The Parkinson’s Support Group will meet at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, at Poplar Creek Care Center. Call Dianne Karlstad at 507-530-3307 with questions.
St. Catherine Church will host the Dakota Shred-It truck from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Luverne Laundry Room parking lot. Freewill donations are accepted.
 
Prairie Ally appreciation Sept. 27
A relaxing evening is planned as a wrap-up to the growing season for the Prairie Ally food forest. Friends, volunteers and supporters are asked to bring a dish or a beverage to share for the event planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27. The event will take place down the lower driveway at 308 N. Blue Mound Ave. in Luverne.
 
‘See You at the Pole’ Sept. 28
“See You at the Pole” will be at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the new entrance of Luverne Middle-High School. Organized by Rock the Edge, all K-12 students and adults are encouraged to gather for a short time of prayer before the school day begins. The student-led event is conducted annually across the nation.
 
UMC community free meal Sept. 28
The United Methodist Church will host its Wednesday night free community meal at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. A pick-up option is available by calling 507-283-4529.
 
Paint the Prairie purple
To help raise awareness and show support for the Dementia Walk for a Cure on Oct. 1, organizers encourage “Paint the Prairie Purple” during the week of Sept. 26-30. Pictures of decorated home and business exteriors can be sent to ace.rock@co.rock.mn.us.
The event is sponsored by the SW MN Dementia Awareness Network (SWDAN).
 
Dementia Walk is Oct. 1
The Dementia Walk for a Cure is Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Luverne City Park. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the walk at 10 a.m.
One hundred percent of the funds raised will be used to increase awareness and to promote dementia education.
In case of inclement weather, the walk will take place at the Generations Event Center in Luverne.
For more information or to register contact Linda Wenzel at A.C.E. of SW MN, 507-283-5064.
 
CoffeeBreak Bible study starts Oct. 4
The kickoff meeting of CoffeeBreak begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, and will meet each Tuesday at the Luverne Christian Reformed Church at 605 North Estey Street in Luverne.Children ages 3 to kindergarten are invited to participate in StoryHour, a program with Bible stories and playtime. A nursery is also available. No charge and no prior Bible knowledge necessary. All faiths and ages are welcome. For more information call Kristi Stroeh at 507-227-5102 or email atkristi.stroeh@hotmail.com
 
RCHS annual meeting is Oct. 3
The Rock County Historical Society annual meeting is at noon Monday, Oct. 3, at the Big Top Events Center. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the History Center for $15, or the day of the event at the door for $25. The program is on old restaurants.
 
Free food for seniors Oct. 6
Nutrition Assistance Program for seniors 60 and older, sponsored by A.C.E. of SW MN, will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, with drive-thru distribution in the parking lot off Maple Street at the new office location on the east side of Generations Event Center. Pre-registration is required. Call Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064.
 
Community Ed
Community Education will offer the following classes in the next few weeks. Call 507-283-4724 to register.
Parents with children ages 0-5 will enjoy the animals and activities at Fall Time Fun at Harmony Gardens on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Registration is required by Sept. 21. Fee is $10/child.
Kids in the Kitchen (grades K-6) will make fall-themed treats Sept. 29. Fee is $21.
Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) classes for children ages 0-5 is a Community Education program for parents and their children from birth to kindergarten age. It offers information and support to parents and provides activities for parents and children to explore together through classes that meet once a week throughout the school year.
Taking Defensive Driving Classes allows adults 55 years of age and older to save on insurance premiums. The eight-hour beginner Defensive Driving class will be offered on Nov. 7 and 10.
New residents: Census information needed for preschool children. If you are new to the community, please call Community Education with your family information for all children ages 0 up to kindergarten. The school district uses the information for planning purposes, filling out flyers regarding school events, including the state-mandated preschool screening for all 3-year-old children in Minnesota. If your child is 4 years old and has not been screen, call 283-4724. The screening should be completed prior to kindergarten.
 
Library Happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
Story Time with Bronwyn is Fridays from now through. Dec. 2. The event starts at 10 a.m.
Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Take 16 in Luverne. Team registration begins at 6 p.m.
Reminiscence Kits are available featuring various topics such as gardening, pets, baking, sewing, farming and hunting. The kits are designed to use with a loved one experiencing memory loss, encouraging the loved one to open up about activities they once loved in the past.
 
A.C.E. respite care available, volunteers needed
A.C.E. of SW Minnesota (A.C.E.) offers respite care services in Rock County for those needing a break from caring for a loved one.
The respite program offers short-term (1-3 hours), temporary care for families and caregivers by providing a brief period of reprieve from the daily cares they provide to their loved one.
Volunteers provide non-professional supportive services to caregivers to give them time for themselves, relieve their stress and help them remain healthy.
Respite care volunteers are also needed. Trained A.C.E. volunteers provide respite care to family caregivers of adults age 60 and older who are suffering from long-term health conditions.
Contact Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064 or ace.rock@co.rock.mn.us.

It warms my heart to see Carson’s young friends rallying to remember him and raise money in Carson’s name to help others. I love them for this, but I cautioned them against glamorizing Carson’s life amid their loss.
We need to avoid the suggestion that suicide is a noble way to escape burdens. Carson was indeed a special soul who had many reasons to live, but he was much like his 20-something friends at a stage in their lives preparing for uncertain futures. They are all special and don’t need to die in order to be honored for who they are.
Eli Bakken and Jaden Knips returned Carson’s truck Monday night when we also talked about how to steer a message about suicide prevention. T-shirts with an image of Carson’s pickup also carry a mental health logo and a hemline statement with 988 suicide lifeline number.
They miss Carson and they just want to help, as do I.
But I couldn’t help my own son who lived under my own roof and had access to all the opportunities that are supposed to prevent suicide. If Carson couldn’t be saved, who can? Many people struggle alone without insurance and without the luxury of family support and resources.
I don’t know how to help, but at the very least, I’m not mincing words about what happened: Carson took his hunting firearm to our north grove and deliberately ended his life.
He did this on Tuesday only moments after a noon phone call with Gracie. He said he would start a baling job at 1 p.m., they made plans for Wednesday night dinner and told each other “I love you” and “See you later.”
He left no suicide note and no indication he was planning to leave us. His farming paperwork was on his table with his laptop and checkbook, and he’d gathered some laundry to bring upstairs. … As if he’d return moments later.
We won’t know what happened in his final hour, but we believe something in his brain overpowered what should have been a powerful human will to survive.
The brain’s complicated biology allows us to feel good when it’s functioning normally. When the delicate balance is off, we feel sick, and it can kill us.
The same is true for diabetes, heart disease or other common illnesses. Left untreated, they also kill, but getting treatment for them is far easier than seeking treatment for mental illness.
Our local health providers are working hard to treat brain health, but our health care system as a whole is sadly ill-equipped to save people who are ashamed to seek help and face obstacles of poor insurance coverage and a shortage of options.
My hope is that with each tragic loss we — policy makers especially — commit to doing better.
Carson was loved. He knew he was loved … by many people in many ways. He also knew he wasn’t feeling well and was getting treatment for his illness. We were doing the best we could with what we had.
For all these reasons I’m not tormented by “what-ifs” and “if-onlys.”
Now we just pray for peace and understanding.
— Lori Sorenson, Star Herald editor and mother of Carson Ehde

My day job is teaching world history and psychology classes to high school students.
Each year in the second or third week of the school year, I teach about cultural diffusion in world history.
Simply put, cultural diffusion is when one group shares its ideas, technologies and/or ways of life with another group.
We study how this process happened in the earliest civilizations and how it is still happening today.
One needs to only look at the internet, slang language or music to see examples of how ideas spread quickly from one place to another these days.
The use of local or other familiar examples often helps students understand a concept.
For that reason, we also talk about examples of cultural diffusion from Minnesota and even Luverne.
Minnesota examples of cultural diffusion might include duct tape and Post-it Notes, indoor shopping malls and Target, Prince and Bob Dylan music, Tonka Toys and roller blades, Betty Crocker cookbooks and cake mixes, and Arctic Cat and Polaris snowmobiles.
But what about hyper-local examples? What ideas have started in and spread from Luverne?
The example that we often use this time of year is the Tri-State Band Festival.
On Saturday, Luverne will be hosting the band festival for the 71st time.
As far as I know, Tri-State is the oldest high school band festival of its kind in the Upper Midwest, and possibly much farther.
Way back in 1951, local Luverne business leaders had the idea of hosting a parade for area high school bands on a fall Saturday. The goal was to bring people to Luverne and to support local businesses.
Needless to say, the idea was a good one and it worked. And 71 years later, it’s still working.
And as with all good ideas, they are bound to spread (thanks to cultural diffusion!).
After seeing what a great idea a high school band festival was, communities such as Waseca, Vermillion, Sioux Falls, Marshall, Sioux City, Brandon, Orange City, and many Twin Cities suburbs have all begun hosting their own band festivals over the years.
Now nearly every Saturday in September and October, multiple communities in the three-state area host band festivals.
Many of these festivals have adapted Luverne’s ideas and have come up with some new ideas that have also spread.
Some festivals have become much larger than the Tri-State Band Festival, and some even host their festival on the same day as Tri-State, meaning fewer bands are coming to Luverne on the last Saturday in September than in years past.
Yet, Tri-State endures.
Thousands of band members and fans will descend on Luverne Saturday to share and enjoy the hard work of young people who love music.
The Rose Bowl is sometimes called “The Granddaddy of Them All” because it was the first college bowl game and is still continuing today.
I like to think of Tri-State as the “Granddaddy of Band Festivals.”
Make sure to take some time this weekend to enjoy our very own Rose Bowl! 

Just a quick heads up to the 38th annual Rock County Pheasants Forever banquet just around the corner.
Mark Thursday, Oct. 6, on your calendar. This year’s banquet, just like last year’s, will be held at Big Top Tents and Events in Luverne. By the way, Big Top Tents and Events has become the “go to” area event center for banquets, weddings, meetings, class reunions, funerals, proms and any other sort of gathering.
There is an ad in today’s Star Herald with all the information for the Pheasants Forever event including ticket prices, raffle items, games, over 15 guns to be given away, and date and time of the banquet.
With the Pheasants Forever banquet on the horizon, that means it’s time to get the hunting gear out of storage and ready for the opener just a few weeks away.
It seems the ammunition shortage isn’t nearly as bad as it was a year ago, but the prices are still way out of whack.
It’s always a crap shoot – at least for me anyway – if my hunting pants will still fit comfortably. It’s funny how boots, jacket, socks and gloves all seem to fit year after year, but pants? … Not so much.
Here’s a hunting fashion tip for you. If you find that your hunting pants may be a little snug around the midsection, try the “unbutton and conceal” method. Pop the button, loosen the belt, and conceal with a long sweatshirt and say “Ahhhh.”
If you didn’t oil your boots after last season before you put them away, it’s time to do so now. A good, soft, flexible pair of hunting boots is as important as your gun and dog.
Speaking about your hunting dog, if you haven’t been working with and walking your hunting dog by now, good luck with that.
OK, now comes the most import piece of advice I can give my fellow hunters, at least those that have a spouse.
Now is the time to make those new purchases, be it guns, ammo, clothing or boots. Discreetly make your purchases, stow them away so when opening day rolls around and your spouse happens to notice your purchases, you can truthfully say you’ve had them for a while and they’ve been in your hunting closet for so long you’re not sure how many years you have had them.
If that doesn’t work for you … and this one has for me in the past, I simply tell the wife I won it at the Pheasants Forever banquet.
Get your Rock County Pheasants Forever banquet tickets today, just in case you need a cover story.

Dispatch report
 
Sept. 9
•An outage was reported.
•Complainant on E. Warren Street reported a vulnerable adult.
•Assistance from another department was received on W. Main Street, Hardwick.
Sept. 10
•Complainant on 115th Street, Luverne, reported a medical issue.
•Complainant on N. Blue Mound Avenue reported property was found.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported counterfeit bills were received at location.
•Complainant north of Hardwick on Highway 75 filed a driving complaint.
•Complainant on N. Estey Street reported suspicious activity.
•A civil issue was reported.
Sept. 11
•Complainant southbound on Highway 75 near airport reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported an assault.
•Complainant on E. Dodge Street reported suspicious activity.
•Assistance from another department was received on Interstate 90.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 10, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
Sept. 12
•Suspicious activity was reported.
•Complainant on Spring Street reported a civil issue.
•Complainant on N. Freeman Avenue reported a civil issue.
Sept. 13
•Complainant on E. Veterans Drive reported harassing communications.
•Complainant on N. Davidson Street reported motor vehicle theft.
•Complainant on State Highway 23, Garretson, South Dakota, reported a sudden death at location.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 12, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
•Assistance from another department was received on S. Kniss Avenue.
•Complainant on S. Street East, Magnolia, reported suspicious activity.
Sept. 14
•Assistance from another department was received in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
•Complainant in Luverne filed a driving complaint.
•Complainant on W. Mead Court reported a noise complaint.
Sept. 15
•Assistance from another department was received.
•Complainant reported a scam.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on County Road 4, Luverne, reported debris on roadway.
•Complainant on W. Fletcher Street reported property damage at location.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 5, Beaver Creek, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a civil issue.
•Complainant on W. Warren Street reported a residence check.
Sept. 16
•A miscellaneous public assist was filed in Adrian.
•Complainant on W. Edgehill Street reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on N. Cedar Street reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant at the state park reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on 101st Street, Beaver Creek, reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on E. Warren Street reported a noise complaint.
In addition, officers responded to 10 motor vehicle accidents, 1 deer accident, 1 transport, 1 funeral escort, 10 ambulance runs, 1 paper service, 8 animal complaints, 2 fingerprint requests, 7 burn permits, 1 driver’s license check, 2 gas drive-offs, 5 drug court tests, 2 purchase and carry permits, 2 stalled vehicles, 4 traffic stops, 10 abandoned 911 calls, 1 test, 1 report of cattle out, and 1 follow-up.

Hills-Beaver Creek High School seniors Taylor Huisman (left) and Cody Moser received the queen and king crowns and capes Monday night in coronation ceremonies at the high school in Hills.
 
Members of the royal court are seniors Elly Klosterbuer, Amallia Ternus, Jenifer Martinyuk, Taylor Frederickson, Luke Fuerstenberg and Alex Harris. Class attendants include juniors Brynn Rauk and Carter VandeVoort, sophomores Gracie Fagerness and Cameron Allen, and freshmen Claire Knobloch and Eduardo Wegener. Master and mistress of ceremonies Brayden Metzger and Olivia Bork. The 2021 H-BC homecoming queen and king, Kenadie Fick and Andrew Harris, presented the crowns to the this year’s queen and king.

Open house
Kayleen Hoeck will celebrate her 80th birthday with a gathering from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Spring Brook Events Center in Beaver Creek. Food and beverages will be provided.
 
Card showers
Robert (Bob) Fick will celebrate his 85th birthday on Thursday, Sept. 22. Greetings may be sent to 1479 County Highway 4, Luverne, MN 56156.
 
Mabel Overgaard will celebrate her 95th birthday on Thursday, Sept. 22. Greetings may be sent to 1009 N. Jackson Street, Luverne, MN 56156.

LSS meals at Generations
 
Monday, Sept. 26: Baked chicken, baked potato with sour cream, peas, bread, dessert.
Tuesday, Sept. 27: Salisbury steak with gravy, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, dinner roll, dessert.
Wednesday, Sept. 28: Taco salad with salsa, sour cream, corn chips, apple, dessert.
 Thursday, Sept. 29: Chicken salad on croissant, cucumbers, tropical fruit, dessert.
Friday, Sept. 30: Smothered pork loin, scalloped potatoes, corn, bread, dessert.
LSS Dining offers well-balanced and affordable meals in a community atmosphere.
Call Lynette Hoiland at 283-9846, extension 11 to reserve one day prior, to arrange to pick up a dinner or for home-delivered meals.
Gift certificates are available at the meal site or online at www.lssmn.org/nutrition.