Dryer Vent AwarenessMonth, No Salt Week,Egg Day … all in OctoberOctober is a busy month for special observances. What with Dryer Vent Safety Awareness, National Toilet Repair Month and Popcorn Poppin’ Month all going on at the same time, I can’t decide which to observe first, much less how.If that wasn’t enough, there are special observances for nearly every day and week. For example, Oct. 1-5 is No Salt Week, Oct. 5-11 is Get Organized Week, Oct. 3 is World Smile Day, Oct. 10 is World Egg Day and Oct. 26 is Mother-in-Law Day.While it’s unclear who determines the special observances, we now have a rather daunting list of special causes to pay attention to.The entire month of October is, alphabetically:
Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month
Auto Battery Safety month
Computer Learning Month
Co-Op Awareness Month
Diversity Awareness Month
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Beauty Salon Month
National Book Month
National Car Care Month
National Chili Month
National Communicate With Your Kid Month
National Cookie Month
National Crime Prevention Month
National Dental Hygiene Month
National Depression Education and Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Down Syndrome Month
National Physical Therapy Month
National Kitchen and Bath Month
National Pizza Month
National Pork Month
National Roller Skating Month
National Seafood Month
National Stamp Collecting MonthSpecial weeks:
Oct. 5-11 is 4-H Week, Fire Prevention Week, National Newspaper Week, Home Comfort Awareness Week, Teller Appreciation Week, Spinning and Weaving Week and Mental Illness Awareness Week
Oct. 12-18 is National Networking Week and National School Lunch Week
Oct. 19-25 is National Character Counts Week, National Forest Products Week, National Health Education Week, National Massage Therapy Awareness Week and National School Bus Safety Week.
Oct. 25-31 is Peace, Friendship and Goodwill WeekSpecial days:
Oct. 1 is World Vegetarian Day, Firepup’s Birthday and the anniversary of the CD Player (1982)
Oct. 2 National Custodial Workers Day and World Farm Animals Day
Oct. 3 is National Denim Day and World Smile Day
Oct. 5 is Spinach Lovers Day and World Teachers Day,
Oct. 6 is Child Health Day, Women’s News Day, and World Herbal Health Day
Oct. 13 is Columbus Day, Canadian Thanksgiving Day and National Children’s Day
Oct. 16 is Dictionary Day, National Boss Day and World Food Day
Oct. 23 is National Mole Day and National Day of Concern about Young People and Gun Violence
Oct. 25 is Make a Difference Day
Oct. 30 is Create a Great Funeral Day and Mischief Night
Oct. 31 is National Magic Day and, of course, HalloweenDon’t forget Daylight Saving Time ends on Oct. 26, and don’t forget to write all these important observances on the October calendar.Oh, and by the way, my birthday is Oct. 23, if there’s any room left to pencil that in.

By Lori EhdeLuverne School District’s enrollment took a hit this year, with 37 fewer students enrolled this year than last year.Last year in September, 1,322 students attended Luverne schools in preschool through 12 grade. This year, that number is 1,283.Dropping in enrollment has been a trend the past several years in Luverne, but this year represents a notably steeper drop than previous years.In September of 2001, there were 1,327 students and September of 2000 there were 1,348.Luverne School Board members reviewed enrollment figures at their Thursday, Sept. 11, meeting. While there wasn’t much discussion, declining enrollment is a big deal for school budgets, which receive state funding based largely on the number of pupils served.Considering state aid averages $5,000 per student, This year’s dip in enrollment represents a loss of roughly $185,000 in revenue for Luverne School District. There were 107 seniors last year, and this year’s kindergarten class has 98 students, but there were losses in other areas — particularly in the high school, which lost 24 kids in 10th, 11th and 12th grades.For example, there were 108 students in the junior class last year, but this year that same class returned with only 99 for their senior year.Similarly, there were 115 10th-graders last year, but they returned as juniors this year with only 107. The ninth-grade class last year had 107 students, and this year as sophomores, they returned as a class of 100.Board member Steve Tofteland asked if was just coincidence that those particular grades have lost so many students.High School Principal Gary Fisher responded that expectations and requirements change in the high school years."We’re looking for accountability," Fisher said, without going into detail.Many of the students leaving Luverne High School are attending classes in Ellsworth."We do have some students attending there where they may find it easier to earn a diploma," said Superintendent Vince Schaefer.In other business, Thursday the board:oReviewed numbers from Luverne’s Interactive TV classes. Ag instructor Dennis Moritz instructs four animal science classes on ITV with students participating from Edgerton, Adrian, Springfield and Comfrey.About a dozen Luverne students are able to attend sign language classes via ITV from Brenda Winter, who teaches from Hills-Beaver Creek.oHeard a presentation from Luverne Economic Development Authority Director Dan Statema on the JOBZ legislation. Since the school district is a taxing entity, a JOB zone in Rock County would need district approval.The board tabled action on the matter, pending further information.oHeard a presentation on the district’s Conservation Reserve Program application, which the federal government denied.oHeard a presentation from Randy Creeger of the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation, which is willing to provide seed necessary to establish a 10-acre prairie plot for educational purposes. It would be on the far northwest corner of school property, immediately north of the Loren Forest farm site. Seeds would be planted late fall 2004 or spring 2005.oHeard the first reading of the district’s policy on the Pledge of Allegiance, per new Minnesota legislation requiring district’s to do so.The school’s policy generally states that students in the district shall recite the Pledge at least once a week, unless a particular student or teacher chooses not to.The new law requires districts to have a Pledge policy on record, but it doesn’t change what’s already been in place in Luverne.oHeard that Keith Erickson, former Luverne Middle School Counselor, will work 20 to 25 hours per week in the Alternative School to help replace Rose Toering who resigned.oApproved maternity leave for English teacher Stacy Lihs, beginning Nov. 20.oApproved a leave of absence for second-grade teacher Jennifer Engesser Nov. 12-17 for four school days.

By Lori EhdeAbout 40 people participated in the second public work session on the City of Luverne’s Comprehensive Plan.The purpose of a new Comprehensive Plan is to set a general course for the city of Luverne for the next 10 years, mostly in land use, but in other areas such as economic development, too.Tuesday’s meeting was structured similarly to an Aug. 13 meeting in which participants in small groups played a Luverne-oriented board game that had them considering everything from traffic congestion to locations for parks.Consultant Rusty Fifield said Tuesday’s meeting drew a more representative cross section of Luverne residents than the first plan meeting on Aug. 13 did."This is a more diverse group, in terms of age and gender," Fifield said at the meeting.He also said he was pleased with the sincere participation of attendees."My assessment of this level of discussion — to hear this steady buzz — is that people are engaged in the plan."Those who bothered to show up for the two-hour meeting said they hope that their input will make a difference in the end."It’s nice to be able to voice where we want to be in 10 years," said Monica Dingmann, who attended the meeting with her husband, Dan.Fifield said there’s a delicate balance between accepting public input and applying those individual ideas toward the broader good of the community as a whole."It’s the risk you take as a city," he said."If you ask them to participate, you need to listen to what they’re saying. But the public needs to understand that simply because they came and participated doesn’t mean they can impose their will on the plan."Specifically, Fifield was referring to the debate over whether or not Fledgling Field on Highway 75 should be zoned for commercial use."There are sink holes in the community, and you don’t want to get mired in one of those sink holes for two hours at a meeting," he said.While that issue will be addressed, a multitude of other long-range considerations for the city will be addressed as well.Residents will have another opportunity to get in on the process at a workshop at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in the Luverne Elementary School commons.This meeting, Fifield said, will address more specific areas of the plan."If you are going to participate, this is by far the most important step in the process," he said. "It’s the meat and potatoes of the plan."He said the public meetings on the Comprehensive are not sequential, and that anyone can get involved at any stage of the process.Fifield works for the Hoisington Koegler Group, Minneapolis, and is currently working on Comprehensive Plans for Moorhead and Worthington.

By Sara StrongUniversity of Minnesota Extension services in Rock County are up in the air, and will be until November.That’s when the Rock County Board of Commissioners will decide what it will fund for its own office, at 100 percent cost.The new system of Extension means Luverne’s regional office is in Worthington, but educators will be in short supply.For example, the closest livestock specialist will be in Rochester.There will be a total of five employees in the Worthington regional office, with current Rock County director Holli Arp serving as director there. The Worthington regional office will oversee counties in the region. Depending on the service area (4-H, food, family relations, etc.) the regional office could work with up to six counties."It seems to me that Extension has not been fair to the counties," Commissioner Richard Bakken said Tuesday, "and it certainly hasn’t been fair to its employees." The Board of Commissioners discussed Extension at their regular meeting, but made no decision. Two educators with strong agriculture backgrounds, Jim Nesseth (Jackson) and Phil Berg (Pipestone), attended the meeting. Their positions have been cut by Extension because the new regional model won’t focus on local programming. It will remain as a free resource center, however.Nesseth and Berg asked that the county consider hiring them on a part-time basis, meaning someone local would be available specifically for Rock County about once a week. They hoped that other counties will join in the part-time agreement and the counties will be able to share educators.A part-time position would be about one-third-time, and would be called a technical advisor. The county would pay $24,000 annually for that position. For the first year, Extension said there would be a discount in the salary.Nesseth said, "We like what we do; we believe in Extension."That’s getting difficult, he said, when the state is putting long-time employees out, and hoping counties will pick up the bill.County resident Mark Willers said the services Extension officers are enhanced by having a "go-to" person locally. Commissioner Ken Hoime said the practical, common sense programming was the intent and functional part of Extension. Gary Overgaard spoke as a former member of the Extension Committee. He said, "I definitely think we don’t want to eliminate Extension in the county. … I would hate to see that."The unbiased information Extension provides can be more valuable than information which seed companies, or others with an interest in sales, can give. Overgaard said Extension is important as a reference source for agriculture, the major industry in the county.Arp said, "The funding streams have changed."Counties used to pay a portion of all Extension services, but the new system changes that.Only federal and state money goes to the regional offices now, so the goals of that office can be set at those levels. Nobles, Cottonwood and Redwood Counties have said they won’t support Extension programming beyond 4-H.Even counties that do, will have a different Extension than before. There won’t be the personal contacts, field calls or full-time presence that people have known before. Extension supporters hope the core of the service will remain, though.The county can buy what it wants and set the priorities for its local services. Locally, 4-H has been named a priority. It has 198 participants in Rock County and to keep it going, will cost about $80,000 a year for staffing.Arp said 4-H programming includes more than the registered members, so measuring its local impact may be difficult when only looking at membership numbers.Extension won’t collect 4-H membership fees in 2003-2004 program year, but has given counties the authority to do so. Extension has said the county fees couldn’t be more than $20 per youth or $40 per family.For the 2004-2005 program year, Extension will start the state and county fee system, after hearing local input.The board will decide by early November at the latest what the county can afford and what it will keep of Extension. Chairman Ron Boyenga reminded the board that it had to cut $500,000 from this year’s budget and a projected $125,000 from next year’s. Bakken said, "We don’t really know how it’ll work. Will a [technical advisor] one a week be enough? There’s a whole lot of questions and there’s no money to experiment."

By Sara StrongThe Luverne City Council covered a number of budget items Tuesday that City Administrator Greg LaFond will pursue in further research.LaFond, who started the first week in September, is looking at the city with a fresh perspective, and he pointed out a number of initial observations for the council to consider.He said, "Our objective is to get you to focus on long-term financial planning, rather than this short-term crisis."The main topic of discussion Tuesday was the possibility of Luverne contracting for refuse and recycling collection, instead of the city doing it."It’s not my intent to suggest anything at this point to change to privatization," LaFond said. "… We’re not committed to privatization."The City Council directed LaFond to continue researching the cost of a private garbage and recycling hauler with the possibility of the city issuing a request for proposals, inviting private companies to bid for the service.Council member David Hauge said he hoped the request for proposals could include stipulations for service quality with financial penalties to keep citizens comfortable with any upcoming change.Councilman Pat Baustian said, "I think we owe it to our taxpayers to see what’s out there."Many cities are considering the same thing.Luverne’s financial problems from state cuts aren’t the only crunch in the budget. The revenue from refuse and recycling collection should pay for the program. However, it’s losing money each year. By 2009, the collection services will be operating at a projected $134,350 loss.To make sure that doesn’t happen, the city will either have to raise rates significantly, cut services or change the entire way things are done — which is what LaFond is researching.Currently, residential fees for collection and recycling are $12.50 per month. That could increase to $19 per month by 2009 if the city continues as it is now.LaFond said the council may get enough feedback from citizens that they want the department to stay the same and that increased fees are worth it. Then there will be no requests for proposals to take over the city service. (If the city does advertise for bids, none have to be accepted after they’re received.)In the meantime, the city has some preliminary research on refuse and recycling collection.
Cost per capita in Luverne for the garbage services is $68.56; in Pipestone is $42.11; in Benson is $37.67; in Chisholm is $82.91; in Dilworth is $76.46; in LaCrescent is $39.96. (All listed cities have comparable populations.)
Savings to the city if the service is private include supervision and support staff as well as the actual workers who would be eliminated from Public Works.
The 2004 refuse and recycling budget includes $40,000 for depreciation expenses on major equipment. In addition, the annual budget includes $10,000 per year for equipment replacement. Annual equipment maintenance for 2004 is $22,500.
If the service is privatized the city would require the private provider to purchase existing equipment from the city. That would net $85,000 to $100,000 per year.
The city of Luverne pays a tipping fee of $65 per ton to transport waste through the county. Private haulers have reported lower tipping fees of $28 per ton.Hauge said, "I don’t want to have too much change too fast," pointing out that employee morale, relations with the public and partnerships with the county are delicate.LaFond said the discussion at this point is just financial, not about policy or politics, with no decisions made."We won’t know if we don’t look," Councilman Tom Martius said.Other items on the table for future discussion were:
Combining dispatching services for law enforcement with other counties in the area for a cost savings.
A fire hydrant fee. Property taxes normally generate all funds for fire protection, but tax exempt properties (such as the school, non-profits and churches) still get fire protection. A small monthly fee on utility bills could generate up to $25,000 a year.
A street lighting utility fee. This has been previously discussed by the City Council and would involve $1.25 to $2.25 fee on utility bills to fund future street light projects, which are costly for the city to pay at once. The city anticipates no increase in electric rates for this or next year.
Reviewing assessing contract with the county. Currently, LaFond said the city of Luverne pays 77 percent of the county assessor position with its fees. The county charges an inconsistent amount for assessing: Magnolia pays $625 for 110 parcels and Hardwick pays $1,500 for 102 parcels.
Possibility of implementing a fine for false fire alarms to cover the cost of responding.
Utilize more volunteers at the library and increase circulation.
Review use of Pool and Fitness Center by day and time of day.
Suggest a reduction of juvenile arrests by 25 percent.

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian football team dropped out of the unbeaten ranks after taking a 27-14 setback from Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in Tyler Tuesday.Dragon Coach Randy Strand was concerned about how the AHS defense would fare against strong-running R-T-R offense.His concern proved to be warranted as the Knights ran the ball for 319 yards and three touchdowns to set the stage for a 13-point win."We couldn’t stop their running game," said Strand. "They have a good offensive line that blocks well up front, and (running back) Minette ran for 230 yards on a wet field. R-T-R is for real. It will take a pretty good team to beat them."It looked like Adrian might be that team when the Dragons scored a touchdown early in the third quarter to open a 14-7 lead.R-T-R, however, controlled play the rest of the way while outscoring the Dragons 20-0.The Knights began their rally with their second possession of the second half.R-T-R advanced the ball 55 yards in eight plays before Minette scored at the end of an eight-yard run at the 6:24 mark of the third quarter. Dragon Casey Knips kept Adrian in front 14-13 when he blocked the ensuing extra point.The Knights forced Adrian to punt as the third quarter progressed and Minette made the Dragons pay for the change of possession when he returned the punt 80 yards to the AHS five-yard line.Knight Adam Lingen scored on a five-yard run at the 5:00 mark of the third period, and Minette carried in the two-point conversion to give the hosts a 21-14 advantage.Adrian made a bid to tie the game with a drive to the R-T-R 19 early in the fourth quarter, but the Dragons lost the ball on downs.The Dragons were forced to go for a first down during a fourth-down situation late in the fourth quarter, and the unsuccessful bid gave the Knights the ball on the AHS 14.Minette put the game away with a six-yard touchdown run moments later to end the scoring with 50 seconds left to play.The Knights drew first blood in the game by turning their first offensive possession of the contest into a six-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Minette scoring on a one-yard run at the 8:16 mark of the first quarter. A successful extra point made the difference 7-0.Adrian’s Brandon Wolf fielded the ensuing kick and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown 13 seconds later. Levi Bullerman hooked up with Tony Sauer for a successful conversion pass to give the Dragons an 8-7 edge.The score remained the same until early in the third quarter, when Sauer intercepted a pass and returned to the R-T-R 28. Bullerman scored on a two-yard run three plays later, but a failed extra-point attempt left Adrian sporting a 14-7 lead that was erased by period’s end.The 2-1 Dragons will try to rebound from the loss when they host 2-1 Fulda Friday for the 2003 version of Parents’ Night at AHS. Fulda posted an 8-0 home win over Ortonville Friday.Team statisticsAdrian: 127 rushing yards, 50 passing yards, 177 total yards, 10 first downs, two penalties for 30 yards, two turnovers.R-T-R: 319 rushing yards, 26 passing yards, 345 total yards, 15 first downs, four penalties for 35 yards, one turnover.Individual statisticsRushing: Billy Anderson 13-48, L.Bullerman 11-38, Wolf 8-21, Trent Bullerman 3-10, Sauer 1-10.Passing: L.Bullerman 5-17 for 50 yards.Receiving: Wolf 3-32, Sauer 1-3, Brett Block 1-15.Defense: Wolf 11 tackles, Sauer 14 tackles and one interception, L.Bullerman nine tackles, Tyler Schettler 13 tackles.

By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth volleyball team picked up a pair of wins after playing in three different venues in a five-day span.The Panthers lost a three-game Camden Conference match to Lincoln HI in Ivanhoe Thursday before going 2-2 at the Central Lyon Tournament in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Saturday. Ellsworth returned home Monday to lose a three-game match to Edgerton.Ellsworth, 6-5 overall, hosts Russell-Tyler-Ruthton tonight.Edgerton 3,Ellsworth 0Visiting Edgerton handed the Panthers their first home loss of the season when the teams squared off in Ellsworth Monday.The Flying Dutchmen rolled to an easy win in Game 1 and met late challenges offered by EHS in the final two games to sweep the three-game match.Edgerton raced to a 16-0 lead in the opener and never looked back while posting a 25-5 win.Ellsworth led 8-5 after Amy Tiesler served a point to give the Panthers their biggest lead of the match. Edgerton, however, countered with a 10-2 surge to gain a 15-10 advantage.The Panthers scored five of the next six points to trail 16-15 before Edgerton went on a 9-2 run to clinch a 25-17 victory.Game 3 proved to be the most intense battle of the match.Edgerton scored the first five points of the game and led 10-1 at one point before Ellsworth clawed its way back into contention.The Panthers trimmed the difference to three points three different times and trailed by one (24-23) when Laurel Drenth served a pair of points, but Edgerton scored the next point to win 25-23.Drenth led the Panthers with six kills and Marla Groen charted six set assists.CL tourneyThe Panthers split four matches during their annual appearance at the Central Lyon Tournament in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Saturday.Ellsworth posted wins over the host team and Sheldon at the event. West Sioux and George-Little Rock saddled the Panthers with setbacks.The Panthers opened the event by dropping a three-game decision to WS.EHS prevailed 22-20 in the opener before dropping 21-6 and 21-19 decisions.Amanda Deutsch recorded 15 digs in the opener, while Marla Groen and Lynette Drenth charted seven assists each. Deutsch (nine of nine) and Laurel Drenth (12 of 12) were perfect in the serving category. Tiesler and Laurel Drenth charted three assists each.CL nipped the Panthers 21-18 in Game 1 before Ellsworth battled back to win the match with 21-17 and 15-12 victories in the final two games.Deutsch picked up 10 digs and Groen registered six set assists during the win. Tiesler and Rosie Lewis charted three kills each. Groen was 12 of 12 serving with four aces. Lynette Drenth added four ace serves.The Panthers swept a two-game match from Sheldon with 21-14 and 21-19 wins in the third round.Lynette Drenth recorded seven set assists and Laurel Drenth set the pace with five kills in the Sheldon match. Deutsch completed all 12 serves she attempted.G-LR handed the Panthers 21-19 and 21-12 setbacks in the final round.Deutsch was seven of seven serving in the finale.LH 3, Ellsworth 0The Panthers received their first Camden Conference setback of the season when they were swept by Lincoln HI in Ivanhoe Thursday.The Rebels outscored EHS 75-51 during the evening while securing 25-15, 25-20 and 25-16 victories.Tiesler completed 12 of 12 serves and charted three aces during the match.Laurel Drenth led EHS with six digs and five kills, while Lynette Drenth recorded four set assists.

Luverne senior defender Tyler Elbers (42) chases down Windom quarterback Brock Zimmerman during Friday’s Southwest Conference football game in Windom. Elbers gave the Cardinals a 6-0 lead with a rushing touchdown in the first quarter, but the Eagles blanked LHS the rest of the way during a 33-6 victory.By John RittenhouseA promising start turned into a disappointing finish when Luverne traveled to Windom for a Southwest Conference football clash Friday.Luverne was looking to run its SWC record to 2-0 at the expense of the unbeaten Eagles, and there were signs that it might happen when the Cardinals dictated play for the first eight minutes while taking a 6-0 lead.Windom, however, unleashed a powerful running game on the Cardinals while going on a 33-0 scoring run to defeat LHS 33-6.It was a disappointing game," said Cardinal coach Todd Oye. "We started out strong and had a chance to get Windom with a good offense down. We had the opportunity to do that, but we didn’t cash in when we were down in the red zone."The Cardinals did start the game off in a positive way.Luverne received the opening kick and put together a nine-play, 73-yard scoring drive that ended with senior tailback Tyler Elbers scoring on a nine-yard run at the 7:54 mark of the opening period. A failed extra-point attempt kept the score at 6-0.While Luverne’s touchdown came at the end of a running play, it was a trio of successful passes that set up the score.Cardinal quarterback Andy Stegemann, who was five of seven passing in the game, completed all three of his attempts in the opening series. He hooked up with Ben Cornish for a 32-yard gain and tossed two completions to Jared Pick for a total of 20 yards.Luverne received an opportunity to increase its lead when Cardinal defender Brad Herman recovered a fumble on the LHS 36-yard line two plays into Windom’s first possession of the game.Elbers broke loose for a 39-yard run to the Windom 25 on the first play of scrimmage. The Cards faced a fourth-and-five situation 20 minutes later, which set up a 37-yard field goal try that kicker Adam Kurtz was unable to convert.Luverne’s lost scoring opportunity seemed to inspire the Windom offense, which started its second possession on the WHS 20 with 4:19 left in the first period and finished with quarterback Brock Zimmerman scoring on a nine-yard run.The seven-play, 80-yard drive was followed by an extra point from Trevor Baloun, giving the Eagles a 7-6 edge with 1:47 remaining in the opening period.Windom stole the game’s momentum for good when it scored 13 points in a span of 1:41 late in the first half.It looked like the Cardinals would get the ball when the Eagles lined up in punt formation during a fourth-and-seven situation in LHS territory. Windom, however, deceived the Cards with a nine-yard run for a first down.The play kept alive what turned into an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Trenton Anderson scoring on a one-yard run with 1:47 left in the second quarter. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving the Eagles with a 13-6 cushion.Windom burned all three of its timeouts when three unsuccessful runs forced the Cardinals to punt.A long punt return gave the Eagles the ball on the LHS 37 with 32 seconds remaining. Three plays later, Zimmerman tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Masters with eight seconds left. Baloun added the extra point to make it a 20-6 game at the intermission."The score very easily could have been in our favor at halftime," Oye said. "Our special teams left us in a hole a couple of times, and we were not making the plays on defense. The kids had to go through a lot of reads, and they were getting into the right spots. They just were not making the tackles."Another letdown on special teams by Luverne set the tone for the second half.Windom’s Drew Zimmerman fielded the kick to start the third quarter and returned it 66 yards to the LHS 22.Drew Zimmerman scored on a seven-yard run seven plays later to make the score 26-6 at 7:56 mark of the third period. Elbers sacked Windom’s holder when he bobbled the snap during a failed extra-point attempt.Luverne fumbled the ball five plays into its first possession of the third quarter and Windom’s Nick Johnson recovered the loose ball on the Luverne 48.The Eagles covered the remaining 48 yards in nine plays with Anderson scoring on a two-yard plunge with 32 seconds left in the period. When Baloun added the extra point, the scoring was complete.Luverne, 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the league, will try to bounce back from the loss when it hosts Worthington Friday.The Trojans are 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the SWC. Worthington’s conference loss was to Windom."Worthington is the defending conference champion, but they graduated a lot of seniors last year. They are a team that runs play-action passes pretty well. The keys for us will be to stop their passing game and put more points on the scoreboard," Oye concluded.Team statisticsLuverne: 143 rushing yards, 73 passing yards, 216 total yards, nine first downs, three penalties, two turnovers.Windom: 269 rushing yards, 29 passing yards, 298 total yards, 15 first downs, three penalties, two turnovers.Individual statisticsRushing: Elbers 9-55, Mark Remme 12-36, Herman 4-41, Stegemann 1-minus six, Nate Siebenahler 3-13, Tim Rust 1-8.Passing: Stegemann 5-7 for 73 yards, Herman 0-1 for zero yards.Receiving: Pick 3-28, Cornish 1-32, Remme 1-13.Defense: Herman one fumble recovery, Elbers one sack, Tony Willers one sack and one fumble recovery.

By John RittenhouseStrong individual performances by Luverne’s Lexi Heitkamp and Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton’s Tyler Bush proved to be the highlights turned in by athletes representing the Star Herald coverage area at the Worthington Turkey Trot Saturday.Luverne, H-BC-E-E and Adrian were on hand for the 36th running of the event.No team statistics were available from the event, but area talent did well on an individual basis.Heitkamp won her fourth consecutive varsity race of the season after crossing the finish line with a time of 15:21.Amanda Saum placed sixth in 16:44, Kristy Heikes 15th in 17:29 and Victoria Arends 16th in 17:38 for the LHS girls.Adrian’s Morgan Lynn turned in a solid effort during the girls’ varsity race. She placed fourth in 15:38.Kelly Banck placed 22nd in 18:04, Megan Henning 30th in 19:08 and Sarah Kruger 37th in 20:23 for the Dragons.Bush ran a good race to place second in boys’ varsity race with a time of 17:24.Kale Wiertzema placed 16th in 18:38, Todd Alberty 34th in 19:32 and Derek Haak 43rd in 20:16 for the Patriots.Luverne, which placed second to Southwest Christian as a team, received Top-10 races from Tom Ward and Nick Otten. Ward placed fifth in 18:02. Otten finished ninth in 18:15.Jesson Vogt (15th in 18:36), Ruston Aaker (18th in 18:42) and Thomas Pinkel (29th in 19:14) made contributions to Luverne’s team performance.Travis Halfmann (30th in 19:20), Dusty Antoine (32nd in 19:27) and Brent DeGroot (40th in 20:41) ran without influencing the scoring for LHS.Adrian was led by Brandon Bullerman’s 11th-place performance. Bullerman ran an 18:27.Lee Stover (12th in 18:24), Paul Honermann (25th in 19:05), Chad Janssen (26th in 19:11 and Aaron Mormann (40th in 20:04) padded Adrian’s team tally.Ethan Wieneke and David Brake placed 46th and 47th with respective 20:37 and 20:55 times without impacting the scoring for AHS.Here is a look at the rest of the individual results turned in by area runners at Saturday’s meet.Junior varsity boysAdrian: Pete Jensen, first, 11:58; Kyle Knips, seventh, 12:37; Dustin Lonneman, 31st, 14:16; Eldon Vaselaar, 33rd, 14:22; Michal Berrie, 38th, 15:20; Trent Lutmer, 43rd, 16:11.Luverne: Grant Oldre, ninth, 12:50; Craig Oeding, 12th, 13:02; Michael Nelson, 14th, 13:04; Eric Kraetsch, 21st, 13:26; David Nelson, 23rd, 13:43; Jerome Willers, 26th, 13:55.H-BC-E-E: Adam Finke, 11th, 12:59; John Sandbulte, 15th, 13:04; Michael Bos, 29th, 14:05; Jared Drenth, 34th, 14:27; Stephen Harsma, 40th, 15:35.Junior varsity girlsH-BC-E-E: Amanda Tilstra, first, 13:46.Junior high boysH-BC-E-E: Dustin Verhey, fifth, 5:39; Grant Hoogendoorn, 15th, 6:07; Luke Tiesler, 28th, 6:26; Tyler Larson, 34th, 6:34; B.J. Kruse, 42nd, 6:51.Adrian: Jarod Boltjes, 10th, 5:51; Ross Wieneke, 12th, 5:54; Kyle Henning, 20th, 6:13; Collin Lynn, 23rd, 6:18; Jordan Pater, 39th, 6:43; Zach Runia, 49th, 7:09; Jared Altman, 51st, 7:17.Junior high girlsAdrian: Anna Sauer, 25th, 8:04.Luverne: Kayla Raddle, first, 6:08; Amanda Kannas, third, 6:18.H-BC-E-E: Jill Weitgenant.