By Jolene FarleyRevisions to the high school handbook sparked debate at Monday’s Hills-Beaver Creek school board meeting.Discussion followed the administration’s suggestion to require graduation student speakers to have no alcohol, tobacco and drug violations during their high school years. Some board members didn’t want a mistake made as a freshman to pertain when the student was a senior. "I don’t think we should penalize a student for four years of their life," board member Lois Leuthold said. Superintendent Dave Deragisch said the administration was trying to "get the good role models and the best students.""We’re really looking for the best of the best. We’re looking for the cream of the crop." In the past, the senior class voted for the classmate they wanted to speak at graduation. The requirement was later added that the student must be an honor student. He said all speeches were approved before read at graduation but sometimes things didn’t turn out as planned."What you approve and what they bring up on stage to read … you sweat blood," he said.Deragisch threw out the idea that the board require the student speaker to be a member of the National Honor Society.Board member Gary Esselink jumped in on the issue. Esselink thought students should be held to the highest standards."You know the rules. These are the rules that are there," he said. "We’re setting the standards for those who speak to represent their class."After more debate, board member Ann Boeve made the motion the student speaker be selected from the pool of National Honor Society students. Esselink and Harnack voted against the motion, but it carried by majority.Other changes to the handbook include adding a section on 1998 legislation requiring public schools to establish a chemical abuse pre-assessment team made up of school officials. The team is responsible for addressing reports of chemical use by the students. "These reports shall be made, without exception, by all law enforcement people and teachers. The law enforcement agencies must report to the pre-assessment team any and all chemical use, possession or transfer of alcohol or a controlled substance by student, in writing, within two weeks of the incident," the added section reads. Another change involves increasing the number of credits required to graduate over the course of four years from 25 to 28 credits. All students graduating in 2005 and after will be required to pass three science and three math credits. The eight-period class schedule was laid out in the handbook, with a revised schedule for a two-hour late start. Other changes included listing the towns where activity buses travel, spelling out the rules and penalties for Category I and II extracurricular activities suggested by the Minnesota State High School League and developing rules and penalties for Category III activities.Book-of-the-Week ClubElementary teachers Amy Christensen, Michele Baker, Nicole Fey and Diane VandenHoek attended the meeting to update the board on this year’s Book-of-the-Week Club. "It was just a wonderful opportunity for everybody involved," said Christensen.The program, which had an enrollment of 98 kids (20 from outside of the district) this year, was funded with $16,000 from various sources. Each participant took home about $60 in materials to keep, according to Christensen.Retired Senior Volunteers helped teachers for the day. "I had liked four or five volunteers each week," said VandenHoek. "It was nice to get to know them." The teachers said they saw a lot of excitement about reading and received many nice comments about the school.The board and the teachers hope to offer the program next year even with uncertain funding. "You lose funding sources from one group and sometimes another group steps forward," said Deragisch. Personnel changesThe board accepted a letter of resignation from elementary teacher Amy Christensen. Christensen accepted the kindergarten through eighth-grade combined principal and superintendent position at Lynd.Bus driver John Tilstra is retiring after 26 years with the district. The board voted to hire Doug Boeve to replace Tilstra. Starla Scholten begins duties as cheerleading advisor at the high school this fall.Fuel oil and propane bidsAfter some discussion, the board accepted a firm bid of $.85 per gallon for propane and a variable bid of 6 cents less than posted retail price at the time of delivery (with a current price of 93.9 cents per gallon) for fuel oil from Nobles County Co-op Oil, Worthington.The district used approximately 12,000 gallons of fuel oil and between 33,000 and 34,000 gallons of propane last year, according to Deragisch.

I saw a hawk and a snakewhen surprised by my car.Up in the air they did make for the horizon far.They must have been the best of friends.The hawk would notrelease his lot. The snake and Iwere wonderingif the view mightbe "fundering!"The moral is this:life may be fleetingbut you never knowwho you may be meeting.Submitted by Alex FrickLuverne

Summer vacation is nearing an end and many parents are already bracing for another round of back-to-school shopping. I want to remind parents that some school-related purchases they make before the end of the year may be eligible for state tax credits or tax subtractions on their 2003 Minnesota income tax forms. So save your receipts!Under Minnesota's education tax credit/subtraction program, families with children in grades K-12 and with incomes under $37,500 are eligible for a tax credit of up to $1,000 per child and up to $2,000 per family. Up to 75 percent of the money you spend on eligible purchases will be refunded to you when you file your taxes. Families can use tax credits for tutoring, enrichment programs, textbooks, instructional materials and expenses associated with individual schools, and home computer hardware and educational software up to $200. As of 2001, the credit is also applicable to the purchase of a musical instrument, calculator or other life-long piece of equipment that your child uses at school. Not covered is a tuition expense at a private or parochial school.All families with children in K-12 school, regardless of income, can claim state tax subtractions for the same education-related expenses listed above, including tuition. A subtraction lowers a family's taxable income. Subtraction limits are $1,625 for a child in kindergarten through 6th grade and $2,500 for a child in grades 7 through 12. What many taxpayers don't realize is that you don't have to itemize your federal taxes to claim the subtractions. A House staffer who took a tax preparation course last year told me that this is one of the most overlooked and underutilized Minnesota tax breaks. Any family filing a Minnesota income tax form can take advantage of these education-related tax reductions. For more information about education tax credits and subtractions, you can check with the Minnesota Department of Revenue online at www.taxes.state.mn.us.What's on your mind? Constituents in District 22A in Pipestone, Rock, Nobles, and Murray counties can contact me at 515 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155, call me at (651) 296-5505, or e-mail me at rep.doug.magnus@house.mn.Doug MagnusState Representative District 22A

By John RittenhouseA Rock County man posted a pair of victories at Huset’s Speedway Sunday night.Colter Deutsch, a Kanaranzi driver, dominated the hobby stock division at the track near Brandon, S.D.Deutsch topped all drivers in the second heat race before winning his sixth feature event at Huset’s this season.Steen’s Billy Cowell also raced in the hobby stock class at Huset’s, finishing fourth in the first heat and eighth in the feature.Luverne’s Chad Overgaard had a good night in the late model street stock class Sunday.Overgaard won the second heat race before placing second in the feature event.Former Rock County resident David Kruger also raced in the street stock division at Huset’s, placing fifth in the second heat and third in the feature.Area drivers were unable to secure victories during Friday’s races at Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa.Deutsch raced well in the hobby stock class, placing second in the second heat and third in the feature.Ellsworth’s Chris Tiesler (third in the first heat and 16th in the feature), Magnolia’s Larry Kracht (second in the third heat and eighth in the feature), Ash Creek’s Bobbi Kracht (third in the third heat and 12th in the feature) and Steen’s Cowell (ninth in the feature) mixed it up in the hobby stock class at the Iowa track.Overgaard and Kruger raced in the street stock division at Rapid Speedway.Overgaard placed third in the first heat and fifth in the feature. Kruger placed fifth in the first heat and ninth in the feature.Ellsworth’s Scott Overgaard (second in the first heat and sixth in the feature), former Rock County resident Darrin Korthals (second in the second heat and fourth in the feature) and Adrian’s Mark DeBoer (third in the second heat and third in the feature) also competed in the street stock class in Rock Rapids.Luverne’s Brandon Buysse placed fifth in the second heat and 11th in the feature race in the 360 sprints at Rapid Speedway.Ellsworth’s Greg Roemen and former Luverne resident Anthony Mann raced in the sportsmen class at the Iowa track. Roemen placed fifth in the first heat and 11th in the feature. Mann placed sixth in the first heat and sixth in the feature.Adrian’s DeBoer represented the area during Saturday’s races at Lake County Speedway in Madison, S.D. DeBoer placed second in the first heat race and sixth in the street stock feature.Ellsworth’s Roemen and Luverne’s Mike Steensma placed in different feature races at Worthington Speedway Sunday.Roemen finished second in the street stock feature. Steensma placed second in the modified feature.Ellsworth’s Todd Wessels placed third in the Wissota sprints feature race at Jackson Speedway Saturday.Hardwick’s Mark Brockberg placed second in the hobby stock feature at Murray County Speedway in Slayton Friday. Luverne’s Jeff Haubrich started off on the right foot in Slayton Friday, taking second in his heat. But a front-end wreck bumped him to 15th in the feature.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds bowed out of the Region 13C Amateur Baseball Playoffs in Granite Falls Wednesday, Aug. 6.Playing the second game of a best-of-three series against the defending state champions from Granite Falls, Luverne needed a victory Aug. 6 to tie the series and force a third game.The Redbirds, however, couldn’t get the job done.Granite Falls scored two runs in the middle innings and made them stand up while nailing down a 2-1 victory.The win assured Granite Falls a berth in the state tournament. Luverne’s 17-12 season ended with the loss.The bat of Granite Falls’ Jeff Asche proved to be the difference in the game.Asche connected for a solo homer against Luverne starting pitcher Derek Ohme to open the scoring with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning.Asche came up big again in the sixth when he delivered a two-out double that scored Ryan Hebrick, who singled earlier in the inning, to make it a 2-0 game.Luverne, which was limited to seven hits in the game, produced its lone run in the top of the eighth.James Fisher drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second when Ohme slapped his second single of the game. Two outs later, Mike Wenninger delivered a single to plate Fisher.The Redbirds were unable to take advantage of some scoring opportunities early in the game.Ohme singled and was stranded on second base in the first inning. Eric Edstrom was walked and stranded on third base in the second inning.Ohme worked the first five and two-thirds innings on the mound and took the loss. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs. Wenninger pitched two and one-third innings of scoreless, hitless relief. He fanned three batters.Box score AB R H BIOhme 4 0 2 0Winkels 4 0 2 0J.Sehr 4 0 1 0Wenninger 4 0 1 1M.Sehr 4 0 0 0Edstrom 3 0 1 0Weber 4 0 0 0Iveland 0 0 0 0Sandbulte 3 0 1 0Fisher 2 1 0 0

By John RittenhouseA Luverne athlete received the opportunity to compete at a continental level during the Hershey’s Track and Field Youth Program North American Final staged in Hershey, Penn., Saturday.Lexi Hetkamp, a member of the Luverne High School track and cross country programs, raced in the girls’ division of the 800-meter run for 13- and 14-year olds at the 26th version of the meet.One of eight girls competing in the event, Heitkamp turned in a strong showing by placing fifth with a time of 2:25.Her effort was one second off the personal best time 2:24 she recorded during the Southwest Conference Track and Field Championships last spring.Saturday’s winning time of 2:21 came from a girl representing the state of Kansas.With the exception of the traveling nightmare of the Heitkamps trying to get to Pennsylvania (Lexi was joined by her parents, Steve and Cindy, her older sister, Ashley, and younger brother, Devin), the experience was a positive one.The Heitkamps were scheduled to leave the Sioux Falls Municipal Airport early Thursday (Aug. 7) morning, but a four-hour delay led to a missed connecting flight in Cleveland later that day. When another flight from Cleveland to Pennsylvania was delayed due to a plane’s engine troubles, a trip that was scheduled to conclude at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time was complete at 9:30 p.m.Lexi missed all the special activities planned for the athletes Thursday, but she did get to tour the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory and experience the thrills of the Hershey’s Amusement Park on Friday.Heitkamp ran at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, narrowly missing a rainstorm that soaked the athletes and fans after the event.The meet was completed as scheduled, and the Heitkamps returned home (without delays) Sunday afternoon.

By John RittenhouseA group of Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek drivers have all but clinched a team championship at Thunder Valley Raceway in Marion, S.D., this summer.The L-H-BC Drag Racing team will take a commanding, 3,000-point lead into the final race of a five-week schedule at the track on Aug. 23.Barring a miracle for their competitors, it appears the local squad will win its second team title at the track in the last three years."We’re way out in the lead," says Dave Hup, who helped organize a group of 16 Rock County students into the L-H-BC Drag team. "We’re 3,000 points in front of the second-place team. That would be lots of points to overcome."The local teens opened a stunning lead by their performances in the first four weeks of the team competition.Racing on Saturdays, the L-H-BC team members overwhelmed the competition consisting of 20 other schools during the first four race dates to all but clinch the title.According to Hup, his team members are racing their personal cars they use themselves on the roads in Rock County on the quarter-mile track in Marion.The typical race date starts with each driver taking three time trial runs. Based on their performances in the time trials, they are placed in one of five divisions, where they compete in a tournament type of format in head-to-head racing.Team points are awarded to the drivers for their efforts in divisional competition. Each driver is guaranteed at least two races per race date."As long as you keep on winning in the head-to-head competition, you keep on going. When they are winning, a driver can race as many as nine times a day," Hup said.This will be the second time a team representing Rock County has won the team championship at Thunder Valley Raceway.Members of the L-H-BC team include: Lindsay Hup, Kyle Woodley, Ryan Wynia, Joe Stearns, Steven Berghorst, Austin Hoiland, Eric Lammert, Brett Vander Vliet, Matt Anderson, Cody Scholten, Ruston Aaker, Justin Mann, Mike Sandbulte, Dustin Donth, Breanne Hup and Chris Vergas.

Seven Luverne High School football players won event titles during the Cardinal Pride competition staged Monday. Event winners include (kneeling, from left) Tim Rust, Jake Hendricks, Ben Cornish, (back) Nick Heronimus, Mark Remme, Roth Anderson and Tyler Elbers.By John RittenhouseA Luverne High School senior blew away the field during the 2003 Cardinal Pride competition on the opening day of football practice Monday.The Cardinal Pride competition, an eight-event challenge that is staged on the first morning of practice every season, is offered to test physical abilities of each high school player prior to the season.Roth Anderson, who will be a lineman for LHS this season, passed the test with flying colors.Anderson won all four weight-lifting events and was the points champion in three of the same four events to run away with the overall championship.When his workout was done, Anderson established a new Cardinal Pride record by recording 1,889 points. The old record of 1,867 points was established by Ryan Goebel in 2001.Anderson’s wins came in the bench weight event (281 pounds), squat weight event (499 pounds), clean weight event (342 pounds) and power press weight event (388 pounds).Anderson also won the points titles in the squat, clean and power press events.Others posting event wins during the competition include seniors Tim Rust, Mark Remme, Tyler Elbers and Ben Cornish, and sophomores Jake Hendricks and Nick Heronimus.Hendricks took top honors in the 400-meter dash (56 seconds) and the 60-second jump rope event (173 jumps).Elbers and Remme shared the crown in the verticle jump with 31-7 efforts.Rust won the shuttle run with a time of 4.25 seconds, and Cornish emerged as the points champion in the bench points category.Heronimus was honored for being the overall champion in the junior high division.Here is a look at the Top-Five finishers in the overall competiton and the weight-lifting events.Overall: Anderson, Elbers, Remme, Nate Stehlik and Brad Herman.Bench weight: Anderson, Tony Willers, Lee Sells, Andy Stegemann and a tie between Elbers and Nick Van Wyhe.Squat weight: Anderson, Remme, Nate Siebenahler, Sells and Herman.Clean weight: Anderson, Willers, Elbers, Van Wyhe and Adam Kurtz.Power press: Anderson, Van Wyhe, Nate Stehlik, Nick Stehlik and Cornish.Bench points: Cornish, Elbers, Anderson, Rust and Nate Stehlik.Squat points: Anderson, Remme, Elbers, Siebenahler and Herman.Clean points: Anderson, Elbers, Cornish, Heronimus and Remme.Power press points: Anderson, Van Wyhe, Cornish, Nate Stehlik and Nick Stehlik.

George McDonald (right) won his third low gross championship during the Seniors’ Club Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club Sunday. Don Cashin (left) emerged as the low net champion. McDonald won a one-hole playoff with Tim Connell to become the first player in the 60-69 flight to win the gross crown. Cashin won a chipoff against Jerry Wethor to claim the low net championship.By John RittenhouseExtra play was needed to decide the low gross and low net championships during the Seniors’ Club Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club Sunday.George McDonald prevailed as the low gross champion after edging Tim Connell in a one-hole playoff.Don Cashin won a chip-off against Jerry Wethor to secure the low net title.The showdown between McDonald and Connell pitted two men who have won four of the last five low gross titles of the Seniors’ Club Tournament against each other.McDonald won his first tournament championship in 1998 and successfully defended the title in 1999.Playing in his first Seniors’ event in 2000, Connell won a two-hole playoff against Bob Jarchow to take the crown and defended the championship by winning the tournament outright in 2001.Connell didn’t play in the 2002 version of the event, when Curt Vander Stoep won his first low gross title.With his performance on Sunday, McDonald became the first player competing in the division for players between the ages of 60-69 to win the gross championship. The 50-59 division yielded the gross champions in all prior tournaments.McDonald’s play was worthy of a championship. He shot a one-over-par 37 during the first round of the event before carding a 38 in the second round to finish with a three-over-par 75.Connell, a member of 50-59 division, matched McDonald’s scores in the first two rounds to force a playoff.The sudden death playoff was settled on the par-4, No. 1 hole.McDonald delivered a perfect drive into the fairway before sending his second shot off the green to the right. A near-perfect chip set up a four-foot par putt that McDonald stroked solidly into the cup.Connell, who had a run of five straight par efforts snapped when he missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole of regulation play, caught a bad break during the playoff.His drive was longer than McDonald’s, but the ball came to rest 15 feet behind a tree on the right side of the fairway. Connell hoped to hook a shot around the tree. The ball, however, maintained a straight line and ended up on the gravel road that is out of bounds on the left. The two-stroke penalty incurred by the shot resulted in a double bogey that gave McDonald his third tournament title.The champion seemed to have mixed emotions after the playoff.On one hand, McDonald felt bad for his friend when he found out Connell’s ball sailed out of bounds during the playoff. On the other hand, he was elated to have shot a 75 over 18 holes, which was his best total score during the Seniors’ Club Tournament. McDonald shot 79s while winning his titles in 1998 and 1999."I just happen to be playing some really good golf at this particular time," McDonald explained. "I got a couple of breaks."McDonald and Connell were pushed by others during the tournament.The 37s shot by McDonald and Connell during the first round gave them a one-shot edge over Gary Golla (38), a two-shot cushion over Rick Serie (39) and a three-shot advantage over Wethor (40).Golla and Serie compete in the 50-59 division. Wethor played in the 60-69 division.Wethor carded a tournament-low 37 during the second round to lock up third place in the gross field. His 18-hole total of 77 strokes was two strokes off the pace set by McDonald and Connell.After shooting a 38 during the first round, Golla recorded a 40 on the back nine and placed fourth in gross competition with a 78.Along with winning the overall gross title, McDonald was the gross winner of the 60-69 flight. Wethor was second with his 77, and Elmer Menage, who made three birdies during the tournament, placed third in the flight with an 87.Connell won the gross crown in the 50-59 division. Golla finished second and Tom Serie, who shot a 41 during the first round, carded a 39 during the second round to place third in the division with an 80-stroke effort.Cashin shot a 43-41-84 to take gross honors on the 70 and over flight. Don Lien was second with his 45-51-96.Alvin Boomgaarden, the only player in the 80 and over division, shot a pair of 45s for a 90 for a gross flight title.Along with winning the gross title in the 70 and older division, Cashin won the net championship in the division with a 63.Both Cashin and Wethor had net 63s to lead all players during the tournament. Cashin won a chip-off on the putting green to earn the low net championship for the event.Boomgaarden, an LCC member who does not have an established handicap, may have emerged as the net champion if he had a handicap. Based on his handicap he established three years ago, which was ruled to be unofficial for this tournament, Boomgaarden would have shot a net 62.Tom Serie and Bruce Olson placed third and fourth respectively with net 64- and 65-stroke efforts respectively.Tom Serie and Olson placed first and second in the low net competition in the 50-59 flight. Rick Serie, Sam Hansen and Bernie Heikes shared third place with net 67s.Wethor won the net title in the 60-69 flight. Menage and Nick Veenhof tied for third place with net 67s.Cashin took low net honors in the 70 and older flight. Don Vrtacnik and Jay Jackson placed second and third with net 67- and 71-stroke efforts respectively.