Republican Brad Finstad won the Aug. 9 special election in Minnesota’s First Congressional District to fill the remaining term of GOP congressman Jim Hagedorn, who died in February of cancer.
Finstad, a former legislator and USDA rural development director, received 51 percent of votes to defeat DFL nominee and former Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger who garnered 47 percent of votes.
Finstad will serve the remainder of the term, which ends in January.
District 1 voters on Aug. 9 also voted in the primary election for that seat to decide party nominees for the November general election.
Finstad won more than 75 percent of Republican votes and Ettinger garnered more than 92 percent of the DFL votes.
The two candidates will again face each other in November, when voters will decide who goes to Washington for a full two-year term in the redrawn district.
Local voting questions can be directed to the Rock County Auditor Treasurer at 507-283-5060.
Information about the candidates and the process can be found at the Secretary of State’s website, sos.state.mn.us.

When voters approved Luverne School District’s $23.3 million bond referendum in 2017, a state enhancement credit program kept $405,000.
At a special meeting Thursday night, board members voted to take the money back from the Department of Education.
“Statute language held that money from us,” Superintendent Craig Oftedahl said. “Since that time, there have been legislative changes to the statute which now gives us the chance to recover what our voters intended to authorize.”
Ehlers Inc. of Roseville, Minnesota, a public finance adviser who coordinated the original bond sale for Luverne Schools, also coordinated the pre-sale report given at Thursday’s meeting.
Awarding of the bond sale will take place at the board members’ upcoming Aug. 25 meeting.
Up until recently, the state kept a portion of any bond sales to leverage against potential default on the bond repayments.
The program also has an additional benefit.
“The credit enhancement program allows the school to essentially piggyback on the state’s AAA rating to ensure we have the best interest rates possible,” said business manager Tyler Reisch.
The $405,000 is to be used for the betterment of school sites and facilities.
 
In other business, the board:
•accepted the resignation of Crystal Holtz as full-time cook effective Aug. 5.
•hired Zoe Debates as middle school tennis coach and Betania Topete as a paraprofessional effective Aug. 9.

The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board may add an electric bus to the district’s transportation fleet.
At their Aug. 8 meeting the board supported a recommendation from the district’s transportation committee to apply for a 2022 Clean School Bus Rebate.
If chosen for a rebate, board members will make a final decision whether or not to accept the electric school bus through the EPA office of transportation and air quality.
“We want to look more into it,” said chairman Arlyn Gehrke, who served on the transportation committee with Tim Bosch and Chris Harnack. “We are proceeding with caution.”
Committee members questioned maintenance needs and who could provide the service. Other concerns include cost of bus disposal, especially the batteries, after six years. Gravel roads may be a challenge.
Primarily e-buses are in use in metropolitan areas on paved roads.
“Our usage of our bus hasn’t been tested, especially on our gravel roads,” said Superintendent Todd Holthaus.
The e-bus program is intended to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission school buses. The rebate, up to $375,000, includes a charging station.
If accepted, the e-bus would replace a current high-mileage 2016 diesel bus.
“If it looks like it is going to be good thing, we are in,” said board member Harley Fransman.
Application deadline is Friday, Aug. 19.
 
In other business, the board:
•accepted the resignation of Eric Harnack as part-time assistant varsity football coach.
•hired Mark Top as a part-time paraprofessional at $16.10 per hour (he will also continue as a bus driver) and Dylan Gehrke as part-time assistant varsity football coach.
•approved fall coaching assignments of Rex Metzger as head varsity football coach; Jason Rauk, assistant varsity football; Dalton Bass, shared assistant varsity football; Scott Harnack, junior high football; Dan Ellingson, junior high football; Darin DeBoer, junior high football; Meghan Zylstra, head varsity volleyball; and Courtney Kruger, assistant varsity volleyball.

Maybe it’s the barometric pressure, or maybe we didn’t receive enough happy “thumbs” from readers, but this week we’re all down in the thumbs.
Thumbs down — to bicycle riders on Main Street sidewalks. The painted red circles with a line through a bike are fading at downtown intersections, but common sense would suggest it’s unsafe for bicyclists to whiz by storefront doors where pedestrians could be struck while exiting a business.
We have world-class bike paths in Luverne for recreational riding, but bicyclists with downtown destinations should travel with traffic on the street, per statute.
Thumbs down — to bicyclists who disregard their stop signs along bike routes. It should go without saying that it’s wise to yield at intersections where cross traffic doesn’t stop.
Newly paved, contiguous bike path miles in the community are a dream to ride on, but contiguous pavement doesn’t mean intersections should be disregarded. In a bicycle-vs-automobile collision, the biker never wins.
Thumbs down — to automobile drivers who use the Highway 75 turn lanes for merging. The open lanes are for left-turning traffic that moves without warning into the middle lane to execute a turn. Imagine the hazards of a car traveling in this lane suddenly encountering a stationary, signaling vehicle. Many law enforcement officers don’t use the word, “accident” to describe a crash, because that would imply it was unavoidable. Think about that.
Thumbs down — to dogs off leash in public areas. We love our dogs. You love your dogs. But we don’t all love everyone else’s dogs. Nor can we trust that the dogs will love each other.
For the safety of all dogs and their human companions, please keep your dogs on a leash around other people and pets. And for gosh sake, clean up your dog’s poop.
Thumbs down – to wasting ink on these obvious “thumbs down” mentions. We’re better than this, people.
Now, let’s get busy submitting “Thumbs up” suggestions for all the positive things going on around us. Call 507-283-2333 or email editor@star-herald.com.

Our dear Charlotte has gone to the big chicken coop in the sky.
It was the madness of the Covid lockdowns in the spring of 2020 that brought her to us.
I purchased chicks for my nieces and nephews, hoping the presence of new pets would help the children deal with the pain and isolation caused by remote schooling. What it actually did was distract them for about 10 minutes – leaving me with pet chickens.
For the sake of convenience, Charlotte and her sisters were all named Charlotte: White Charlotte, Brown Charlotte, Speckled Charlotte and The Other Charlotte.
It was last Sunday morning when I found her cold, stiff body lying peacefully on the floor of the coop. My years of chicken death forensics training on the farm led me to observe that she’d died of natural causes. Her death was not caused by a dog, a fox, a weasel, a hawk, a coyote or excessive heat.
I placed her body in a Walmart sack – two actually, because Charlotte was special.
She’d spent most of her life under the apple trees in the backyard, occasionally escaping her enclosure to poop on the front step, or perhaps to peck a ripe tomato or dig up the neighbor’s raised garden beds.
The grand girls, ages four and seven, had fallen in love with Charlotte. So, her last days were filled with new experiences.
She had her first ride in a Tonka truck. She had her first bath. She was carried to the top of the rock wall in the new memorial park behind our house.
(She was denied her first trip down the Slip N Slide when Grandma said, “I don’t think chickens like to Slip N Slide.”)
It feels empty around here with just three hens digging up mulch and flinging it onto the sidewalk, but I know life will go on. It always does.
Rest in peace, dear Charlotte. Thanks for the memories.
And the eggs.
 

Question: I see vehicles go by with extended carriers attached to their hitch with several full gas cans. We discuss what could happen if a driver was not paying attention and ran into one such vehicle. How safe can this be? Is there any law in place that makes this unlawful?
Answer: There is no law against transporting fuel containers on an extended carrier for non-commercial vehicles, although I agree that it could be a very dangerous situation in the case of a crash.
Vehicle fires tend to burn quickly when ignited by an outside source, electrical problem or engine fire. I have investigated rear-end collisions in which the fuel tank was ruptured and gasoline was dispersed at the scene, making it a very dangerous situation. Newer vehicles are designed to keep the fuel from leaking out of the gas tank in the event of a crash by placing the tank in the safest location possible on the vehicle.
Gas cans/tanks that are placed on a cargo-type carrier on the rear of a vehicle have little to no protection if they are struck by another vehicle. If this occurs, fuel will most likely spill out of the tanks and potentially cause a fire to both vehicles.
There are laws that pertain to an extended carrier:
•The carrier and cargo must not block the view of the taillights and license plate.
•The external cargo carrier must not extend more than four feet beyond the bed or body of the vehicle. It must have a red, yellow or orange flag or cloth not less than 16 inches square.
•If the external cargo carrier extends more than four feet beyond the bed or body of the vehicle, an additional rear light(s) is required.
It is important to mention that that there is a law against hauling anything that extends beyond the line of the fenders on the driver’s side and extends more than six inches beyond the line of the fenders on the passenger’s side.
Remember to always secure any load on a vehicle. The load must be tied or strapped down so it will not shift and fall onto the roadway.
Please place items like gas cans in an area where they have some protection if a crash would occur.
Question: Hello, maybe you can clear this up for me; what is the definition of “stop”? I think a slight pause is good enough. I look at it as I am stopping, but everything is clear so I can proceed.
Answer: To answer your question, it is called a “stop sign” not a “stopping sign.”
According to Minnesota State Statute, the definition of “stop" means complete cessation from movement.
"Stopping" means any halting even momentarily of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control sign or signal.
Look twice at intersections when turning and changing lanes. Drive smart and pay attention.
You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober.  Help us drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.
If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848.  (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)

Dispatch report
Aug. 5
•Complainant in Luverne reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant reported subject has a Rock County warrant.
•Complainant on W. Veterans Drive and Highway 75 reported found property at location.
•Complainant requested to speak to a deputy.
Aug. 6
•Complainant at Sioux Empire Mall reported a lost wallet.
•Complainant on Highway 75, mile marker 15, Hardwick, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant reported altercation at business location.
Aug. 7
•An outage was reported.
•Deputy was out assisting a motorist on Highway 75 and County Road 8.
•Complainant on E. Crawford Street requested a deputy for assistance.
•Floor warning was issued in Rock County.
•Complainant reported suspicious activity on a gift card.
•Complainant on W. Hatting Street reported a possible ongoing domestic abuse.
•Deputies conducted a warrant check at location on W. Hatting Street.
Aug. 8
•Complainant reported harassment of a family member.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported counterfeit money.
•Complainant reported a camera outage.
Aug. 9
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 12, Luverne, reported a wrong way driver.
•Complainant on 61st Street, Beaver Creek, reported a stolen vehicle.
•Assistance was conducted in Minnehaha County.
•Complainant on N. Cedar Street reported landlord and tenant issues.
•Complainant on County Highway 6 and 71st Street, Beaver Creek, reported pedestrian walking near roadway.
•Complainant on W. Brown Street reported fraud.
Aug. 10
•Deputy was out with vehicle at Redbird Field.
•Complainant requested tint checked on new car.
•Subject was arrested in South Dakota.
•Complainant reported she is the victim of a scam.
•Complainant on E. Main Street reported a rock broke a window when mowing.
•A warrant check was conducted on N. Freeman Street.
•Complainant on W. Bishop Street reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue requested law enforcement assistance.
•Complainant requested to speak to a deputy.
Aug. 11
•An attempt to locate was conducted.
•Complainant on N. Davidson Street reported a vehicle parked in no parking zone.
•Complainant on S. Walnut Avenue reported possible drug paraphernalia  was found.
•A warrant check was conducted on W. Hatting Street.
•Complainant on 151st Street and 200th Avenue, Luverne, reported threatening communication.
•Complainant on W. Maple Street requested information on community resources and transportation.
•Complainant reported children have entered an abandoned property.
•Complainant on 121st Street, Luverne, reported a dispute.
•Complainant on W. Dodge Street and N. Donaldson Street found a cell phone.
•Complainant reported property damage.
•Complainant on N. Freeman Avenue reported a civil issue.
Aug. 12
•Complainant on 111th Street and Rock River Road, reported a person sleeping on the bike path.
•Complainant reported a stolen vehicle.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported road blockage due to train car switching.
•Complainant on W. Main Street reported theft at location.
•Complainant in Rock County reported an ARMER radio outage.
•Complainant on N. Freeman Avenue reported ammunition was found.
•Complainant on Main Street in Sturgis, South Dakota, found a wallet.
•Complainant on S. Freeman Avenue reported an event.
•Complainant on Main Street and Kniss Avenue reported reckless driving.
•Complainant at Manley reported an intoxicated driver.
In addition, officers responded to 4 motor vehicle accidents, 3 deer accidents, 1 vehicle in ditch, 1 transport, 1 funeral escort, 14 ambulance runs, 8 paper services, 7 animal complaints, 3 fingerprint requests, 6 burn permits, 1 background check, 2 gas drive-offs, 1 alarm, 7 drug court tests, 6 purchase and carry permits, 18 traffic stops, 10 abandoned 911 calls, 2 tests, 5 welfare checks, 1 OFP and 1 follow-up.

Almost three dozen first- through fifth-grade students learned about teamwork and engineering while playing with Legos last week.
Luverne Elementary teacher Molly Carbonneau led the first-time three-day Lego Camp through Luverne Community Education.
“I wanted them to learn how to work as a team,” she said. “And I wanted to get them off their screens.”
During the camp, students were divided into two sessions where they were challenged to build a home with one special feature and to design a ping pong paddle.
Several students embellished their paddles with extra blocks, many of which popped off when used as a paddle. Students then made redesign decisions, Carbonneau said.

Open houses
Jake and Marilyn Aning will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a party from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at The Lake in Luverne. They request no gifts.
 
Card showers
Karen Huisman will celebrate her 80th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 27. Greetings may be sent to her at 1609 Blue Ridge Drive, Luverne, MN 56156.