10 years ago (1993)"So far county flood damage in terms of dollar amounts has centered on public losses.Estimated losses to private property — particularly to farmers has been difficult due to the numerous unknown factors involved. Tuesday afternoon, the Rock County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution requesting a three-fold disaster declaration."25 years ago (1978)"After 42 years in education, 28 years as Superintendent of the Luverne School District, Harvey G. Eitreim is stepping down.Eitreim submitted his letter of resignation to the school board at the regular meeting Monday night."50 years ago (1953)"Cost of blacktopping 55 blocks of streets here will be about 90 cents per lineal foot, considerably less than the $1.17 figure which was estimated by city officials.After the City Council had received bids for the blacktopping at the special session held Tuesday night, the Judd Brown Company of Mankato was found to be the low bidder with a total of $48,173.50.75 years ago (1928)"Definite steps toward the organization of a co-operative creamery association to establish and operate a creamery in this city were taken at a meeting of dairymen held Saturday afternoon at the Luverne Commercial Club rooms. There were about seventy-six farmers who are actively interested in dairying, present at the meeting."100 years ago (1903)"It was the unanimous decision of the members of the library board who were present at the regular monthly meeting Wednesday evening that native stone be used in the construction of the Carnegie free public library building."

DISTRICT COURTFIFTH Judicial DistrictProbate Court DivisionNOTICE OF INFORMAL PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORSSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKIn Re: Estate ofMarian E. Hanson DeceasedTO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:Notice is hereby given, that an application for informal probate of the above named decedent’s last will, dated February 7, 1994, has been filed with the Registrar herein, and the application has been granted informally probating such will. Any objections may be filed in the above named Court, and the same will be heard by the Court upon notice of hearing fixed for such purpose. Notice is hereby further given that informal appointment of Martin E. Hanson whose address is 1206 Evergreen Avenue, Marshall, MN 56258, as personal representative of the estate of the above named decedent, has been made. Any heir, devisee or other interested person may be entitled to appointment as personal representative or may object to the appointment of the personal representative and the personal representative is empowered to fully administer the estate including, after 30 days from the date of issuance of his letters, the power to sell, encumber, lease or distribute real estate, unless objections thereto are filed with the Court (pursuant to Section 524.3-607) and the Court otherwise orders. Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.Dated: June 30, 2003TIMOTHY K. CONNELLRegistrar/s/ SANDRA L. VRTACNIKCourt AdministratorAttorney Walter A. Tofteland109 North CedarLuverne, MN 56156507-283-2112MN Atty. Lic. No. 110279(7-3, 7-10)

Resolution No. 28-03RESOLUTION NOTIFYING PUBLIC OF INTENT TO CONSIDER ADOPTING THE OPTION OF MAKING THE OFFICE OF ROCK COUNTY RECORDER APPOINTIVEWHEREAS, The County of Rock has taken all steps necessary to approve Minnesota Laws, 2003, Chapter 43 which permits the Rock County Board of Commissioners to adopt a resolution making the office of the Rock County Recorder appointive, and, WHEREAS, The County Board is prepared to consider the adoption of said option and is required to give two weeks’ published notice thereof;NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Rock County Board of Commissioners does hereby notify the public of its intent to consider the adoption of the option of making the office of the Rock County Recorder appointed at approximately 9:00 A. M. at its regular scheduled meeting to be held on Tuesday, July 22, 2003, and that all persons desiring to be heard shall have an opportunity at said meeting and time to present public comment relating to said option in Family Services Building Community Room.(7-3)

County Board of Equalization meets June 17County Board of EqualizationCommunity Room 8:30 A.M.Rock County Family Services Agency June 17, 2003Chair Boyenga called the County Board of Equalization meeting to order with all Commissioners present.Tom Houselog, Assessor, presented the 2004 assessment documents to the County Board.There were no attendees at the meeting and Commissioners made no changes to the 2004 assessment; the County Board of Equalization was adjourned. Ron Boyenga, ChairAttest: Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the County BoardCounty Commissioners meet June 17County Board 9:00 A.M.Community Room June 17, 2003Rock County Family Services AgencyChair Boyenga called the County Board meeting to order with all Commissioners present.Roger Albertson, State Auditor’s Office, presented a review of the 2002 audit for Rock County indicated that there were no significant findings in the audit. Motion by Jarchow, seconded by Bakken, to approve the County Board agenda of June 17, 2003, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Hoime, to approve the County Board minutes of June 3, 2003, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Jarchow, to approve the following consent agenda items (modified), declared carried on a voice vote:1. 2003 Appropriations - $41,950Jasper Volunteer & Rescue Service - $1,300Edgerton Volunteer & Rescue Service - $500Rock County Historical Society - $6,250Rock County Agricultural Society - $16,000SWMOC - $1,000SW Arts & Humanities Council - $1,000Rock County Ambulance - $15,000Travel Southwest Minnesota Inc - $1,400Rock County Council Arts & Humanities - $1,000Southern Minnesota Tourism Assoc - $500Green Earth Players - $1,0002. Jail Contract with Nobles County3. Resolution No. 26-03, supporting the efforts of the Southwest Regional Development Commission4. FSA Contract 52-788-03b w/Sioux Valley Health Services (LCH) to provide Rule 25 CCDTF Outpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment Services effective 07-01/03 – 06/30/04. Rates reflect a 1% state mandated decrease. 5. FSA Contract 14-1074-03b w/Volunteers of America-Dakotas to provide Rule 25 CCDTF Chemical Dependency Treatment Services effective 07/01/03 – 06/30/04.6. Contract 4-03b w/Keystone Treatment Center to provide Rule 25 CCDTF Chemical Dependency Treatment services effective 07/01/03 – 06/30/04.Motion by Wildung, seconded by Hoime, to deny the solid waste abatement on Parcel No. 03-0212-000 located in the Village of Ash Creek Lots 1 thru 3 in Block 2 for $42.00, declared carried on a voice vote. The County Board Chair directed that the County Attorney and Rock County Rural Water Manager Dan Cook attend the next county board meeting to discuss the Lewis & Clark project that relates to Rock County.Motion by Hoime, seconded by Bakken, to appoint Gary Holmgren, Rock County Ambulance Director to the Southwest Minnesota Emergency Medical Service Corporation, declared carried on a voice vote.The City/County Liaison Committee reported that a number of issues were discussed at the last meeting to include Law Enforcement, budgets, assessment contracts, and the Sioux Valley Hospital (LCH) and Rock County Pool & Fitness Center contract. The County Board Personnel Committee met with the Sheriff and Auditor/Treasurer and recommended salary adjustments to be made to those individuals. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Jarchow, to adjust the Auditor/Treasurer’s salary from $38,000/year to $42,000/year effective 07/01/03, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Jarchow, seconded by Wildung, to adjust the Sheriff’s salary from $56,600/year to $58,500/year effective 07/01/03, declared carried on a voice vote.Motion by Jarchow, seconded Wildung, to reinstate the Ketterling Sanitation recycling contract as the SCORE funds have been reinstated by the state, declared carried on a voice vote. The County Board reviewed the Nobles County ordinance regarding weapons in county owned buildings; no action was taken due to the fact that Hennepin County is challenging the state statute and Rock County will await that outcome. Motion by Jarchow, seconded by Hoime, to pay the claims, declared carried on a unanimous vote. A complete listing of claims is available at the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office.General $ 29,284.01LEC 894.52Road & Bridge 178,225.59Welfare 55,470.84Landfill 1,849.17TOTAL $265,724.13Motion by Jarchow, seconded by Hoime, to authorize a $500.00 contribution to Pioneer Public Television, declared carried on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Boyenga voting nay. Commissioners requested a financial statement be provided from Pioneer Public Television prior to next year’s contribution request. Motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to approve the purchase of a receipt-writing machine for $999.99 plus tax, declared on a voice vote.Motion by Hoime, seconded by Jarchow, to enter into a lease agreement with the State of Minnesota, Resolution No. 27-03, to use a portion of the parking lot at the Highway Department for motorcycle testing, declared carried on a voice vote.There was a discussion regarding the Purchasing Alliance, which is a health insurance consortium pool that is run by the Regional Development Commission. Commissioner Jarchow was appointed to serve on that committee. Commissioner Bakken and Commissioner Hoime stated that they had attended the Extension Committee meeting and that they were reviewing the proposed regional office situation as well as the current local office. More information will be presented at future board meetings.Commissioner Jarchow presented an update on the Prairie Discovery, Inc./Prairie Expo building; the Regional Development Commission has sent a number of informational items to the Department of Finance for their review and action.With no further business come before the County Board, the meeting was declared adjourned.Ron Boyenga, Chairman of the BoardATTEST:Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the Board(7-3)

PROPOSED AMENDED CURFEW ORDINANCEOrdinance No. 111An Ordinance amending the Ordinance Establishing a Curfew for Minors under the age of Sixteen. THE CITY COUNCIL OF MAGNOLIA, MINNESOTA ORDAINS the following Ordinance in place of the existing Ordinance No. 111:Section 1. Curfew-Minors. It is unlawful for any unmarried minor person under the age of eighteen (18) years to be or loiter upon the streets or public places between the hours of 10:00 o’clock P.M. and 6:00 o’clock A.M., unless such minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian. Section 2. Curfew-Parents and Guardians. It is unlawful for any parent, guardian, or other person having the legal care or custody of any minor person to allow or permit such minor person to be or loiter upon the streets or public places in violation of this Section unless such minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian. Section 3. Violation. Every person who violates this ordinance shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.Section 4. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect seven (7) days after publication. /s/ Fabian DeutschFabian Deutsch, MayorAttest: /s/ Glenda SchomackerGlenda Schomacker, City ClerkIntroduced: April 14, 2003Passed: June 9, 2003(7-3)

NOTICE OF APPLICATIONFOR LIVESTOCK FEEDLOT PERMITNotice is hereby given that J.F. Partnership, LLP, has made application to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for a permit to construct or expand a swine feedlot facility with a current and proposed capacity of 1,275 animal units. The application proposes to alter the current facility by closing the existing 115’x140’x9’ (approximate) lined earthen open manure lagoon and replacing it with two – 125’ diameter x 8’ concrete pits. The feedlot is located in NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 19, T104N, R45W (Denver Township), Rock County, Minnesota.The facility is currently permitted to house 8,400 nursery piglets and 2,850 finishing hogs. This application does not seek to increase or decrease the number of animals or animal units. Its sole purpose is to allow for the replacement of the earthen manure lagoon with two concrete circle pits. This publication constitutes notice to each resident and each landowner within 5,000 feet of the perimeter of the feedlot as required by Minnesota law. (7-3)

New Relay For Life total is inVivian Holtz deposited all the money donated for this year’s Relay For Life, and was happy to say that the final total ended up being $55,000.At press time last week, the Star Herald reported the most recent number possible, which was $53,000. Relay For Life organizers had expected somewhere near $35,000, so the grand total was a pleasant surprise.The total gradually increased as last-minute fund-raising proceeds came in to Holtz. This was the biggest year yet for the Rock County Relay For Life. All money raised goes to the American Cancer Society.Writers Series to stay at state parkRecent cut-backs for the state park system had threatened the use of the facility for the Blue Mound Writers Series.According to Ben Vander Kooi, with some minor modifications, the series will be made available for the 10th annual event.Starting July 12, six authors will be featured at the series.Here’s the schedule:July 12th:Brian Bedard, Hour of the Beast, (short stories)July 19th:Verlyn KlinkenborgThe Rural Life, Making Hay (A Rock County story)July 26th:Freya ManfredA Daughter Remembers(memoirs, poems)August 2ndLori SturdenvantA Man’s Reach – (Gov. Elmer L. Anderson)August 9thBart SutterCold Comfort, Book of Names (essays, poetry)August 16thBill HolmEccentric Islands (essays)Hwy 60: one of 199 highway projects2003 will see 199 highway projects either started or completed.The projects are designed to relieve congestion, improve interregional corridors and enhance safety on the state’s 12,000-mile trunk highway system.The projects include 137 in Greater Minnesota and 62 projects in the Twin Cities area.Of the total, 79 of the projects are carried over from last year and 120 are new ones.The new projects will cost an estimated $600 million.The record high level of spending this year is because of a one-time funding allocation by the 2000 Legislature of $459 million.A proposal by Gov. Pawlenty would have invested $1 to 1.2 billion in what he considered critical highway and bridge improvements over the next nine years.One of the major projects that will be completed this year will be a four-lane expansion of Highway 60 from Heron Lake to Wilder.Know your treesIf you don’t know your trees, now is a good time to learn.The National Arbor Day Society has put together the book, "What Tree Is That?"The 72-page guide will help you identify 135 different trees found in the eastern and central U.S.Well-known trees, such as oaks, maples, spruces, and pines are featured along with less known species such as horsechestnut and mockernut hickory, sassafras and shadbush persimmon and pawpaw and pagoda tree and pecan.The book also has dozens of drawings and illustrations of the tree’s leaves or needles and their acorns, berries, seedpods and other identifying features.To obtain the $3 book contact the National Arbor Day Foundation at Nebraska City, NE 68410, or go online to arborday.org.Do you wear your seat belt?State Troopers were taking a hard look at motorists without their seatbelts recently.As part of their "Safe & Sober" campaign state troopers from the Marshall office, gave citations to more than 240 unbuckled motorists during the May 19 thru June 1 campaign.The goal of the campaign was to increase awareness of the use of seatbelts, which is believed to be approximately 80 percent prior to the campaign.In addition to the Minnesota State Patrol, about 400 other law enforcement agencies participated in the campaign.Last year 657 people were killed in Minnesota, the highest death toll in 20 years.Of those killed, 338 were not wearing seat belts.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Elected people exchange cool meetings for sweaty seats this budget season When the city of Luverne and Rock County say the way they do business is changing for the foreseeable future, they mean it.And that means that the way we do business with them will change too.Even people who have lived through budget cuts and constraints before say they have never seen what’s coming in 2004 and 2005. Elected people have been known to whine about their difficult jobs at budget time, but it’s actually warranted this year. And the nice thing is, instead of complaining, county and city people are thoughtfully considering every nickel and dime they spend.They are even starting to think of it as a positive thing — a long-term streamlining of government that may have been overdue.Sometimes people think of their politicians as sitting on puffy chairs, placing orders for crowns that are too small for their oversized heads. That certainly isn’t the case this year. They’re more into pulling up bootstraps than modeling crowns.They are considerate and pensive … and breaking into sweats around the table.As hard as it will be, the county and city of Luverne are considering personnel cuts, which makes the biggest long-term impact on budgets. But it also makes a long-term impact on people’s lives, and our boards know that.They’re looking out for all of us — employees, and citizens — and it wouldn’t hurt to give them credit for trying. This would never happen hereEven before our new and improved, efficient government, we know this could never happen around Rock County. This story made the Associated Press:Bosses of a publishing firm are trying to work out why no one noticed that one of their employees had been sitting dead at his desk for five days before anyone asked if he was feeling okay. George Turklebaum, 51, who had been employed as a proof-reader at a New York firm for 30 years, had a heart attack in the open-plan office he shared with 23 other workers. He quietly passed away on Monday, but nobody noticed until Saturday morning when an office cleaner asked why he was still working during the weekend. His boss Elliot Wachiaski said, "George was always the first guy in each morning and the last to leave at night, so no one found it unusual that he was in the same position all that time and didn't say anything. He was always absorbed in his work and kept much to himself." A post mortem examination revealed that he had been dead for five days after suffering a coronary.

Formation of library in LuverneThe following was printed in the Rose History of 1911: "There is no town of its size that can boast of better library advantages than Luverne. Ample provision is made for the support of the institution, housed in a commodious building, the gift of Andrew Carnegie, and the liberal patronage it is accorded attests its benefits to the community. The first attempt to found a library in Luverne was made in February, 1882, when a society known as the Rock County Library Association was formed, with N.R. Reynolds as president and E.H. Canfield secretary. The plan was that each member of the association should pay 25¢ a month, the funds thus obtained to be used for the purchase of books. Mr. Canfield kept the books in his office and served as librarian. After an existence of several years the library ceased to be an active institution and the association was disbanded. A permanent library system was inaugurated in May 1887, at which time a petition was presented to the village council by a number of Luverne ladies, requesting the establishment of a public library. The council took immediate action, and a library board, consisting of E.H. Bronson, A.L. Stoughton, E.H. Canfield, E.B. Burley, Mesdames William Jacobsen, George B. Huntington, W.N. Davidson, L.B. Kniss and F.C. Mahoney, was appointed with authority to proceed under the provisions of the law. The library as established was conducted for a year in rooms over the old post office building, then in December 1888, was given space on the second floor of the new city hall, a location occupied until the removal to the Carnegie building in December 1904. A formal request for a donation for a library building was addressed to Mr. Carnegie in March 1903. The philanthropist responded in a few weeks, agreeing to donate $10,000 for the purpose of a library building, provided the city would furnish a suitable site and guarantee an annual maintenance fund of $1,000. The proposition was at once accepted by the village council. The plans for the building prepared by W.E.E. Greene were accepted by the library board on Sept. 8, 1903; the contract for its erection was awarded to P.N. Gillham on Oct. 1; and one year later the structure was completed. With impressive ceremony the new library building was dedicated Wednesday, Dec. 21, 1904. The library board at that time consisted of Messrs. George L. Alder, president; C.J. Christopherson, secretary; Rev. W.H. Baumann, J.H. Graaf, Mesdames L.B. Kniss, E.A. Brown, Jay A. Kennicot, Charles Johnston and P.N. Gillham. The first librarian of the Luverne public library was Mrs. W.N. Davidson, who held the office continually, with the exception of a brief period in 1891 and 1892, when Mrs. I.E. Crosby was in charge, until December 1900. Mrs. Della Halbert, the present librarian, has served since that date. Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw,net.