said he would rather make some "trade-offs" with the city than starting repayments. Under the original terms of the loan agreement, payments would be about $5,000 a month.Anderson said paying the loan back at the agreed-upon 12 percent interest would compromise the company’s future and not allow marketing efforts to continue.As a part of the loan agreement, the first two years of the loan were at 0-percent interest, with payments deferred. (At the time the LEDA reasoned that because the first two years of a company’s existence is so crucial, stopping interest accumulation and deferring payments would help ensure that the business stays in Luverne.)Anderson is initially offering someone from the city a seat on the board of directors and offering the city preferred stock.He said, "It is clear that Netbriefings has not yet been able to comply with the terms of our LEDA loan. I do not take this obligation lightly or casually."Statema is hoping that he will be able to negotiate a large payment, up to $25,000, and then work out monthly payment arrangements.Many of Netbriefings’ competitors have gone out of business in the last two years, so the city holds hope that it will pay back the loan and start employing people in Luverne. Anderson said that 2003 has been a good year for the company, with net conferencing growing at a rate of 167 percent.City Administrator Greg LaFond said he’d feel more comfortable getting numbers from an accounting firm than from Netbriefings itself.Also, he said, one company gives Netbriefings about 75 percent of its business — and that is a company with ties to a shareholder.LaFond said he believes negotiating some sort of payment plan, as opposed to requiring full payment, is the best option for the city."If you pull the plug now, you won’t get anything," he said.Possible new businessThe city isn’t able to give out much information on a possible business venture. Luverne is getting itself in the running to attract a food-processing company from the East Coast, which would have 125 employees.The company would need a 200,000-square-foot building and is interested in applying for the Job Opportunity Building Zone tax breaks.

By Sara StrongThe Rock County Board of Commissioners voted against an arrangement that would have put a part-time Extension agriculture advisor in Rock County.The vote was split, with Commissioners Ken Hoime and Richard Bakken in favor, and Jane Wildung, Bob Jarchow and Ron Boyenga against.Instead, the board favored concentrating local money on the 4-H program, and directed the Extension Committee to draft a new memorandum of understanding reflecting that.The Extension Committee had recommended to the County Board that the county fund a 4-H coordinator at 60 percent time, with a total cost of $35,550 and a 25 percent time agriculture technical advisor with a cost of $10,555.Boyenga said he couldn’t justify paying $10,555 for an agricultural position that would be the equivalent of one day a week. The person could spend more time or less as needed throughout the year, but Boyenga said the average wouldn’t be worth the cost to him.In the second and third years of the agreement, the ag person would cost $18,000.The total cost for Extension in 2004 will be $98,000.Commissioner Bob Jarchow said he talked to constituents about Extension and they didn’t favor funding it.Wildung said, "Do we know how many people have called for this kind of service since [Fraser Norton] has been gone? I mean, maybe people have been going somewhere else for their information."Commissioner Bakken said he thought the board owed it to the people who make their living by agriculture to fund the position.Now that the Extension Office will mostly be a 4-H center, the Regional Center in Worthington and what it will do for the county is unknown.The Center will answer questions as fast as it can, according to director Holli Arp. Special programs formerly put on by educators may still exist, but could come with a price tag for the county or users.Arp said there may be some opportunity for grants for those programs.Wildung said the state program hasn’t given many specifics to counties and it is still unclear how the relationship will continue under this new regional system.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots captured their first South Section 3A Tournament championship by sweeping Fulda 3-0 in Luverne Thursday.The Patriots, who had never advanced to a championship game in postseason play prior to Thursday’s match, proved they were the best team in the field by disposing of the Raiders in straight games.H-BC prevailed by scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-21 over Fulda, completing an impressive tournament that featured three match victories without losing a single game.The win upped H-BC’s season record to 20-5, a mark the Patriots took into the Section 3A championship match against Minneota Saturday at Southwest State University in Marshall. Read about that match on the front page of the sports section.Playing for a berth in the state tournament was something H-BC senior leader Erin Boeve didn’t consider at the beginning of the season.Boeve, who registered 35 kills and eight blocks during the championship match, said the Patriots’ goals were modest at the beginning of the year."Our big goal was to get out of the first round (of the South Section Tournament)," she said. "We were looking at winning a conference championship, but it didn’t work out. It was when we got the No. 1 seed for this tournament when I thought maybe we have a shot at this."Fulda, the No. 6 seed, stood in the way of H-BC’s title bid Thursday.The Raiders rallied to win their first two matches of the tournament, and Boeve expected Fulda to fight to the finish in the championship tilt. "We were confident coming into the match, because we had beat them during the season, but we knew they would come ready to play, too," Boeve said. "Fulda won its first two matches in five games by winning the last two games, so we knew we had to play the games out."The Patriots didn’t let Fulda gain any momentum in the first game of the match.H-BC scored the first two points and led 9-3 after Boeve served a point.Fulda climbed to within four points (9-5) of the Patriots before H-BC went on a 10-5 run that ended with another service point from Boeve to make the difference 19-10.H-BC still led by nine (21-12) when the Raiders reeled off five consecutive points to make it a 21-17 game, but a kill and a block by Boeve ended a 4-2 surge by the Patriots that gave them a 25-19 win.Game 2 was tied at five before H-BC senior setter Melinda Sandstede served a four-point run following an H-BC point to give the Patriots a 10-5 advantage.Fulda battled back to trail by three (15-12), but an ace tip by Boeve capped an 8-1 H-BC run that gave the Patriots a commanding 23-13 lead.Boeve added a kill moments later to lock up a 25-16 victory for the Patriots.Game 3 proved to be the most competitive contest of the night.After H-BC scored the first two points, Fulda scored six straight counters to take a 6-2 lead.Sandstede tied the game at seven with a service point, and H-BC junior Kelly Mulder gave the Patriots a 13-11 edge with a kill as the game progressed.Fulda fought back to retake the lead at 17-16, but the Patriots countered with a 6-0 run capped by a block from Boeve to give H-BC a 22-17 advantage.The Raiders put together one more surge to trim the difference to two points at 23-21 before Mulder countered with a kill and a tip to give H-BC its championship with a 25-21 victory."It’s about time," Boeve said, about the fact that H-BC had just won its first postseason title. "It feels pretty good."Mulder had a big night at the net for H-BC by recording 15 kills and four blocks. Cassi Tilstra, Amanda Olson and Melinda Feucht added 10, five and four kills respectively to the winning cause.Brittney Rozeboom led H-BC in serving by completing all 18 of her attempts during the match. Tilstra was 12 of 13 serving. Feucht was seven of seven.H-BC coach Curt Doorneweerd, who was named the South Section 3A Coach of the Year after the match, said Ashley Bosch played a great match in the back row for the Patriots.