By John Rittenhouse
All three cross country programs from the Star Herald coverage area got together for the first time this season at the Dragon Invitational in Adrian Tuesday.

Athletes representing the Luverne, Adrian and Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth programs competed at the meet in varsity, junior varsity and junior high races.

The H-BC-E boys made a strong showing at the varsity level by scoring 47 points to win the team championship. Luverne finished one point behind the Patriots with 48 counters, and Adrian finished third with 65 points.

Murray County Central ran away with the girls' team title by scoring 33 points. Southwest Star Concept was second with 45, and Luverne was third with 70.

Adrian fielded an incomplete team in girls' varsity competition, and H-BC-E had no runners entered in the race.

Brad Haak led the Patriot boys to victory by winning the varsity run with a time of 18:46.

Matt Buck finished sixth with a time of 20:46, and teammates Nathan Fick (11th in 21:13), Kale Wiertzema (14th in 21:37) and Lee Walraven (15th in 21:46) helped H-BC-E's winning cause.

Patriot Paul Jess placed 24th in 25:34 without contributing to the team tally.

Jake Studer and Nick Otten set the pace for the Luverne boys by placing second and third with respective 19:15 and 19:41 times.

Jesse Kuhlman (seventh in 20:59), Jesson Vogt (13th in 21:22) and Kyle Bitterman (23rd in 24:22) round out the scoring for LHS.

Adrian's Jason Eickhoff and Josh Markl led their team by placing eighth and ninth with 21:06 and 21:07 efforts.

Paul Honermann (12th in 21:17), Derek Vastenhout (16th in 22:12) and Kelly Seeman (20th in 23:32) chipped into Adrian's effort as a team.

Jake Salter placed 21st in 23:50 without influencing the scoring for AHS.

Luverne may have placed third in the girls' varsity team competition, but it did have the top runner in the field on Tuesday.

Sadie Dietrich, an LHS freshman, won her first cross country individual title with a time of 17:47. A strong kick in the final 200 yards allowed Dietrich to pass a pair of runners to record her win.

Breanna Studer (15th in 21:40), Nicole Cronquist (16th in 21:56), Krista Wynia (18th in 22:29) and Jessica Willers (20th in 23:44) helped the Cards place third as a team.

Kelly Banck and Krissi Thier turned in strong efforts for Adrian in the girls' varsity race, placing eighth and ninth with respective 19:30 and 19:53 times.

Here is a look at how the individuals from Luverne, Adrian and H-BC-E fared in the junior high and junior varsity races Tuesday.

Junior varsity boys
Luverne: Devan Goembel, fourth, 16:48; Dusty Antoine, sixth, 16:52; Ruston Aaker, eighth, 17:24; Taylor Graphenteen, 13th, 18:47; Travis Halfmann, 15th, 19:05; Michael Nelson, 20th, 20:32; Brent DeGroot, 21st, 21:08; Nick DeWispelaere, 23rd, 23:47.

Adrian: James Matthiesen, 10th, 17:49; Kyle Knips, 12th, 18:39.
H-BC-E: Jared Drenth, 14th, 18:58.

Junior varsity girls
Luverne: Amanda Saum, fourth, 19:11; Sara Wynia, 16th, 25:28.
H-BC-E: Brittney Rozeboom, third, 20:44; Becky Broesder, seventh, 21:35.

Junior high boys
Adrian: Joe Henning, fifth, 6:51; Ethan Wieneke, seventh, 7:06; Colin Lynn, 10th, 7:34; Aaron Mormann, 11th, 7:46; Dustin Lonneman, 14th, 8:01; Trent Lutmer, 17th, 9:32; Eldon Vaselaar, 18th, 9:57.

H-BC-E: Nathan Mahone, first, 6:21; Devin DeBoer, second, 6:22; Kerry Fink, third, 6:35; John Sandbulte, eighth, 7:09; Adam Finke, ninth, 7:14; Grant Hoogendoorn, 12th, 7:48; Justin Hinks, 19th, 10:11.

Junior high girls
Luverne: Victoria Arends, first, 6:49; Kelsey Dooyema, second, 7:15; Amber Church, 11th, 9:38.
Adrian: Samantha Ferguson, fourth, 7:33; McCall Heitkamp, fifth, 7:34; Megan Henning, eighth, 7:57; Kaitlin Leinen, 10th, 8:36.

H-BC-E: Amanda Tilstra, sixth, 7:39; Stacy Bush, ninth, 8:11.

By Katrina Vander Kooi
After a day of record high temperatures, there was no promise of air conditioned relief for 240 Luverne residents Thursday night.

For five and a half hours that evening from around 5 to 10:30 p.m. customers in west-central Luverne did not have power.

According to Public Utilities Coordinator Red Arndt, the reason for the outage was that Mediacom was burying cable television wires and accidentally cut an electrical wire.

The problem was fixed that evening.

By Lori Ehde
It's a ritual nearly all kids must endure before they can go to school: a kindergarten physical that includes a round of immunizations.

Five-year-old Evan Bolt, Edgerton, wasn't looking forward to the shots Monday, but he and his classmates are the lucky first-time users of a new ointment that makes the needle less painful.

"Emla" cream is applied on the skin where the shots are given. After several minutes it numbs the area much like a shot of Novocaine would.

"We've had some kids who haven't moved (when given the shot). They just sat there," said Dr. Diane Kennedy. It was her idea to use the cream for kindergarten shots this year at Luverne Medical Center.

While it numbs the pain, the new ointment doesn't make the needles less scary, and many young patients, including Evan, cry anyway.

"So much of it is the fear of the shot more than the pain," Kennedy said. "But it's still much better than before."

With school starting in only a few weeks, LPN Lori Mead said the clinic sees several kindergartners a day for physicals and shots.

All clinic doctors are now using the Emla cream, and it has made her job smoother.

"We use it on preschoolers, because they're the ones that fight. It just makes it a little easier," Mead said.

"They don't necessarily feel the needle, but they might feel the solution going in. That sometimes burns a little."

Emla cream isn't new on the market. Luverne Community Hospital has been using the cream the past couple years on children to start intravenous needles.

The state of Minnesota requires all children entering kindergarten this fall to be up to date on their immunizations.

For most children, that means three shots: one for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, another for polio and another for measles, mumps and rubella.

The kindergarten round of shots complete most immunization programs for children until their required tetanus booster at age 11 or 12.

By Mary Crawford
Nine 4-H teens and three chaperones recently visited the East Coast state of Maine through another 4-H exchange.

The group spent eight days visiting Oxford County and soon realized the similarities to their home state of Minnesota, even from more than 1,600 miles away.

The purpose of the 4-H teen exchange is to develop career awareness, promote cultural diversity, view another part of our country and to make new friends.

Rock County has participated in exchange programs for at least 30 years. This year delegates from all over Rock County traveled to Maine, and next year they will be hosts for their new-found friends.
The week was filled with excitement in anticipation of several taking their first airplane rides, although not all were enjoyable.

Arriving in Portland, Maine's largest city of around 120,000 people, they were greeted with open arms on the first leg of this two-year exchange.

A short, historic scenic drive viewing the beautiful brick buildings through the city brought us to the ocean with our first view of Port Head Light - one of the oldest and most scenic lighthouses (since 1791) still operating in Maine.

The beautiful jagged coastline was lined with lobster buoys of various colors.

After a picnic lunch on the grass, the Minnesota members were escorted to their respective homes in this large county for a time of getting acquainted with their families.

Various group activities were planned throughout the week, as well as free days to spend with their host families. Maine is composed of 90 percent trees and many lakes - very much like northern Minnesota - and boasts of an abundance of loons as well as maple syrup.

The weather was quite pleasant, and we avoided the high humidity that we have had in southern Minnesota.

Horticulture is extremely popular in the state as large, beautiful hanging baskets and window boxes adorn most homes as well as businesses and give a nice touch of beauty, very healthy and well attended. Many summer visitors arrive in July and stay for the fall color of the leaves in September and October.

One of the most difficult and confusing differences for the Rock County group were the very curvy narrow highways without shoulders which went on and on and on. Driving from one small town to another you don't realize where you are or the miles driven. This often produced nausea for a few of the square-milers from Minnesota. Without mile markers anywhere, travel was measured in minutes at a much slower speed.

Gravel roads, if any, were out of reach or maybe just out of sight.

Maine's main agriculture crop is potatoes. They are primarily produced in the extreme northwest part of the state which is quite uninhabited. Many from the group did not see any corn or soybean fields and only one small herd of 10 cows. However, livestock is very much a part of the 4-H program in Maine as well.

Most of the people live along the Atlantic coastline and the southern part of the state. The laid-back attitude of the Maine folk produce an accent such as "lobstah" and how "fa" are we going! They tend to forget their "Rs" - so an attentive ear for listening was required.

Their motto: "Maine - the way life should be."

Some of the various activities during the week, both fun and educational, included a huge fireworks display over the river at Rumford, a lobster feed requiring the Minnesota visitors to wear plastic lobster bibs, a visit to Maine state museum and Fort Western in Augusta, outlet shopping at Freeport, a relaxing cruise on Casco Bay, canoeing on the Androscoggin River, FunTown, more shopping, an old covered bridge, Snowshoe Falls, and other activities with the respective families.

It was a fun and busy week. With everyone short on sleep, the group was ready to leave for home to develop their photos and begin planning for next year's visit with their new-found friends, the "Mainiacs."

Supporting the "Popstop" at the Rock County Fair contributes to the expense of traveling and hosting. Any donations are greatly appreciated, as well as other work opportunities for the group.

By Katrina Vander Kooi
"What percent of the United States Federal Budget do you think is designated for foreign aid?" Sara Stegemann asked one Sunday morning during the announcement time at First Presbyterian Church, Luverne.

Members called out 20 percent, and 30 percent. She smiled and gave the answer.

"Most Americans think the United States spends too much on foreign aid," Stegemann said. "In reality, the United States spends less than 1 percent of the total budget on foreign aid."

Stegemann attended the National Gathering on Africa in Washington, D.C., this summer where she was briefed on the conditions in Africa and what the United States could do to help.

Stegemann, a junior at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D., is a member of the Augustana Coalition for Social Justice, an organization made up of faculty and students that fights for social justice on campus and around the world. "It's a way to stick my toes in the water of activism," Stegemann said.

Because of her involvement in this organization, she was asked to go to the gathering by the South Dakota Bread for the World Institute. This is a Christian organization that works around the world to fight poverty through education.

The cost of the trip was paid for by scholarships that Stegemann received. She spent four days at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., learning about Africa with students from around the United States.

Calls for unity
"The gathering was very welcoming," Stegemann said. "We all pulled together for one purpose."
The title of the gathering was "Called by Faith. United in Action." Various speakers talked about Africa and gave the participants different perspectives on the issue. There was also a worship service every day.

The main message that Stegemann took away from the gathering was a call for unity and healing of racism.

"One of my favorite quotes from a speaker was 'At the end of the day, we have the same heavenly father,'" Stegemann said. "It helps you feel connected to your brothers and sisters in Africa."

Speaker Bishop Charles Palmer-Buckle from Ghana, Africa, who preached in worship about the suffering in Africa, also brought the message home. "He said the reason he was sharing his country's strife wasn't to complain or make us feel guilty but because of brotherhood and sisterhood in faith," Stegemann said. "They're just like me and feel the same way I do."

African problems
"They have the same problems as we, just magnified," Stegemann said.

In Africa, hunger has doubled in the past 30 years, one person in three is chronically undernourished, and AIDS has killed more than 17 million people and is expected to kill 25 million more.

Problems start below the Sahara Desert. "There are 41 poor countries in the world; 33 of those countries are in sub-Saharan Africa," Stegemann said. "Almost one-half of the population lives on less than a dollar a day per person."

The status of women is also a problem. "Women are treated as second-class citizens," Stegemann said. Boys are expected to go to school, but girls are expected to stay home and do chores.

This lack of education leads to other problems.

Studies of mothers in Nigeria with and without schooling show a dramatic difference in terms of infant mortality. Infant mortality rates for children under age 5 drop from 211 (per 1,000) among mothers who have no education to 138 among mothers who have completed primary school, and to 113 for mothers with higher education.

Boys are also fed before girls. This problem again leads to other complications. Women who are malnourished are more likely to pass on HIV and AIDS to their children.

Also, one of the speakers, Bob Dole, talked about hunger related to education. "I remember him saying that 'you're not going to learn when you're hungry,' and I thought that was a good point," Stegemann said.

"There are a lot of obvious things wrong, but at the same time there is this huge potential," Stegemann quoted one of the speakers as saying. "Africa has tons of natural resources."

The money from those resources, however, does not go toward helping Africans. "40 percent of gross national product goes toward paying off the debt," Stegemann said. "Africa spends more money on debt than on health care."

Hunger to Harvest
At the gathering, speakers talked about how to solve this and other problems in sub-Saharan Africa. "The laws are OK, but they are not working," Stegemann said. "We need an African solution to African problems."

There is a resolution called Hunger to Harvest on the floor of the U.S. Legislature that promises to give more aid to Africa.

The resolution calls on the United States to join other industrial nations in an effort to cut world hunger in half by 2015. The writers of the bill cite Bread for the World Institute's estimate that this goal could be reached with an additional $4 billion a year of aid from the world's richest nations. The U.S. share would be $1 billion a year - about a penny a day per American.

The U.S. effort would begin in sub-Saharan Africa where the U.S. would continue to participate until "substantial progress" is made in reducing hunger and poverty.

The resolution says U.S. assistance should be directed to agriculture, food systems, infrastructure, rural development, health care, educational opportunity (especially for girls), financing of home and neighborhood businesses and debt relief.

The Hunger to Harvest resolution was passed by the U.S. Senate on July 18. The House of Representatives has not yet voted on the resolution.

Lobby Day
All of the information given to the participants was to be used on the final day of the gathering. The participants joined with other experienced lobbyists and spoke to their U.S. legislators about the resolution. Their goal was to convince the legislator to co-sponsor the resolution.

"I was cramming hardcore for Lobby Day," Stegemann said. It was her first time lobbying, so she was not alone. "I went with experienced delegates," Stegemann said.

The process of lobbying is having a meeting with the staff member or legislator, talking with him or her about the resolution, and convincing the legislator to sign up to be a co-sponsor of the resolution or to vote in favor of it.

Stegemann visited her own legislators along with Betty McCullum, a U.S. representative from Minnesota. "I really enjoyed talking with her," Stegemann said. "As soon as I left, she signed on as a co-sponsor."

The experience taught her a valuable lesson. "What I took away from this is if I'm going to convince someone, I need to be convinced that what I'm fighting for is right and just," Stegemann said.

What now?
Now Stegemann has put together a presentation about her experience and has sent letters to local churches offering her services. "It takes a lot to think globally," Stegemann said. "I just want to share all of this."

She is also hoping to return to Washington, D.C., sometime next year to lobby by herself for the resolution. "I didn't get to talk to [U.S. Rep. Mark] Kennedy while I was there, so I'm hoping I can do that later," she said.

By Jolene Farley
Beaver Creek resident Ron Rauk has bounced back remarkably well from a lifesaving liver transplant in August of last year.

"I didn't realize how bad I was until I have gotten better," said Rauk. "I am back into a more normal way of life."

Looking back Rauk thinks his health began to deteriorate about three years before the diagnosis of non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in July of 1998 by doctors at Mayo Clinic.

Rauk said he began to tire more easily but it was a slow deterioration so he didn't see a doctor until the fall of 1997. On his first visit, doctors attributed his problems to a bleeding ulcer.

After another hospitalization in May of 1998, Rauk was referred to Mayo were the non-alcoholic cirrhosis diagnosis was made.

By June of 1999, Ron's health had deteriorated so dramatically he was put on the liver transplant list.

Rauk's liver wasn't cleaning toxins out of his system causing loss of memory, confusion, lethargy and sleeplessness. Rauk was forced to regularly return to Mayo Clinic so doctors could drain fluid out of his abdomen.

On Aug. 28 of last year, the Rauks received a call from Mayo ClinicÉa donor was located. Rauk was wheeled into surgery at midnight on Aug. 29, by 5:30 a.m. the transplant was complete.

Rauk remained in the hospital for 10 more days, then transferred to the Gift of Life House for another 14 days.

Although Rauk's strength has slowly returned over the last year, he still has a few physical restrictions. Doctors advise Rauk not to lift over 40 pounds. They say his illness triggered bone density loss and his bones could easily fracture. Doctors hope RaukÕs bone density will re-build itself in time.

He continues taking anti-rejection drugs and insulin in lower dosages. His insulin usage will decrease as the doses of anti-rejection drugs decreases, according to Rauk.

A local clinic draws blood samples every three weeks and he must travel to Mayo Clinic once a year for a checkup.

Rauk is feeling so much better that the Rauk family recently took a trip to the Renaissance Festival, stopping to shop at the Mall of America and the Medford Mall.

Rauk offers advice to those waiting for a donor, "You have to be patient, have a lot of faith in God, friends and family," said Rauk. "Eventually it will come. There just aren't that many donors available. The patience and faith thatÕs the biggest thing."

The easiest way to donate is when you renew your driver's license, according to Rauk. Just say you want to be a donor. Rauk should know itÕs easy, he has signed up for the last 30 years.

"People shouldn't be afraid to sign a card and be a donor," Rauk said. "Give new life to somebody"
Ron and his wife, Marlys, have two children Ryan, 22, and Linnea, 19.

By Sara Quam
The Rock County Pool and Fitness Center has drawn attention from Mark Ossenfort of MC Fitness and Health Club, Worthington.

Although he makes it clear that he's just interested at this point, he may enter into a lease agreement with the county and city.

"That facility is an awesome resource, and it can be built upon to be a focal point in the community," Ossenfort said.

MC Fitness draws some of its 1,100 members from Rock County and boasts many services and equipment that Rock County doesn't.

A similar deal to the one considered here is underway in Jackson where Ossenfort might help manage that city's pool, which is subsidized similarly to Rock County's.

The Pool and Fitness Center is jointly owned by the city of Luverne and Rock County, and each contributes $72,000 annually.

The Pool Commission, which advises the governing boards, hasn’t yet discussed Ossenfort's interest. City and county attorney Don Klosterbuer will look into legalities of new management or any lease agreement or purchase of the facility.

At this time, no decision has been made other than to investigate and study the concept and proposals. It could be as long as a year before that is completed.

The city and county both express their confidence in the operation and the professionalism of the Pool and Fitness Center employees.

Because discussions are at the preliminary stages, it isn't clear how the city and county may stay involved if management is turned over to Ossenfort. Whatever the deal may bring, Ossenfort said he wants the facility to improve upon what it already has as a well-managed and maintained facility.

By Lori Ehde
It's been more than three months since Luverne's Carrie Nelson was murdered while working at Blue Mounds State Park, but the case remains a top priority for both local and state investigators.

"All leads are taken, and all are followed up on," said Assistant County Terry Vajgrt. "It's a very methodical process."

The latest update to the story is a possible increase in the reward money offered for information leading to an arrest. The amount currently stands at $15,000.

Vajgrt said he and local law enforcement met in St. Paul Aug. 24 to review evidence to date with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

"We have no significant developments and sometimes that's the hardest news to release," Vajgrt said Tuesday. "But without question, the case continues to be a top priority."

He said the St. Paul meeting involved himself, Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure, Investigator Clyde Menning, eight to 10 BCA agents and a representative from the Minnesota Attorney General's office.

"Forensics scientists at BCA are working hard on the case examining physical evidence," Vajgrt said.

"At least one BCA agent at all times is working exclusively on the case - and that's in addition to the forensics scientists.

"Our local investigator, Clyde Menning, is working almost exclusively on the case, following up on leads."

Nelson, 20, was found beaten to death at the Blue Mounds State Park entrance building in the afternoon of Sunday, May 20.

Still key to solving the murder is information on the watch found at the scene of the beating.

Investigators think the watch was worn by the person responsible for the robbery and murder.

The digital watch face bears the logo "Field Ranger" and is silver. The watchband is tan with brown leather accents.

Anyone with knowledge of a person wearing a watch matching this description is asked to call the tip line at (507) 283-1301.

By Sara Quam
Almost 200 state workers in the immediate area are prepared to strike Sept. 17 if negotiators fail to agree on a new contract by Sept. 16.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees announced Saturday that its members voted to authorize the strike, and a second union, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, announced the same decision Tuesday.

Rock County would see strikes at the Minnesota Veterans Home, state park and Department of Transportation, for example.

Local AFSCME president David Meyer said, "It's something we have to do to get what we want."

The union now has to prepare for a strike - setting up headquarters and forming specific committees - and the state has to come up with a contingency plan.

Gov. Jesse Ventura ordered the Minnesota National Guard in August to begin preparing for a potential strike by state employees in September. The order calls for Guard personnel to be trained to care for "vulnerable citizens," which would include residents at the Vets Home.

Locally, the Vets Home is sending a letter to all residents and staff as an update to the strike possibility and to assure residents that care will still be a priority.

The points of contention between the two sides are insurance costs and wages, but Meyer said the insurance proposal hits most the hardest.

State health insurance premiums have increased 20 percent in each of the last two years, and the state anticipates about 10 percent next year.

The state proposed a new plan to control costs. It would reduce employee premiums but require workers to share the costs of services. Now it requires employees to make only co-payments for some services and doesn't impose a deductible.

Under the proposal, employees would take on more of the costs through higher co-payments and deductibles for those who use the services.

A co-payment is an amount the employee pays for each service provided. A deductible is the amount the employee pays before insurance will pay for services. Co-insurance is the percentage the employee pays after the deductible is paid.

More employee co-payments that charge those using medical services is what the state is pushing for in exchange for low premiums.

But the unions don't buy that. They don't want sick people to put off treatment to save money. The maximum out of pocket expenses would rise to $1,900 for individuals and $3,800 for families.

The union says that will cause lower paid workers to spend as much as 25 percent of their take-home pay on insurance costs.

As for wages, the state and unions are far apart on that, too. The state has offered increases of 2.5 percent for two years while AFSCME wants 6.5-percent annual pay raises.