By John RittenhouseThe Luverne VFW baseball team went 1-2 against league foes in games played since Thursday.The Cardinals lost a one-run home decision to Edgerton Thursday. Luverne lost a four-run game to Pipestone Monday before rallying to post a five-run victory in the second game.Luverne, 9-14 overall and 3-6 in league play, hosts Jackson tonight before opening the Sub-District Tournament at a site to be determined Monday.Pipestone 13,Luverne 9The Cardinals let a seven-run lead slip away during Monday’s first game in Pipestone.Luverne erupted for seven runs in the top half of the first inning, but the hosts scored eight times in the bottom half of the frame and went on to prevail by four runs.The Arrows plated a single run in the bottom of the fourth before scoring four times in the fifth to open a 13-7 cushion. Luverne capped the scoring with a two-run sixth inning.Jared Pick slapped a two-run double and Taylor Graphenteen added a two-run single to highlight Luverne’s seven-run first inning. Kelsey Petersen, Brian Deutsch and John Tofteland added one RBI single each to the rally.Tofteland singled home a run and Petersen drew a bases-loaded walk to account for Luverne’s runs in the seventh.Petersen walked four batters without recording an out before being removed as the starting pitcher. Graphenteen pitched five and two-thirds innings of relief and took the loss. Brett Lundgren worked the final inning and one-third.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 2 3 2Tofteland 4 1 3 2Pick 4 1 1 2Johnson 2 1 0 0Petersen 3 1 1 2Nath 4 0 0 0Richters 3 1 0 0Deutsch 1 1 1 1Oeding 2 0 0 0Ward 2 0 0 0Lundgren 1 1 0 0Luverne 7, Pipestone 2The Cardinals scored seven runs in the second inning and protected their lead during a five-run win in Game 2.Petersen and Derek Johnson supplied crucial blows in the second by rapping two-run singles. Deutsch, Graphenteen and Ben Nath added one RBI single each to the rally.Pipestone managed to score single runs in the second and third innings against Luverne starting pitcher Tofteland.Tofteland, however, pitched all five innings and limited the hosts to two hits.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 3 1 1 1Tofteland 3 1 1 0Pick 2 1 1 2Johnson 3 1 2 2Ward 2 0 0 0Deutsch 2 1 1 1Lundgren 1 1 0 0Nath 2 1 1 1Edgerton 4, Luverne 3A late-game rally by visiting Edgerton saddled the Cardinals with their second straight league loss Thursday at Redbird Field.Luverne erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning.The 3-2 advantage looked like it might stand as the teams played four straight scoreless innings before Edgerton plated single runs in the sixth and seventh frames to win by one.Jared Pick, who led the Cards with three hits and two RBIs at plate, went the distance on the hill and took the loss.Pick supplied the key blow in the first when he singled home Taylor Graphenteen and Derek Johnson, who reached base with a walk and a single respectively to start the rally.Ben Nath chased home Pick with a single.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 2 1 0 0Johnson 3 1 1 0Pick 3 1 3 2Cote 2 0 0 0Petersen 3 0 0 0Nath 3 0 1 1Tofteland 2 0 0 0Oeding 3 0 1 0Richters 3 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseRacers with Rock County ties competed well at Rapid Speedway last week.The track in Rock Rapids, Iowa, hosted a pair of events in conjunction with the Fourth of July weekend.Local talent posted four feature victories and five heat wins during the outings.A special race was staged Wednesday, July 2, and it turned into a good night for Kanaranzi’s Colter Deutsch and Ellsworth’s Scott Overgaard.Deutsch won his heat race and the A feature in hobby stock competition. Overgaard, who placed second in the first heat race, won the A feature in the late model street stock division.Deutsch competed against Magnolia’s Josh Klay (second in the first heat and 15th in the feature), Luverne’s Mike Buss (fifth in second heat and fifth in the B feature), Steen’’s Billy Cowell (second in the third heat and ninth in the A feature), Ellsworth’s Chris Tiesler (fourth in the third heat and 11th in the A feature) and Hardwick’s Brent Hulstein (fifth in the third heat and sixth in the B feature).Adrian’s Mark DeBoer (first in the first heat and second in the feature), Luverne’s Chad Overgaard (first in the second heat and third in the feature), former Hills’ resident Darrin Korthals (second in second heat and seventh in the feature) and former Ash Creek resident David Kruger (third in the second heat and fourth in the feature) joined Scott Overgaard in the street stock competition.Former Luverne resident Anthony Mann placed third in the second heat and fifth in the feature in the sportsmen class.Luverne’s Brandon Buysse placed sixth in the first heat and 15th in the feature in the 360 sprints.Deutsch and Adrian’s Mark DeBoer won feature events during Friday’s regular race night.Deutsch was a double-winner in the hobby stocks, taking the first heat and feature titles.Klay (first in the second heat and second in the feature), Cowell (third in the second heat and fifth in the feature), Magnolia’s Larry Kracht (fourth in the second heat and 14th in the feature), Tiesler (fourth in the third heat and 17th in the feature) and Hulstein (fifth in the third heat and 16th in the feature) joined Deutsch in the hobby stock class.DeBoer won the street stock feature after placing second in the second heat.Kruger (second in the second heat and fifth in the feature), Korthals (fourth in first heat and fourth in the feature), Scott Overgaard (fifth in the first heat and seventh in the feature) and Chad Overgaard (fifth in the second heat and 10th in the feature) mixed it up in street stock competition.Mann finished fifth in the second heat and fourth in the feature in the sportsmen class.Huset’s Speedway hosted a pair of events, but local drivers registered one heat win at the track in Brandon, S.D.Cowell, who placed ninth in the A feature, won the first heat race in the hobby stock division during Thursday’s event.Deutsch (third in first heat and second in the A feature), Klay (second in the second heat and fifth in the A feature), Tiesler (sixth in the second heat and fourth in the B feature) and Buss (sixth in the third heat and fifth in the B feature) also raced in the hobby stock class Thursday.Scott Overgaard had a decent night in the street stock division after placing third in the second heat and third in the feature. Chad Overgaard was fourth in the first heat and fifth in the feature. Kruger was sixth in the first heat and ninth in the feature.Luverne’s Jake Peters placed fourth in the first heat and eighth in the feature in the outlaw sprints. Peters finished third in the second heat and eighth in the feature in the 360 sprints.Peters placed second in the first heat and fourth in the feature in the outlaw sprints during Sunday’s races. He was fifth in the second heat and 16th in the feature in the 360 sprints.Deutsch raced well in the hobby stock division. He placed third in the second heat and second in the feature.Cowell (third in the first heat and ninth in the feature) and Klay (fourth in the second heat and fifth in the feature) also competed in the hobby stock class.Kruger (sixth in the first heat and fourth in the feature), Scott Overgaard (fourth in the first heat and ninth in the feature) and Chad Overgaard (sixth in the second heat and seventh in the feature) raced in the street stock class Sunday.Luverne modified driver Mike Steensma placed fifth in the feature race at Murray County Speedway in Slayton Friday before finishing ninth in the modified feature at Worthington Speedway Sunday.DeBoer placed ninth in the street stock feature Sunday in Worthington.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds snapped a three-game losing skid by posting a three-run home win over Wilmont Sunday.The skid reached three games with a 12-run loss to Renner, S.D., Thursday and a two-run setback from Hadley Wednesday, July 2. Both losses came at Redbird Field.Luverne, 11-8 overall, caps the regular season in Pipestone Sunday.Luverne 3, Wilmont 0The pitching of Jon Jarchow and Mike Wenninger and a clutch hit off the bat of Ben Winkels helped the Redbirds snap their three-game slide against Wilmont in Luverne Sunday.Jarchow and Wenninger pitched a combined two-hit shutout. Jarchow tossed six innings for two-hit, five-strikeout ball to post the win. Wenninger pitched three hitless innings of relief to record a save. He fanned four batters.Winkels came up big in the bottom of the fourth when he snapped a scoreless draw with a two-run single. Eric Edstrom was hit by a pitch and Micky Sehr walked before scoring on Winkels’ safety.Billy Schneider walked and scored on a single by Derek Ohme to give the Redbirds an insurance run in the seventh.Box score AB R H BIOhme 4 0 2 1Edstrom 3 1 0 0J.Sehr 3 0 0 0Weber 3 0 0 0Jarchow 0 0 0 0Wenninger 0 0 0 0M.Sehr 3 1 1 0Fisher 0 0 0 0Winkels 2 0 1 2Sandbulte 3 0 1 0Iveland 3 0 0 0Schneider 2 1 0 0Renner 15, Luverne 3The Redbirds couldn’t keep up with a high-scoring Renner team in Luverne Thursday.The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Luke Iveland reached base on an error and scored on Brian Weber’s single.Renner, however, outscored Luverne 15-2 the rest of the way to win handily.Renner led 10-1 when Luverne scored its second run in the bottom of the sixth. Ohme walked and scored the counter when Weber bounced into a fielder’s choice.Luverne scored its final run in the seventh when Jarchow walked and scored during the frame.Kyle Kruen gave up five earned runs and six hits in a four-inning stint as Luverne’s starting pitcher. Kreun took the loss.Travis Eernisse, Ohme and Jeff Sehr pitched in relief.Box score AB R H BIOhme 2 1 0 0Iveland 4 1 0 0J.Sehr 4 0 0 0Weber 4 0 1 2Te.Eernisse 2 0 0 0Winkels 2 0 0 0Jarchow 3 1 0 0Fisher 4 0 1 0Arends 4 0 1 0Kreun 1 0 0 0Schmidt 2 0 0 0Hadley 2, Luverne 0The visiting Buttermakers nipped Luverne by two runs at Redbird Field Wednesday, July 2.The teams played to a scoreless draw until Hadley’s Chris Johnson belted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to settle the issue.Travis Arends took the loss after pitching six complete innings and allowing eight hits and two runs. Edstrom fanned four batters while tossing three innings of scoreless relief.Box score AB R H BIOhme 5 0 2 0Te.Eernisse 5 0 1 0Arends 0 0 0 0Ta.Eernisse 0 0 0 0Wenninger 4 0 1 0M.Sehr 4 0 1 0Edstrom 4 0 1 0Sandbulte 4 0 3 0Fisher 1 0 0 0Reisch 3 0 0 0Iveland 3 0 0 0Winkels 1 0 0 0

Luverne's Rob Fodness (10) slides safely home after Edgerton's pitcher delivered a wild pitch during Tuesday's American Legion baseball game at Redbird Field.By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Amercian Legion baseball team turned in a strong performance Tuesday night after a rough weekend at the Brookings (S.D.) Tournament.Coming off a 1-4 weekend that ended with four consecutive losses, Luverne turned things around while thumping Edgerton 12-3.Adam Kurtz pitched all seven innings to lead the Cardinals to victory. Four Luverne players drove in at least two runs in the game, with a three-RBI effort by Adam Reisch setting the pace.Luverne struck an early blow by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first.Two-run singles by Reisch and Tim Boen gave the Cards their 4-0 lead.Edgerton trimmed the lead in half (4-2) in the top of the third, but the Cardinals responded by breaking the game open with a four-run third inning, a two-run fourth and a one-run fifth to gain an 11-2 lead.Joey Pick delivered the key hit in the third when he slapped a two-run single.Reisch and Kurtz drew bases-loaded walks before Pick slapped his single.Kuhlman registered a sacrifice fly and Kurtz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to account for fifth-inning runs that gave the Cards a 10-3 cushion.Rob Fodness walked and scored on a wild pitch to make it an 11-2 game in the fifth.Both teams scored once in the sixth.Zach Wysong, who led the Cardinals with four singles, slapped a run-scoring single in the sixth.Kurtz limited Edgerton to four hits and fanned five batters during his winning performance.The 5-7 Cardinals end the regular season in Worthington tonight before opening the Sub-District Tournament at a site to be determined Tuesday.Box score AB R H BISchmidt 2 2 1 0Kuhlman 5 1 1 1Reisch 1 2 1 3Goembel 1 0 0 0Kurtz 0 1 0 2Pick 5 1 2 2Boen 3 1 1 2Fodness 1 1 0 0Wysong 4 2 4 1Remme 0 2 0 0Kopp 2 0 0 0Studer 3 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseThe Hills Thunder snapped a 10-game losing skid by posting a four-run victory in Worthington Wednesday, July 2.Hills, which had not won a game since June 1, plated 12-runs in the final three innings to record a come-from-behind victory against the Cubs.The Thunder dropped a 22-0 home decision to Hadley Sunday. No statistical information was available from the loss.Hills, 3-13 overall, ends the regular season by hosting Spencer, Iowa, at 3 p.m. Sunday.Hills 14, Worthington 10Ten games of frustration for the Thunder came to an end with three big innings late in the July 2 game in Worthington.Hills trailed 6-2 after Worthington scored single runs in the second and third innings and four in the third, but the Thunder bounced back to take a 7-6 edge by scoring one run in the top of the eighth and four more in the ninth.The Cubs pushed a run across the plate in the bottom of the ninth to force a 10th inning when Hills outscored Worthington 7-3 to post a four-run victory.Hills trimmed Worthington’s 6-2 lead down to three runs when Scott Harnack reached base on an error and scored on a throwing error when he was stealing third base in the top of the eighth.Harnack slapped a two-run single and Derek Sammons added a two-run double during a four-run ninth inning that gave the Thunder a brief 7-6 edge before the Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the ninth.Sammons, who drove in four runs to lead Hills, slapped a two-run single to highlight a seven-run rally in the top of the 10th.Cade Lang added an RBI double and Justin Van Maanen, who led the Thunder with four hits, added a run-scoring single to the cause in the 10th.Hills scored the game’s first two runs in the top of the second.Wade Jellema singled home a run and Van Maanen singled and scored on an error for Hills in the second.Jarud Lang pitched all 10 innings and recorded the win for the Thunder. He allowed 14 hits and two walks during a three-strik-eout effort.Box score AB R H BIJ.Lang 2 2 0 0E.Harnack 5 1 2 0S.Harnack 4 3 1 2Sammons 3 2 2 4Top 0 0 0 0Funke 4 1 1 0Van maanen 5 2 4 1Jellema 5 0 1 1C.Lang 3 2 0 0Rauk 0 0 0 0C.Harnack 3 1 0 0Krenz 0 0 0 0

Luverne American Legion shortstop Zach Wysong eludes a rolling ball while running to third base during Tuesday's 12-3 victory over Edgerton at Redbird Field in Luverne. By John RittenhouseZach Wysong and the Luverne American Legion baseball team were put to the test of playing six games in a five-day span.Luverne played five games at the Brookings, S.D., Tournament Friday though Sunday, going 1-4 during the event.The Cardinals hosted Edgerton for a single game at Redbird Field in Luverne Tuesday. The Cards toppled Edgerton 12-3.Wysong had a big day at the plate during the win over Edgerton.The Luverne shortstop slapped four singles and was hit by a pitch in another plate appearance.Wysong drove in the game’s final run with a single in the bottom of the sixth. He also scored twice in the game.Wysong and the Cardinals didn’t have the best of weekends during the tournament in Brookings.Luverne went 1-4 for the event, beating Watertown (S.D.) in the opener, the Cards lost consecitive games to Coon Rapids, Mayville (N.D.), Cokato and Brookings.Wysong played in all five games, going two-for-13 at the plate and scoring two runs. He also took a pitching loss.During a 9-3 win over Watertown in the opener Friday morning, Wysong scored twice without getting hits in two official at bats.Wysong went one-for-three during a 3-2 loss to Cokato Friday afternoon.The Cardinals dropped another 3-2 decision to Mayville Saturday morning. Wysong was hitless in three trips to the plate.Wysong went hitless in two at bats during a 6-4 loss to Cokato Sunday afternoon. He also pitched all seven innings and was saddled with the loss.Wysong singled in the third inning to account for one of Luverne’s three hits during a 7-0 setback to Brookings during the tournament finale Sunday night.The 5-7 Cardinals play in Worthington before opening the Sub-District Tournament at a site to be determined Tuesday.

Star Herald is authorityon local history Ñfor 130 years and todayThe older I get, the more a history buff IÕve become. Admittedly, thatÕs because a bigger portion of my life and my work is becoming history. É ItÕs odd to read my 10-year-old stories in our weekly Star Herald Remember When column.While it makes me feel old, thereÕs something satisfying about seeing the role IÕve played in preserving local history.Sometimes we wonder who reads our stories or who cares, but knowing that our accounts of local happenings will become the authoritative history of the community makes our work rewarding.That point surfaced again this week when New York Associate Producer Meghan Horvath researched in Luverne for Ken BurnÕs upcoming documentary film, "The War." (See related story)In addition to valuable information from Historical Society volunteers, Horvath found, not surprisingly, the local paper to be her best source of information and photographs.In the 1940s, Rock County reporters and photographers were busy compiling information on departing soldiers and documenting the warÕs effects on their families back home.When the War on Terrorism started after Sept. 11, 2001, the Star Herald profiled the role of local soldiers in that conflict, along with reflections from affected family members in Luverne.WeÕre currently planning a feature story on young CJ Wilsey, who returned from Iraq to Luverne just in time to celebrate our nationÕs Independence Day.I can envision WilseyÕs story turning up 50 years from now when researchers comb our archives for a local perspective on the U.S. War on Terrorism.Wars or no wars, the Star Herald chronicles accomplishments of the communityÕs movers and shakers in addition to contributions of everyday men and women.ItÕs no wonder, then, that Ken BurnÕs New York film producers have turned to the Star Herald for a taste of Luverne.The Star Herald is celebrating its 130th birthday this year, and projects like the Ken Burns film emphasizes our important role in local history.ItÕs not that we, as news people, are so worthy of celebrating. ItÕs more that we as news people are celebrating the opportunity to tell Rock CountyÕs story for so many years.Thank you, readers (and your parents, your grandparents and great-great-grandparents), for 130 years of rich, colorful history. Without you, there would be no stories and there would be no Star Herald.

10 years ago (1993)"The last problem Rock County residents would expect to have lately is a shortage of water. But when a Rural Water line burst near Magnolia Sunday morning, the entire town of Magnolia and several homes east of Luverne had no running water. A water line lost surrounding ground support when Elk Creek eroded far past its original banks from the force of rushing water."25 years ago (1978)"In general, charges for services at the Luverne Community Hospital will be going down within the next 30 days.The decision was brought on by a ruling of the Minnesota Rate Review Board. The Board of the hospital agreed to go along with the ruling in a meeting Friday afternoon."50 years ago (1953)"Rock County lowered its tax levy for 1953, to be collected in 1954, by $13,460, despite the fact that the county board appropriated $10,000 to the local hospital building fund.The levy was set by the County Commissioners Monday, as they met in their semi-annual session. At the same time, they acted upon the request of the Luverne hospital board by approving an appropriation of $10,000 to be used in building a new addition to the present structure."75 years ago (1928)"Minnesota’s State Highway Department is now engaged in providing the new routes for trunk highways Nos. 6 and 9, south and southwest of this city, to the Iowa and the South Dakota lines, with substantial and adequate guard rails, wherever a fill was made of sufficient depth to create a hazardous place in the event that a motorist should run off the grade." 100 years ago (1903)"The Fourth of July was celebrated in a proper way in Beaver Creek. The business houses and many dwellings were tastefully decorated. We believe a prettier or more suitable decoration could not be found than at the bank. An interesting program was given at the bowery on Main Street."

Pursuant to the Rock County Zoning Ordinance, Notice is hereby given by the Rock County Planning Commission that a public hearing will be held at the Rock County Family Service Center located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne, MN at 7:30 p.m. on Monday July 21st, 2003. The purpose of the hearing is to rule on the application for a variance submitted by Dwight & Marcia Gangestad to place more than 1 non-farm residence in a 40 acre parcel located in the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of section 20 in Vienna Township, T103N, R44W, Rock County, MN. Rock County Zoning AdministratorEric Hartman(7-10, 7-17)