By Jolene FarleyOn Monday Rock County parents will have access to more information to help them with a tough job – raising adolescents.All Rock County parents are invited to attend a presentation by nationally recognized author David Wilmes from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4., at the Luverne Cardinal Gym.In his presentations, Wilmes stresses we all need security and freedom, so his theory is that raising children is somewhat like running a country. In an adolescent’s mind, limits exist to be tested. He will help parents learn more about how to fight the war on drugs and alcohol. Parents never learn too much about raising a healthy child, according to Wilmes."Kids develop problems with alcohol and drugs because of peer pressure, but what we do and say to our kids is significantly more powerful than what they hear from other kids," Wilmes said about parental relationships."The problem is we tend to give up that power. We are much more important than we think we are." Wilmes, who lives in St. Paul with his wife and two sons, speaks from 25 years of experience in dealing with adolescents and their families. He has worked with the Johnson Institute in surveying 150,000 kids across the nation on substance abuse. He is the author of "Parenting for Prevention – How to Raise a Child to Say No to Alcohol/Drugs," and 13 other books on similar topics.He conducts training seminars that focus on prevention as it relates to parental skills, school programs and community involvement. His presentation is sponsored by the Rock County Collaborative.

By Sara StrongFeedlots in Rock County are still opening their gates to inspections and waiting for environmental ratings. For the most part, their scores have been favorable, with about 75 percent having no environmental concerns.Land Management Director Eric Hartman said the site inventories are going well, and that from his view, livestock producers aren’t as apprehensive about the inventories as they once were. That can be chalked up to increased communication with producers, especially through the Feedlot Task Force that was formed when the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency started supervising the inspections spring of 2002.The actual site visits are done by a county employee and a representative from the Board of Water and Soil Resources. The visits involve the most complete of feedlot overviews, called Level III inventories.The resultso275 feedlots have been visited of the 618 in the countyo262 are active siteso200 are active with no environmental concernso44 are active with runoff concerns onlyo7 are active with basin and runoff concerns (making 51 total with runoff concerns)o11 are active with unpermitted basinso20 sites need engineering assistance for a two-year interim permit scheduleo31 sites need engineering assistance under an open lot agreemento22.37 percent are open lots with runoff concernso23.66 percent of the facilities have environmental concernsTotal cost to the county so far has been $45,000.The inventories are a special situation in Rock County because they were ordered by the U.S. District Attorney when bribery crimes in Pipestone County involved Rock County’s former Land Management Director. Rock County had set a goal of doing the Level III inventories on every feedlot in 1997, so the order is speeding up the process. Rock County’s inventories will be completed by December 2004. The MPCA has said it wants every county to eventually complete the inventories.Room for improvementThe average Feedlot Evaluation rating is 29 for feedlots that have a recognized runoff problem.The Feedlot Evaluation numbers are calculated by assessing various risk factors for a site: number of animals, nearby water movement and cleaning frequency for instance. The lower the number, the better the score. Even though lower is better, Hartman said the scores for the evaluations aren’t on a linear scale — an 8 isn’t three times better than a 24.The highest in Rock County is 71 and the lowest is 8.Hartman said the 71 rating isn’t as alarming as it first looks. "If it was next to the Rock River, it would be different," he said. "This particular one is not considered a real high concern, but it is going through changes to become compliant."The 31 sites that need engineering assistance are having some difficulty in knowing how to get that assistance. Producers have to pay for an engineer sign-off for improvements to feedlots. There could be state money available for an engineer’s work. However, state rules haven’t been finalized and the county is leery of using an engineer to sign off on rules that could change.Just recently, though, the National Resource Conservation Service published standards that probably won’t be varied from much when the final rules are published.Hartman said, "Everybody has signed off on the standards. The MPCA is putting together guidelines on how to interpret these standards."The engineer option is open to the county because of a state grant that would allow a regional engineer to be housed out of Rock County for two years. The local cost would be mostly "in kind" costs of about $34,000 that would come from providing a work area, telephone and vehicle for the engineer.The two-year grant allows most of the engineer’s time to be dedicated to working with feedlot owners in Rock County who have to make changes based on the Level III inventories. Until the rules are finalized, though, the county is waiting on the engineer. Hartman said he doesn’t think the rules will be much different from the interim rules recently published, but the fear is that "there will be new hoops to jump through."

By Lori EhdeThe 93rd Annual Rock County Fair officially starts today at the fairgrounds in Luverne.It will have all the usual makings of a festive, hometown county fair, including livestock shows, open class competition, midway rides and corndogs.But local planners always introduce something new to the Rock County Fair each year.According to Fair Board Secretary Lyle Nelson, this year’s newcomers include a tractor pull, something the Rock County Fair hasn’t seen in about 10 years.Instead of the Johnny Holm Band, which has been the featured entertainment for years, the South Dakota Pullers Association will bring a pool of tractors, including local entries, to the grandstand Thursday night.Returning to the grandstand this year is the Rock County Talent Contest, in its second year, on Friday night with more than 20 entries.Saturday night’s grandstand entertainment will be the Enduro Races, which typically attract crowds of 700 to 800 people. "It’s a very big night for us," Nelson said.Other newcomers to the fairgrounds include the Mason’s child I.D. program.The Masons of Rock County will provide a child I.D. program from a booth in the building just north of the 4-H building during the Rock County Fair. The purpose is to provide parents with positive identification of their children by recording their ages, height, weight and fingerprints, along with a digitally recorded photo. Parents will have complete control of the information and it will be their responsibility to keep it in a safe place.The most prominent newcomer to this year’s fair will be the big red Fitzer Barn.The barn, built in 1902, was donated to the Rock County Historical Society by the Maurice Fitzer family and was moved to its location just south of the 4-H building last year. It will be used to display local farm antiques, which rural residents are donating from all corners of the county.While Nelson said he’s not in charge of the weather this year, he said the area needs rain now, "so if it comes, that’ll be a happy deal."

By John RittenhouseThe 2003 baseball season came to an end for Zach Wysong and the Luverne American Legion baseball team last weekend.Competing at the Second District Tournament in Truman, Luverne went 1-2 to bow out of the double-elimination event.Luverne ends the season with an 8-11 record.Wysong, a Hills-Beaver Creek High School student, is a member of the Luverne squad.The weekend will not be a memorable one for Wysong and the Cardinals, but the H-BC junior did have a good summer season.Wysong had a rough tournament at the plate, slapping one hit in 11 official at bats.He also was the losing pitcher in what turned into the season finale Sunday.Luverne opened the tournament by losing a 9-0 decision to Wabasso Friday night.Wysong was zero-for-three at the plate in the game for a Luverne team that was limited to three hits in the contest.Luverne avoided elimination Saturday by defeating Minnesota Lake 7-5 in a loser’s bracket tilt.The Cardinals rallied from a 5-3 deficit to knot the score in the sixth inning before winning the game with two runs in the eighth inning.Wysong registered his lone hit of the tournament during the win when he singled in the third inning. He was one-for-five at the dish for the game.Luverne was ousted from the tournament with a 7-0 loss to Pipestone Sunday.The Cardinals were limited to four hits in the game, and Wysong went zero-for-three at the plate.Wysong pitched all seven innings and took the loss. He allowed four earned runs and nine hits while recording five strikeouts.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Redbirds locked up second place in the Gopher League Playoffs after splitting games over the weekend.Luverne pulled out a two-run win over Wilmont in an elimination game played in Wilmont Friday. The Redbirds lost a one-run decision in Hadley Sunday to give the Buttermakers the playoff title and Luverne the second seed for the Region playoffs.The 16-10 Redbirds, Granite Falls and Fairmont will form a three-team regional pool that will be playing for a berth in the state tournament. Luverne hosts Fairmont 7:30 p.m. Friday before playing a 3 p.m. game in Granite Falls Sunday.Luverne 5, Wilmont 3The Redbirds locked up at least a second-place finish in the Gopher League Playoffs with a two-run victory in Wilmont Friday.Luverne scored five runs in the final four innings and withstood a late challenge by Wilmont to prevail by two runs.The teams played to a scoreless draw through five innings before the Redbirds opened a 4-0 cushion by scoring two runs in the top of the sixth and seventh innings.Jeff Sehr reached base on an error and scored the first run in the sixth on Brian Weber’s fielder’s choice. Mike Wenninger reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored the second run on a wild pitch.Ben Winkels and Wenninger slapped RBI singles to make it a 4-0 game in the seventh.Wilmont scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to trim the difference to one run at 4-3, but Derek Ohme walked and scored on a fielder’s choice by Wenninger in the ninth to give the Redbirds one insurance run.Jon Jarchow pitched seven and two-thirds innings of three-run ball to pick up the win. Wenninger worked one and one-third innings of scoreless relief to record a save.Box score AB R H BIOhme 4 1 0 0Winkels 5 1 1 1J.Sehr 5 1 0 0Wenninger 4 1 1 2Weber 5 0 1 1Edstrom 4 0 1 0Jarchow 2 0 1 0Fisher 3 0 1 0Iveland 4 1 0 0Hadley 6, Luverne 5The Buttermakers clinched the No. 1 seed for the region tournament by nipping the Redbirds by one run in Hadley Sunday.Luverne sported 1-0 and 5-4 advantages during the game, but Hadley tied the game at five in the bottom of the sixth before plating the game-winning run in the ninth inning.Eric Edstrom walked and scored on an error to give the Redbirds a 1-0 cushion in the top of the first.Hadley, however, tied the game in the second inning before scoring twice in the third to take a 3-1 lead.The teams exchanged runs in the fifth inning to make the score 4-2. Ohme delivered an RBI single to account for Luverne’s run.The Redbirds used a three-run double by James Fisher to take a 5-4 edge in the top of the sixth, but Wilmont scored the final two runs of the game to take the championship.Terry Eernisse pitched seven and two-thirds innings of five-run (two were earned runs) ball without gaining a decision for Luverne. Ohme took the loss while pitching in relief.Box score AB R H BIOhme 5 0 1 1Edstrom 4 1 0 0J.Sehr 5 0 2 0Weber 5 1 1 0Winkels 4 1 1 0Sandbulte 3 0 0 0Fisher 4 1 2 3Iveland 1 0 0 0Schneider 2 0 0 0

By John RittenhouseMotor sports events will take up two of three grandstand shows during the Rock County Fair in Luverne this week.A tractor pull will lead off the grandstand attractions tonight. The annual Enduro Race will take center stage Saturday.The Great Plains Tractor Pulling Association will put on a show starting at 7 p.m. tonight. The event is sponsored by Mark Jacobson Inc. and Hohn Implement.According to Isaac DeBoer, one of the event organizers, the GPTPA is made up of competitors from northwest Iowa, southwest South Dakota and southwest Minnesota. Tonight’s pull will be a seasonal points event for the Association.DeBoer expects 25 to 30 tractors to be on hand making more than a combined 50 pulls.Pullers will compete in three classes (stock class, open farm class and open hot class). There will be six different weight division titles decided in the stock class. Eight weight division championships will be awarded in the open farm and open hot classes.DeBoer said five or six Rock County residents who are not members of the GPTPA may enter the tractor pull.The Bio Fuels Enduro is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday. The event is sponsored by the Rock County Corn and Soybean Growers and Agri-Energy LCC.Local participation has made the Enduro Race one of the top grandstand attractions of the Rock County Fair over the years, and there will be plenty of local talent on display in 2003.According to Burdette Braun, one of the event organizers, 38 of the 42 drivers who have pre-registered for the race are from the immediate area.Luverne’s Shane Hoag is the winner of last year’s event that was rained out on its scheduled night and ran one week later. He’ll be back to defend his 2002 title.The Enduro Race will have a two-hour time limit, and it could be finished in less than two hours if a driver can complete 200 laps before the limit is reached.Hoag completed 160 laps in two hours to win the event last year.

By John RittenhouseFeature victories proved to be elusive for area drivers competing at tracks in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Brandon, S.D., and Madison, S.D., over the weekend.Drivers posted a combined five heat wins at those tracks last weekend, but no feature victories were recorded.Three heat races fell the way of local talent during Friday’s races at Rapid Speedway, and two came in the hobby stock class.Steen’s Billy Cowell won the first heat race and Kanaranzi’s Colter Deutsch took top honors in the third heat in the hobby stock runs.Deutsch and Cowell went on to place seventh and ninth respectively in the A feature.Luverne’s Mike Buss (third in the first heat and 13th in the feature) and Magnolia’s Larry Kracht (fourth in the third heat and 12th in the feature) also competed in the hobby stock class at Rapid Speedway.Luverne’s Chad Overgaard, who placed third in the late model street stock feature at the Iowa track, won the second heat race.Ellsworth’s Scott Overgaard (second in first heat and sixth in the feature), Adrian’s Mark DeBoer (third in the first heat and fourth in the feature), former Hills resident Darrin Korthals (fourth in the first heat and second in the feature) and former Ash Creek resident David Kruger (second in second heat and 11th in the feature) also raced in the street stock class Friday.Former Luverne resident Anthony Mann placed third in the second heat and fifth in the feature in the sportsman class at Rapid Speedway. Luverne’s Brandon Buysse was sixth in the first heat and 15th in the feature in the 360 sprints.Luverne’s Jake Peters had a decent night in the 360 sprints at Huset’s Speedway near Brandon, S.D., Sunday.Peters won the first heat race before finishing third in the A feature.Peters also raced in the outlaw sprints, placing seventh in the second heat and 13th in the A feature.Cowell also won the first heat race in the hobby stock division at Huset’s before placing eighth in the A feature.Deutsch placed third in the second heat and fourth in the hobby stock feature.Chad Overgaard and Kruger competed in the street stock class at Huset’s.Overgaard placed third in the second heat and ninth in the A feature. Kruger finished fifth in the first heat and eighth in the feature.Korthals was the lone area driver to compete at Lake County Speedway in Madison, S.D., Saturday.Korthals placed fourth in the first heat and fifth in the feature in the street stock class.Luverne’s Mike Steensma turned in a solid weekend racing at Minnesota tracks.Steensma won the second heat race and placed second in the modified feature at Murray County Speedway in Slayton Friday. Steensma finished second in the modified feature at Worthington Speedway Sunday.

By John RittenhouseMotor sports events will take up two of three grandstand shows during the Rock County Fair in Luverne this week.A tractor pull will lead off the grandstand attractions tonight. The annual Enduro Race will take center stage Saturday.The Great Plains Tractor Pulling Association will put on a show starting at 7 p.m. tonight. The event is sponsored by Mark Jacobson Inc. and Hohn Implement.According to Isaac DeBoer, one of the event organizers, the GPTPA is made up of competitors from northwest Iowa, southwest South Dakota and southwest Minnesota. Tonight’s pull will be a seasonal points event for the Association.DeBoer expects 25 to 30 tractors to be on hand making more than a combined 50 pulls.Pullers will compete in three classes (stock class, open farm class and open hot class). There will be six different weight division titles decided in the stock class. Eight weight division championships will be awarded in the open farm and open hot classes.DeBoer said five or six Rock County residents who are not members of the GPTPA may enter the tractor pull.The Bio Fuels Enduro is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday. The event is sponsored by the Rock County Corn and Soybean Growers and Agri-Energy LCC.Local participation has made the Enduro Race one of the top grandstand attractions of the Rock County Fair over the years, and there will be plenty of local talent on display in 2003.According to Burdette Braun, one of the event organizers, 38 of the 42 drivers who have pre-registered for the race are from the immediate area.Luverne’s Shane Hoag is the winner of last year’s event that was rained out on its scheduled night and ran one week later. He’ll be back to defend his 2002 title.The Enduro Race will have a two-hour time limit, and it could be finished in less than two hours if a driver can complete 200 laps before the limit is reached.Hoag completed 160 laps in two hours to win the event last year.

By John RittenhouseA sure sign that summer is almost over will be visible on the streets of Luverne Monday.The 22nd annual Minnesota Border to Border Triathlon will officially start in Luverne Tuesday.As part of the customary send-off, the annual parade will take place on Luverne’s Main Street at 4:30 p.m. Monday.The parade will be made up of participating teams, local law enforcement, fire and ambulance personnel.Area children are encouraged to participate in the parade, too.Kids are invited to decorate their bikes, tricycles or wagons and meet in the Sears parking lot at 4:15 p.m. They will lead the parade from Sears to the corner of Main and Freeman Streets. All children participating in the parade will receive a coupon for a Dairy Queen treat.The parade route will start at the Sears lot and head west down Main Street to the corner of Main and Freeman, where the race participants will be introduced to the crowd. The athletes and their vehicles will then proceed south on Freeman Street to Sharkee’s, where they will have a pre-race banquet.The actual race begins at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug 6, on the corner of Main and Cedar streets.That’s where the athletes officially begin a 200-mile bike trek to St. Cloud that makes up the first day of the event.Day 2 of the event consists of a 200-mile bike race from St. Cloud to Eveleth. Day 3 consists of a 50-mile run from Eveleth to Cook, and Day 4 consists of a 50-mile canoe race on the Vermillion River to Crane Lake.A total of 26 teams have registered for the 2003 version of the event.There will be nine two-person teams, nine three-person teams and eight four-person teams.