10 years ago (1993)"A group of concerned area citizens turned out Tuesday evening at the first of a series of city development meetings. The group, headed by the Hills City Council, has agreed to ask Luverne developer Tom Serie to present ideas for housing."25 years ago (1978)"Beginning with next week’s edition, The Crescent will have a new editor!Ann K. Brehm, co-owner of The Crescent and wife of Crescent publisher John H. Minette, will take over operation of the news department of Crescent Publishing Co. on Monday." 50 years ago (1953)"The second voting on the consolidation of districts 19, 34, 37, 39, 61 and 66, will be at the Legion building in Hills next Tuesday evening, Aug. 18. The issue failed to carry at an election in June, by a comparatively large majority." 75 years ago (1928)"More than 40 girls enrolled in the canning project in Boys and Girls Club are busy canning up fruits and vegetables for winter use.In the planning project each girl is required to can at least 50 jars of produce of the garden and orchard. Girls who have been in the project for more than one year also can meats, jellies, etc."100 years ago (1903)"District school officers should bear in mind that if a first-grade teacher is engaged for at least eight months a state aid of $150 can be secured. Let school officers everywhere awaken and bring about a better condition of things in the public schools of Rock County."

Hermina Pearl Tinklenberg, 88, Luverne, died Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.Services were Thursday, Aug. 21, at American Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial was in Hillside Cemetery, Edgerton. Hermina Prinsen was born to Herman and Jennie (Salie) Prinsen on July 1, 1915, in Fenton Township, Murray County. At an early age, she moved with her family to rural Chandler where she attended country school through the eighth grade.She married Johannes C. Lolkus on Nov. 5, 1935. After two years of marriage, Mr. Lolkus became ill and passed away. She married John J. Tinklenberg on Jan. 13, 1939 and lived in Woodstock. They then moved to a farm home north of Chandler where they lived for a short time. From there, they moved to the farm of Winthrop Warren. Mrs. Tinklenberg candled eggs and worked at the Edgerton Bakery plus other numerous small jobs. In 1965, they moved to Bellflower, Calif., where she helped her husband with janitorial work for a church in Long Beach, Calif., for 14 years. In 1980, they moved back to Edgerton where they lived until moving to Luverne in 1990. Mr. Tinklenberg died July 31, 1997. She moved to Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne on Sept. 5, 2000. Mrs. Tinklenberg was a member of American Reformed Church in Luverne. She loved gardening. Survivors include two sons, Harris (Rose) Tinklenberg, Madelia, and Clarence (Sandra) Tinklenberg, Grandville, Mich.; two daughters, Anna Mae (Sidney) Berghorst, Steen, and Joyce Bristow, Luverne; a son-in-law, Gale Remme, Luverne; 12 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Mrs. Tinklenberg was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, Johannes and John, one daughter, Nellie Remme, a son-in-law, Fred Bristow; two grandchildren, Gregory Remme and Kevin Tinklenberg, three brothers, John, Tom and Ray Prinsen, and one sister, Connie Buysman. Colonial Funeral Chapel, Edgerton, was in charge of arrangements.

Evelyn Tilstra, 72, Luverne, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2003, in Luverne Community Hospital Hospice unit following a long illness. Services were Friday, Aug. 15, at Steen Reformed Church in Steen. The Rev. Dan Ramaker officiated. Burial was at Eastside Cemetery in Steen. Evelyn Fikse was born to Dries and Henrietta (Christoffels) Fikse on May 24, 1931, in rural Steen. She grew up and attended school in the Steen and Ash Creek areas. She married Ferdinand Tilstra on Feb. 19, 1953, in Steen Reformed Church. Following their marriage they farmed in the Steen area for two years before moving to a farm near Hardwick. In 1960, they relocated to a farm southwest of Luverne where they farmed for 37 years. Mrs. Tilstra was a member of Steen Reformed Church and was active in Bible Study. She was also a Sunday School and Bible School teacher. She made many quilts and which many were given to family members as gifts. She also made desk pockets and other crafts for the elementary students at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School where she worked as a volunteer. She loved sports and followed her grandchildren’s games along with the Minnesota Twins and Golden Gophers. Survivors include her husband, Ferdinand Tilstra, Luverne; one son, Arlyn (Melanie) Tilstra, Hills; one daughter, Brenda (Delton) Ledeboer, Colorado Springs, Colo.; four grandchildren, Jeremy Ledeboer, and Shanna, Cassi and Cory Tilstra; one brother, Gerhard (Bernadine) Fikse, Morgan Hill, Calif.; one sister, Elaine (Andrew) Steensma, Luverne; and a sister-in-law, Lois Fikse, Luverne. Mrs. Tilstra was preceded in death by her parents, a brother in infancy, and one sister, Lucille.A tree will be planted by Hospice of Luverne Community Hospital in memory of Evelyn Tilstra. Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.

By Lori EhdeResidents who rely on natural gas to heat their homes will see even higher energy bills this winter thanks to rising natural gas prices.Since last summer at this time, natural gas prices have increased roughly 20 percent.But homeowners aren’t the only ones affected by the increase.The rising natural gas prices are driving up the cost of farming and the cost of producing ethanol and soy diesel, as well.Nitrogen, which is derived from natural gas, is the main component in fertilizer widely used for area crops.Natural gas is also the energy source driving the process for ethanol and soy diesel production.Fertilizer is one of the biggest input costs in farming operations, so rising natural gas prices hit some pocket books several times over. A corn producer, for example, could pay more to heat his house, to grow the corn, to dry it in the bin and again to process it into ethanol.There must be a cheaper, better way …For this reason, corn and soybean producers and investors in ethanol and soydiesel production are seeking cheaper sources of energy to get the job done.Sen. Norm Coleman was in Brewster Thursday, Aug. 7, meeting with representatives of the soybean processing plant there. Also present were researchers from the U of M and Southwest State University, Marshall.They announced that they’re working on a research project to find a lower-cost energy alternative for natural gas to use in soybean and corn processing.Eugene (Pucky) Sandager is a Hills corn and soybean grower and was recently elected to the board of the National Corn Growers Association.He attended Thursday’s meeting and said he supported the alternative energy research.Sandager said this may come in the form of wind, biomass or even using some of the by-products of soy processing, such as soybean oil."They’re looking at different alternatives so we’re not so dependent on natural gas for energy sources as input in the process," said Sandager, who also serves on the National Corn Growers Public Policy Action Team."It used to be a low-cost product, and now they’ve jacked the price up."Bob Kirchner, president of the Minnesota Soybean Processing Plant in Brewster, said the plant is building its own natural gas line, tapping into a main line in an effort to control costs.It will be built and managed by Great Plains Gas, but will be owned by Minnesota Soybean Processors.Background on the Brewster plantThe Brewster soybean processing plant draws soybeans from fields in a 60-mile radius of the plant.The plant has 2,300 member investors, and the average investment overall is $13,000 per member. Of those, there are roughly 250 Rock County members.The group started organizing in 1999, ground breaking was Oct. 24, 2002, and the target date to be fully operational is Nov. 1.The Brewster facility is considered a "crush plant," – crushing raw soybeans into meal that’s used as high-protein livestock feed.Crude soybean oil is removed in the process, and marketed primarily for food-grade consumption.And a small portion of soybean oil is marketed for industrial use, such as lubricants, solvents and fuel.Kirchner said plans are already in the works for a phase 2 expansion that would add a bio-diesel refinery to the plant.

By Sara StrongLuverne’s newest city administrator has a definite contract to start the job Sept. 2. The Luverne City Council unanimously approved the agreement in a special meeting Friday.Greg LaFond, currently Altoona, Wis., will have a beginning annual salary of $74,000, which will increase at six months and 12 months after performance evaluations.LaFond will get health, life and disability insurance coverage at the same level as other city employees and will receive the same number of holidays per year as other employees.As he starts, he will get credit for five years of service, which provides for three weeks of vacation per year. In addition, he will have five days of relocation time to be taken during the first year on the job.Upon starting, LaFond will receive a 20-day bank of sick leave and accrue sick leave until the sick leave bank is satisfied. Then he will continue to accrue one day per month to the maximum allowed by the city policy.The car allowance of $200 per month (which some on the City Council had previously questioned) was left in the agreement, but the Council will review the car allowance at budget time. The money is for use of the administrator’s personal vehicle on city business.LaFond will receive a lump sum of $5,000 for relocation of household goods to Luverne. If he leaves before being on the job three years, he has to repay portions of the moving expense.The Council can terminate an administrator’s employment without cause at any time, so administrators negotiate for severance packages.If the Council terminates employment with LaFond within the first two years, he will receive six months severance compensation. If the Council terminates employment without cause during the third year of employment, he will receive five months severance pay; during the fourth year, four months severance; during the fifth year and thereafter, he will receive three months severance pay.In order to be terminated without a severance, the Council would have to prove that there was a willful neglect of duty; gross inefficiency or inability on the job, or wrongful or illegal acts in the office. If LaFond leaves on his own, he is required to give the Council 30 days notice.When LaFond starts, he will be relieving Luverne attorney Jeff Haubrich, who served as interim administrator since Matt Hylen left the job in March.

Palace announces next three moviesFor their next movies the Palace Theatre will again show one of the classics from the 70s."Jaws" (Sept. 5-6-7) will be the next movie to appear at the Palace.The 1975 classic that made people afraid to go into the water for about ten years, was one of the movies that made Steven Spielberg famous and starred Roy Schneider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw."Seabiscuit", the true story about the 1930’s race horse is considered to be one of the best pictures of this year.The movie stars Jeff Bridges, Tobey Maguire, Chris Cooper, and William H. Macy "Seabiscuit" will be showing at the Palace Theatre Oct. 3-4-5."Pirates of the Caribbean" will be shown at the Palace on Oct. 31 thru Nov. 2. This movie is described as a ghost of a tale, just in time for Halloween.So, if you’re planning to go to Sioux Falls to see a movie in the near future, don’t go to any of these. Wait to watch them at the Palace!An ice cream social for the barnFitzer’s barn was moved to the fairgrounds, then it was painted, now the painting needs to be paid for.To accomplish that, the Rock County Historical Society will be holding an ice cream social fund-raiser.The event will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, in the barn on the fairgrounds.Ice cream, pies, bars, root beer floats, pop and coffee will be on sale.Also on display will be a working display of Ed Woodley’s old gas engines.MDA arrests Luverne business people for ‘Jerry’s Kids’Approximately 15 Luverne business leaders were arrested on Wednesday and charged with "having a big heart for Jerry’s kids", according to an "MDA spokesperson.The convicts were "locked up" and served their time in a mock jail at the Luverne Country Club in an effort to raise money for the local Muscular Dystrophy Association. The lock-up was from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Their sentence was to raise money by calling friends and encouraging contributions to advance MDA’s programs.Winterfest chooses patriotic themeWith thoughts of our local guard unit, the Winterfest committee decided a patriotic theme would be appropriate and chose "A Star Spangled Christmas" as the theme of the 2003 Winterfest.The 7th annual Winterfest will be Dec. 5, 6 and 7.The parade, which was held on Saturday night, had 33 floats last year.The Luverne Chamber office is encouraging the local neighborhoods to start their planning for their Christmas Lanes.The craft show will again be held at the high school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, The very popular "Parade of Homes" will also be part of the weekend, with more details coming up later.Do you have a "Best State Fair Memory"?If you do, the Minnesota State Fair Foundation wants to hear it.The Foundation is holding their 2nd annual Best State Fair Memory Essay contest.The essays will be judged in four categories, 12 and under, 13-20, 21-25 and 55 and older.The best of show will also be awarded from the entrees.Regional auditions to be held for ‘American Idol’Midwest auditions are scheduled for this Saturday, Aug. 16 at the American National University in Sioux Falls, S.D.This competition will be held to find the one person who will be flown to New York to audition on Aug. 25 for the Fox show.The show allows 250 people to audition for the spot.Each contestant will sing two minutes of a song of their choice. All songs will be done a capella and the judges will be evaluating appearance, personality and singing ability.Sign-ups will begin at 11 a.m. with preliminary rounds of competition from noon to 6 p.m. and the final round at 7 p.m. Anyone age 16 to 24 is eligible to compete.Contestants under the age of 18 wishing to compete must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.For more information phone 605-338-0017, ext. 108Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

By Jolene FarleyA 77-year-old Rock County male has contracted West Nile encephalitis, according to information from the Minnesota Department of Health.The man, whose symptoms began in late July, is hospitalized at Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls. The Health Department is witholding the man’s name and city of residence.Most people infected with West Nile virus will have either no symptoms or a very mild illness. A small percentage of people, especially elderly patients, may develop West Nile Encephalitis. Approximately 10 percent of these cases are fatal, according to MDH. Most of the severe human cases of encephalitis begin with sudden onset of fever, headache, stiff neck, and vomiting. The illness progresses quickly to include confusion and other mental status changes, altered reflexes, convulsions and coma. There is no treatment for West Nile encephalitis other than supportive care. Procedures at Nobles/Rock Public Health haven’t changed after the diagnosis of the first human case in the county, according to Nobles/Rock Public Sanitarian Jason Kloss."It doesn’t change anything with what we’ve been doing," he said. "We are continuing to monitor the bird population." Kloss advises taking proper precautions to avoid contracting the virus. West Nile virus won’t be going away and is something residents will have to live with year after year."It’s one of these things that’s going to be a fixture in our lives," he said. Kloss said if anyone finds a dead bird they should wear gloves, bag the bird and throw it in the trash. West Nile virus is transferred by mosquitoes and cannot be contracted from birds. Once a county has tested positive for an animal case of the West Nile virus, the Minnesota Department of Health doesn’t continue testing, so local residents don’t need to keep reporting dead birds if they find them.What can people do to prevent West Nile Encephalitis? oPersonal protection measures such as using mosquito repellents, avoiding outdoor exposures at dusk and dawn and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants can reduce risk. oRemoval of water-holding containers from residential areas will reduce the numbers of several mosquito species. oThere is a vaccine available for horses to prevent West Nile encephalitis. Contact a veterinarian for vaccine recommendations. A human vaccine is still in development.

By Sara StrongShared expenses like law enforcement, the Community Library and the Pool and Fitness Center were reviewed in a joint city of Luverne and county meeting Tuesday. Both are trying to save money for 2004. Law enforcement costs increased this year with more prisoners and prisoner medical expenses. The state is also requiring all prisoners with sentences of a year or less to stay in the county jails, and prisoners with longer sentences have to serve the final six months in county jail too.Those circumstances, combined with the county’s $46,000 loss in Criminal Justice state aid, means all of the county will have to pay more for police protection.The county is meeting with all cities to discuss per capita charges for services.Tuesday’s meeting with Luverne was to review the budget and suggest to Sheriff Mike Winkels areas that could be cut.The joint boards gave him direction to look at more leasing options for department vehicles.Winkels said, for instance, that buying an investigator vehicle and leasing four squad cars would cost $75,000 next year. Leasing seven and not buying the investigator car would cost $69,000. There are other considerations like radios and radar in the cars that aren’t figured into the costs.Also, the department could give just 20-hour-per-day coverage and save about $50,000.The total law enforcement budget, including dispatching, is $1.38 million.LibraryLibrarian Glenda Bremer spoke about the Rock County Community Library’s budget.The county and city split the library budget, which was proposed at $228,566 for 2004.With revenue essentially limited to late fines and room rentals, the library has to get all of its operating expenses from the city and county. The joint boards said they’d prefer to contribute less than proposed to the library, and asked Bremer to consider spending some fund balances and reducing purchases.Even following those suggestions, staff, services and hours may have to be reduced.Bremer said, "I don’t like it, but I suppose cutting the rural services could be an option."The minimum contribution from the city and county is $92,000, based on a state formula.Pool and FitnessThe joint operation of the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center will try to increase revenue for 2004 by raising memberships 10 percent and increasing lessons by 12 percent.The new agreement with Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System will also bring in more money at $1,000 a month for the use of the facility for therapy.The Rock County Pool Commission hasn’t had a meeting to review the proposed budget.The boards also suggested to manager Carol Wessels that the Pool and Fitness Center forego the $15,000 in capital improvement set aside for major repairs or upgrades. That fund now has $139,000.Rock County Commissioner Ken Hoime said, "Being that there’s so much build up, I believe we can go without contributing to it this year. We have built up a good cushion and that’s good to have, but we could put it off this year."For 2004, the projected budget calls for both the city and county to contribute $69,000, but the county said it would prefer to reduce that to $58,000.

By Sara StrongThe Luverne City Council Tuesday took steps to ensure the construction of a new Sioux Valley hospital and clinic.It unanimously approved a business subsidy agreement, after hearing no objections in a special public hearing.Luverne Community Hospital Administrator Jerry Carl said it was a "good feeling" to have an agreement after months of discussion.The city agreed to loan Sioux Valley $1 million, payable over 15 years, interest free, plus the infrastructure needed to develop the hospital site (water, sewer, electricity, new water tower). Total infrastructure estimates are about $2.45 million. The city has previously expressed a need to get a new water tower on the north part of town even without the new hospital.The city will grant Sioux Valley $2.5 million, part of which is considered payment for the existing hospital and clinic, valued at $1.2 million. Depending on the property value on the date of closing, the portions of the $2.5 million which are grant and purchase price will vary.The city also releases Sioux Valley from the responsibility of payment for the bonds on the Medical Center, which are about $300,000.Costs of this endeavor are partially funded by proceeds from the sale of the current hospital to Sioux Valley.The new health care facilities will be north of Luverne. The property abuts the Veterans Addition to its south, Highway 75 on the west, Blue Mound Avenue on the east and the gravel township road on the north.A combined clinic and hospital site is estimated to be 95,000 square feet, increased from the current 42,000.Carl estimated a completion date of the first part of 2005 at the earliest. He expects some activity at the hospital site in the first week in September and hopes the winter allows some more progress.