By Lori EhdeLocal National Guard members will leave Wednesday, Aug. 13, for a six-month deployment in England.For the past several weeks, the affected soldiers and their families have been preparing for the departure, and on Monday, the community will bid them farewell in a deployment ceremony.A private picnic meal will be served for National Guard members and their families at 5:30 p.m. in Luverne City Park.The community is invited to a public ceremony from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Speakers include Mayor Glen Gust, County Commissioner Jane Wildung and National Guard Commander and World War II Veteran Warren Herreid."The entire community is invited to the park to show support for the families of guard members and honor those leaving," said Chamber Director Dave Smith."This will be a major change for many families and we want them to know that while their loved ones are away, the communities they leave will be here to support their families."The event will include the presentation of a joint color guard, special seating for the guard members and patriotic music.At last word, local Guard members were told they’re going to England to serve as additional security officers. They could be doing things such as checking IDs and patrolling bases.There are 93 affected members in the local unit that includes Luverne and Pipestone. Of those, 55 serve duty at the National Guard Training and Community Center in Luverne.Twenty-three of those live in Rock County and 21 live in Nobles County.

By John RittenhouseArea drivers Colter Deutsch, Mark DeBoer and Marlin Kracht posted feature victories on consecutive nights at different racing venues over the weekend.Deutsch came up with a winning performance at Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Friday. DeBoer posted his win at Lake County Speedway in Madison, S.D., Saturday. Kracht’s victory came at Worthington Speedway Sunday.Kanaranzi’s Deutsch was a double winner Friday in Rock Rapids. He took the checkered flag in the second heat race in the hobby stock class before winning the A feature.Ash Creek’s Bobbi Kracht also had some hobby stock success in Rock Rapids. Kracht, who placed ninth in the feature event, won the first heat race in her class.Steen’s Billy Cowell and Magnolia’s Larry Kracht also competed in the hobby stock class at Rapid Speedway.Cowell placed third in the first heat and 14th in the feature. Larry Kracht finished third in the third heat and fifth in the A feature.Prior to posting a heat win and feature victory at Lake County Speedway Saturday, Adrian’s DeBoer and four other area drivers raced in the late model street stock class at Rapid Speedway.DeBoer placed third in the second heat and fourth in the feature, former Rock County resident David Kruger placed second in the second heat and third in the feature, Luverne’s Scott Overgaard placed fourth in the second heat and second in the feature, Ellsworth’s Scott Overgaard placed sixth in the second heat and ninth in the feature, and former Rock County resident Darrin Korthals placed third in the first heat and 12th in the feature.The Star Herald coverage area had representation in the 360 sprint and sportsmen classes at Rapid Speedway.Luverne’s Brandon Buysse placed eighth in the first heat and 14th in the A feature in the 360 sprints.Former Luverne resident Anthony Mann placed second in the second heat and fifth in the A feature in the sportsmen class. Ellsworth’s Greg Roemen placed fifth in the first heat and 11th in the feature in the same class.Luverne’s Marlin Kracht and Mike Steensma represented the area well during Sunday’s races at Worthington Speedway.Kracht won the feature race and Steensma placed second in the modified class.Luverne driver Jeff Haubrich posted a heat win at Murray County Speedway in Slayton Friday.He won the first heat race before placing third in the feature at the Minnesota track.Luverne High School graduate Mark Brockberg competed against Haubrich in Slayton. Brockberg placed fifth in the feature.Luverne’s Josh Reisch placed third in the modified feature at the track in Slayton.Luverne driver Jake Peters had a good night at Huset’s Speedway near Brandon, S.D., Sunday.Peters placed second in the first heat race, second in the first A feature race and fourth in the second A feature in the outlaw sprint class.Peters also raced in the 360 sprints Sunday, finishing 14th in the A feature.Steen’s Brad Cowell won the second heat race in the hobby stock class at Huset’s before placing 14th in the feature.Deutsch raced against Cowell at Huset’s, finishing third in the first heat and second in the feature.Kruger, Chad and Scott Overgaard all raced in the street stock class at Huset’s.Scott Overgaard placed fifth in the second heat and fifth in the feature, Chad Overgaard placed second in the second heat and seventh in the feature, and Kruger placed fifth in the first heat and 10th in the feature.

By John RittenhouseA 1987 Ellsworth High School graduate will represent the United States as a softball player during an eight-day span starting today.Chad Boom, a standout football and basketball player at EHS during his high school years, spent his summers as a youth playing fast-pitch softball for Ellsworth.Boom continued playing softball after graduating from Southwest State University in Marshall in 1991, and now he is considered one of the Top-Five best fast-pitch softball players in the world.Chad currently plays with a Minnesota major-level team named RWP based out of Geneva. B.J. Boom, Chad’s younger brother, is another member of the team.Boom’s status in the softball world was established when he was selected to compete with Team USA in the Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament in Guatemala last fall.With the Team USA winning the qualifying event, Boom and his teammates have earned the right to compete at the Pan American Games that begin today in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.The Pan American Games run from Aug. 7-14, and they serve as a qualifying event for the International Softball Federation’s World Championships that will be played in New Zealand next February.Team USA will play single games against national teams from Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Canada during the first five days of the event.Those games will count toward the seedings for the Gold Medal Tournament those same teams will compete in Aug. 12-14.Boom, who has been playing at the sport’s highest levels since 1991, will be a position player for Team USA.He made a name for himself as a pitcher in the past, but Team USA coach Pete Turner utilizes Boom’s versatility in the field. He has started at first base, third base and as the designated hitter for the team, and he also serves as the squad’s No. 2 catcher. Boom also has pitched some innings for Team USA.The son of Ellsworth’s Marlin and Mary Boom currently lives in Barnesville with his wife, Julie, and children Sidney (8) and Payton (4).Chad currently works as a concrete cutter for a company based in Fargo, N.D.

By John RittenhouseThe 22nd Minnesota Border to Border Triathlon began on Main Street in Luverne at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.The 25-team field began a four-day adventure by departing on a one-day bike race that started in front of Luverne’s City Hall and ended in St. Cloud Tuesday.Athletes biked from St. Cloud to Eveleth Wednesday, Aug. 6.Today’s leg of the race features a 50-mile run from Eveleth to Cook.The race wraps up with a 50-mile canoe race on the Vermillion River to Crane Lake Friday.Twenty-six teams were slated to compete in the 2003 version of the event, but the field dipped to 25 teams when a two-person team dropped out of the fold prior to the race.The field consisted of eight four- and eight two-person teams. Nine teams entered the three-person team field.While the race started Tuesday, the teams and their support crews participated in the annual Minnesota Border to Border Parade on Main Street Monday.Pictured on the far right is a member of the "3 Crazy Irishmen" team sitting on top of the team’s support vehicle during the parade.Pictured on the right in a cat suit handing out candy to the crowd is a member of the "Fast Cats On A Slippery Surface" squad, a team that was made up of Sioux Falls area athletes.Pictured on the bottom is the cast and support crew of a three-person team called "Wizard of Odds" during the skit they performed for the parade judges Monday.

Luverne’s Perry Schnnekloth poses for a picture in front of his winning car, an Oldsmobile Cutlass, after winning the Enduro Race at the Rock County Fair Saturday. Schneekloth completed 188 laps in two hours to claim the top position in a record-setting field of 57 cars that competed in the 2003 version of the event.By John RittenhouseA Luverne driver emerged as the champion of the Rock County Fair’s largest Enduro Race Saturday night.Perry Schneekloth bested a record field of 57 cars to win the 2003 version of the Enduro Race, which is sponsored by the Rock County Corn & Soybean Association and Agri-Energy, LCC.Driving his Oldsmobile Cutlass, Schneekloth completed 188 laps to win his first Rock County Fair title.Schneekloth’s winning performance was witnessed by many.According to Burdette Braun, one of the event organizers, Saturday’s race attracted 1,090 fans to the grandstands. Add another estimated 300 to 400 people working in the pits, and the result was one of the most well-attended grandstand shows in the history of the local fair."We had a record field of 57 cars at the start of the race, and 90 percent of the field was made up of local drivers," Braun said. "There were 21 cars still running at the end of the race."The Enduro Race runs under a 200-lap, two-hour time limit, whichever comes first.With 57 cars on a small track to start the race, not surprisingly, it was the two-hour time limit that settled the issue.Schneekloth topped the second-place performance turned in by Valley Springs driver Jeremy Skadden by seven laps. Skadden completed 181 laps.Luverne drivers Travis Van Santen and Adam Kinsinger placed third and fourth respectively.Van Santen completed 176 laps in his Oldsmobile Delta 88. Kinsinger racked up 175 laps in his Pontiac Grand Prix.Randy Sasker, a Luverne High School graduate who now lives in Worthington, completed 173 laps in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo to place fifth.Rock County residents Greg Vande Velde and Matt Sandbulte cracked the Top-10 at race’s end.Luverne’s Vande Velde placed sixth in his Dodge Diplomat. Sandbulte finished eighth in his Chevrolet Caprice.Area drivers Cliff Lynn and Gene Schoep placed ninth and 10th respectively. Lynn is from Adrian. Schoep is from Edgerton.Sioux Falls driver Eric Schultz rounds out the Top-10 by finishing in the seventh slot.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds were backed against the wall when they traveled to Granite Falls for a Region 13C Playoff game Wednesday, Aug. 6.Luverne posted a three-run win against Fairmont in the region opener at Redbird Field Friday, but the Redbirds lost a seven-run decision in Granite Falls Sunday.The 17-11 Redbirds need to beat Granite Falls twice to earn a berth in the state tournament.Luverne was facing elimination with a loss in Granite Falls Aug. 6. A win in that game would force a championship game to be played 7:30 p.m. at Redbird Field Friday.GF 7, Luverne 0The defending state Class C champions had little trouble disposing of the Redbirds by seven runs during Sunday’s game played in Granite Falls.Granite Falls blanked the Redbirds for nine innings while limiting Luverne to four singles in the game.The hosts produced runs in five of eight innings they appeared at the plate, setting the stage for a lopsided win.Granite Falls plated singled runs in the first and second innings to gain an early advantage before making it 5-0 with two runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth. A two-run eighth inning for the hosts put the game out of reach.Luverne’s best scoring chances came in the second, sixth and ninth innings, but the Redbirds stranded two runners on base in all three innings.Luverne’s singles came from Jeff Sehr in the second inning, Derek Ohme in the sixth and Mike Wenninger and Terry Eernisse in the ninth.Wilmont draftee Ben Morrison pitched the first six innings and took the loss. He allowed 11 hits and five runs (two were earned). Cole Johnson, another Wilmont draftee, pitched two innings of two-hit, two-run ball in relief of Morrison.Box score AB R H BIOhme 3 0 1 0Reisch 2 0 0 0M.Sehr 2 0 0 0Schneider 0 0 0 0Wenninger 4 0 1 0J.Sehr 4 0 1 0Weber 3 0 0 0Edstrom 2 0 0 0Tr.Eernisse 2 0 1 0Iveland 2 0 0 0Winkels 2 0 0 0Fisher 2 0 0 0Sandbulte 1 0 0 0Luverne 5, Fairmont 2An outstanding pitching performance by Jon Jarchow led the Redbirds to a three-run win during the region opener in Luverne Friday.Jarchow pitched nine innings of one-hit ball to pick up the victory.Jarchow overpowered Fairmont by recording 13 strikeouts. He walked four batters and hit another in the game. The lone hit Jarchow surrendered was a double in the sixth inning.Luverne opened a 2-0 cushion in the bottom of the first inning and never lost the lead as the game progressed.Ohme and Ben Winkels reached base on errors to start the first inning for Luverne. Sehr singled home Ohme, and Winkels scored when Brian Weber grounded out.Fairmont scored once in the top of the second before the Redbirds countered with a run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-1.James Fisher tripled and scored Luverne’s run on a fielder’s choice by Ohme.Fairmont trimmed the difference to one run (3-2) in the top of the sixth before Luverne iced the game with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.Luke Iveland singled and scored on a ground out by Winkels in the seventh. Billy Schneider walked and scored on a double off the bat of Eric Edstrom in the eighth.Box score AB R H BIOhme 3 1 0 1Winkels 4 1 0 1M.Sehr 3 0 0 0Reisch 0 0 0 0J.Sehr 4 0 1 1Weber 4 0 1 1Schneider 0 1 0 0Edstrom 3 0 2 1Sandbulte 3 0 0 0Eernisse 0 0 0 0Iveland 4 1 1 0Fisher 3 1 1 0

By Jolene FarleyA new fire hall, city shop and city offices will soon be a reality for Beaver Creek residents. The old fire hall and Beaver Creek Township offices were demolished Thursday to make way for a new 130-by-200-foot, two-tone steel building on the same site. The Beaver Creek City Council hasn’t decided what colors the building will be yet, according to city employee Lloyd DeBoer.The total project, which has been in the works for three or four years, is expected to cost around $280,000. DeBoer said money was the main reason the project wasn’t started sooner. The city was in the middle of the golf course and other projects, he said."We finally got ‘er going. It took a little bit, but we’re going," DeBoer said. Hoppe Construction, Sioux Center, Iowa, is general contractor for the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of October.The new structure will extend within about four feet of the Beaver Creek Post Office building.The new fire hall will have 14-by-14-foot overhead doors. "It’s (the fire hall) going to have a fill valve for water and it’s going to have bigger doors," said DeBoer. DeBoer said it was sometimes difficult backing equipment into the narrow doors on the old buildings.The new city offices will have a meeting area for the city council and fire department. The city shop will have 12-by-14-foot doors. The current city offices are rented from Beaver Creek Township. The township plans to use the vacated space for its offices. Beaver Creek Fire Department volunteers stripped the buildings before the demolition. Some items were salvaged for installation in the new building such as overhead heaters, gear hangers and a blackboard.Items that officials didn’t expect to reuse were auctioned off or taken to the landfill.DeBoer said residents shouldn’t worry about fire protection during the construction phase. The fire department is "still ready to roll" when needed, even though equipment is housed in different buildings around town.

By Jolene FarleyA dead crow found in Hills tested positive for the West Nile Virus, according to information from the Minnesota Department of Health.Hills resident Melvin Heckt found the bird alive and told his neighbor Wendell Erickson. The pair kept watch over the bird and after it died, reported it to Nobles/Rock Public Health. "We’d been watching this bird for two days," Erickson said. "It was very sick. We didn’t think it was going to live very long."Erickson said they tried to fence the animal in to keep it in the area. The bird escaped the makeshift corral but was so sick it didn’t make it far.The dead bird was submitted to the Department of Health. It is one of 75 West Nile-positive birds found in the state, according to Dave Neitzel, an epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health."West Nile Virus is pretty wide-spread throughout the state this year," he said.West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito to birds, horses and humans. The virus cannot be spread by contact with an infected person. Most of the 2003 cases are found in southern or central Minnesota. Once a county has a positive test result and the presence of the virus has been established, the Health Department usually doesn’t test more animals, according to Neitzel. In 2002, 48 human cases of West Nile virus infection were reported in Minnesota, with no deaths.The virus generally peaks in mid-to-late August and is transmitted by a type of mosquito active mainly at dusk or dawn, according to Neitzel."Right now we’re getting to the higher risk time of year," he said. After the Minnesota Department of Health officials have positive test results, they contact local public health departments and update the MDH Web site at www.health.state.mn.us to notify travelers of higher risk areas. * * * pull this section:West Nile risk is lowAlthough the threat of a person becoming ill from the West Nile Virus is low, the Minnesota Department of Health advises Minnesotans to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Most mosquitoes don’t carry the virus, so most people bit will not be exposed to the virus. Of those infected, most people have no symptoms at all or display only mild symptoms.Less than one out of 150 people infected will get severely ill. Severe cases tend to occur more frequently in the elderly.Symptoms usually show up three to 15 days after being bitten. They can include headache, high fever, muscle weakness, stiff neck, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis and coma.To reduce your risk of being bitten:oUse a good mosquito repellent while outside among mosquitoes.oWear long-sleeve shirts and long pants if you have to spend time in an area where mosquitoes are biting.oAvoid outdoor activities at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are feeding. oEliminate possible mosquito-breeding sites on and around property – including items such as old tires, buckets, clogged rain gutters, cans and other containers and anything else that can hold a small amount of water. Change the water in birdbaths and horse troughs at least weekly.

By Jolene FarleyThree Rock County residents are recovering from injuries they received in a two-vehicle accident northwest of Hills Thursday.A 1998 Buick Park Avenue driven by Sherryl Knobloch, 55, of rural Hills, and a 1994 Chevrolet pickup driven by Ryan Burgers, 25, Luverne, collided at a blind, unmarked intersection about 4 1/2 miles northwest of Hills.Chris Louwagie, 28, Luverne, was a passenger in Burger’s vehicle.After the collision, Burgers walked to the Marlin DeNoble’s farm about a half mile away from the scene, and DeNoble called officials, according to Burgers.The Rock County Sheriff’s Department responded at 7:46 a.m. to the intersection of 30th Avenue and 51st Street. The Hills Fire Department, Rock County Ambulance, Avera McKennan Careflight, Sioux Valley Trauma I and the Minnesota Highway Patrol also responded. Knobloch was airlifted to Avera McKennan Hospital and Louwagie was airlifted to Sioux Valley Hospital, both in Sioux Falls.Burgers was transported by ground ambulance to Avera McKennan Hospital.Burgers said Monday that doctors anticipate he’ll be released from the hospital Wednesday or today. He had a bleeding spleen and is "stiff and sore." Knobloch has been moved to a private hospital room from the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors may release her by the end of the week to recover at home, according to her daughter-in-law, Amy Knobloch.Her injuries include a stabilized fracture in her neck, a punctured lung, broken ribs, cuts on her eyelid and head, and bruises and scrapes. Knobloch will wear a neck brace for eight to 12 weeks instead of having surgery for the fracture in her neck, according to Amy. Louwagie, a teacher in the Hills-Beaver Creek School district, is still in the Intensive Care Unit at Sioux Valley Hospital, according to his wife, Laura. "He has chest and back injuries," she said from the hospital waiting room."He is able to move all his limbs, and his condition is improving daily." Burgers said he was impressed with the way rescue workers responded to the accident. "I think the Hills Fire Department did an outstanding job," he said from his hospital bed Monday. "They were there quickly and they did a very good job."