By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth cross country program produced team and individual champions at the Murray County Central Invitational in Slayton Tuesday.

The boys' varsity and boys' junior varsity squads claimed team titles during the event.

Patriot runners also secured individual championships in the boys' junior varsity and girls' junior varsity races.

H-BC-E boys scored 65 points to lead a seven-team field in team competition.

Luverne (69), Worthington (78), Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin (83) Adrian (104), Southwest Star Concept (124) and MCC (127) placed behind the Patriots.

Brad Haak and Tyler Bush turned in top 10 efforts to lead the H-BC-E boys. Haak placed second in 17:33. Bush was ninth in 18:36.

Matt Buck, Greg Van Batavia and Lee Jackson placed 14th, 23rd and 27th in 19:14, 19:45 and 20:06 respectively to cap the team scoring for the winners.

Four individuals placed in the top seven for the junior varsity boys, who scored 20 points to best Worthington (43) and Luverne.

Kale Wiertzema won the race in 15:39, Lee Walraven was third in 16:07, Nathan Mahone fourth in 16:31 and Derek Haak seventh in 16:46.

Paul Jess capped the scoring by placing 18th in 18:11, while Jared Drenth didn’t contribute to the team tally by finishing 23rd in 18:53.

Brittney Rozeboom made it a sweep for H-BC-E individuals in junior varsity races when she won the girls' event with a time of 15:02. Becky Broesder was eighth in 16:58.

H-BC-E was one runner short of fielding a complete team in the boys' junior high race.

Devin DeBoer and John Sandbulte crossed the finish line in 6:33 and 6:47 to place second and third respectively. Adam Finke was ninth in 6:59 and Justin Hinks 20th in 9:01.

Stacy Bush placed 10th in 8:03 in the girls' junior high race.

The H-BC-E runners will compete at the Pipestone-Jasper Invitational Monday.

By John Rittenhouse
Two longtime volleyball rivals met for the first time Tuesday after joining a new conference prior to the 2001 season.

Hills-Beaver Creek and Southwest Christian, who battled each other for years as members of the Tri-County Conference, squared off for the first time in a Red Rock Conference match in Hills.

SWC continued a trend of downing the Patriots by sweeping a three-game match from the hosts. Game scores were 15-9, 15-7 and 15-10.

The win left SWC boasting a 5-1 RRC record, while H-BC slipped to 3-2 in league play.

When the match was complete, all Patriot coach Nicole Fey could to is tip her hat to the E-Gals.

"Whenever we made a mistake, SWC would make a run on us. They did a very good job of taking advantage of our mistakes," she said.

H-BC, which went on a 3-0 run consisting of a kill by Erin Boeve, an ace serve and another service point by LaDonna Sandstede to take an early lead over the E-Gals in Game 1, used another 3-0 surge (service points by Boeve and Tonya Leenderts, and a kill by Boeve) to take a 7-6 lead.

SWC, however scored the next six points to gain a 12-7 cushion before Cassi Tilstra served an ace and another point to bring the Patriots within three points (12-9) of SWC. The E-Gals bounced back to score the next three points and prevail by a 15-9 margin.

The E-Gals rolled to an 8-2 lead in the second game before Sandstede served a pair of points and Boeve produced a kill that made it an 8-5 game.

SWC still led by three points (10-7) when it went on a 5-0 run to take a two-game lead over the Patriots.

A block by Boeve and an ace serve by Leenderts gave the Patriots a 2-0 lead in Game 3, and another block by Boeve put H-BC in front 3-2.

SWC scored the next 10 points to open a 12-3 advantage, and the score was 13-4 when the Patriots received two service points and a kill by Boeve, and one service point each from Leenderts, Brittney Olson and Jody Rentschler to trim SWCÕs lead to four points at 13-9.

H-BC never got any closer than four points as SWC scored two of the final three counters to prevail 15-10.

Boeve led the Patriots with 20 kills in the match, while Sandstede charted 16 set assists.

Leenderts was 13 of 14 serving and had 12 digs. Olson added 10 digs.

The 4-8 Patriots play a road match against Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster before hosting Ellsworth and Edgerton on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

By Lori Ehde
Rock County has launched its own internal investigation of bribery allegations against Rock County feedlot officer John Burgers.

Burgers, 48, of Hills, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday, Sept. 20, on charges that he accepted money from the Pipestone hog operation Global Ventures Inc. to overlook mismanagement of potentially hazardous waste.

Burgers was placed on paid administrative leave Friday pending an investigation of allegations contained in the indictment.

According to County Administrator Kyle Oldre, the internal investigation is necessary to determine if there were any violations of local personnel policy.

Oldre said Worthington Attorney Gordon Moore will serve as independent counsel to ensure an impartial investigation, since Burgers worked so closely with Oldre and County Attorney Don Klosterbuer.

Moore officially received the appointment this week and said his role in the investigation won't be active until he has a chance to see what work is appropriate.

"The federal investigation is ongoing and we're going to be very respectful of that and not get in the way or step on any toes," he said Wednesday.

"We have independent jurisdiction and independent authority, but one of the reasons we're taking a wait-and-see approach is we don't want to re-invent the wheel if it's not necessary."

Violations at the county level would be filed as a civil suit. If state criminal charges are filed, Moore would be in charge of that as well.

Indictment also charges Global Ventures Inc.
Global Ventures is also charged with two counts of offering a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.

Allegations in the indictment date back to 1996 when Burgers learned of a potentially hazardous chemical spill being dumped at the Global Ventures hog facility.

Instead of notifying the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Burgers advised a Global Ventures senior officer to take care of the problem.

Three months later, according to the indictment, Burgers approached the same senior officer at Global Ventures and said he was in deep financial trouble.

The Global Ventures officer then allegedly arranged for Burgers to meet with a senior officer at First National Bank and Trust in Pipestone.

Over the next year and a half, the bank officer arranged for more than $100,000 in new or consolidated loans for Burgers, even though he had been turned down for a loan at the bank's Luverne branch office.

The indictment also alleges that when Burgers needed to repay one of the loans, the Global Ventures officer arranged for a series of meetings between Burgers and the former senior bank officer, who had since begun working for Global Ventures.

At these meetings, the former bank officer allegedly provided Burgers with a total of $6,000 cash to pay down his loan.

The grand jury further alleged that between March 1996 and April 1999, Burgers repeatedly provided preferential treatment to Global Ventures.

The Sept. 20 indictment includes mail fraud charges against both Burgers and Global Ventures involving a deprivation of honest services.

Burgers declined to comment, and Global Ventures officials issued a statement Sept. 20 saying they were "shocked" to learn of the charges and they "vehemently deny" any wrongdoing.

"Global Ventures is confident that it will be totally vindicated of any charges," they wrote in their statement.

If convicted, Burgers faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine for soliciting a bribe and up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine for mail fraud.

Global Ventures faces a maximum penalty of up to $500,000 per count.

The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI agents and other authorities have reportedly been investigating financial arrangements and the hog industry in the Pipestone area for several years.

Anyone with information concerning the possible solicitation or receipt of bribes or kickbacks in Rock or Pipestone counties can call FBI Special Agent Michael Dudley, (507) 387-2460.

U.S. Attorney Hank Shea is prosecuting the case.

Burgers and Global Ventures will make their first appearance in federal court in St. Paul Oct. 5.

By Jolene Farley
At their meeting Thursday evening Hills-Beaver Creek School Board members narrowed their list of candidates for the superintendent position vacated by Tom Knoll.

The board selected five of 30 applicants to continue through the hiring process. Tentative plans are to interview candidates Saturday, depending on their availability, according to board member Ann Boeve.

She said the board is pleased with both the number and quality of applicants.

"The applicants we have selected are very qualified for the job," Boeve said. "We have to look at each one and see what they have to offer us."

The hiring process could end after one interview if there is one applicant that the board is comfortable with. If none of the candidates meets the board's expectations, the original 30 applications may be re-examined, according to Boeve.

"If one stands out we may offer; if not we will continue through the process to see exactly what direction we want to go," she said.

Ideally, the board would like to have a permanent superintendent in place by Jan. 1, but that may not be practical, she said.

"It all depends on where they are at and when they can come to us."

Educational consultant Darold Williams, Dell Rapids, S.D., stepped in as interim superintendent when Knoll left for the Hayfield school district in July.

Hills-Beaver Creek students crowned Becky Broesder and Brad Haak their 2001 Homecoming King and Queen during coronation activities Monday evening. Homecoming candidates for king and queen and M.C.'s for the festivities were (from left) Brad Haak, Becky Broesder, Lyle DeBoer, M.C. Jody DeNoble, Kevin VanBatavia, Tonya Leenderts, M.C. Paul Jess, Trisha Larson, Justin VanMaanen and Brittney Olson.

Ruth Jorgensen, 81, Tucson, Ariz. died Friday, Sept. 21, 2001, at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

A memorial service will be in Tucson at a later date.

Mrs. Jorgensen was originally from Mt. Vernon, Ind. She was a childhood friend of Dr. Robert Keitel. The couple became reacquainted in 1998 after more than 50 years.

She was a frequent visitor in Luverne during the last three years.

Evelyn Broesder, 86, Rock Rapids, Iowa, formerly of the Magnolia and Ellsworth area, died Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001, at Rock Rapids Health Care Centre in Rock Rapids.

Services were Friday, Sept. 21, at Roste Funeral Home in Rock Rapids. The Rev. Dan Haggar officiated. Burial was in Grand Prairie Cemetery, Ellsworth.

Evelyn Katherina Lange was born to August and Margaret (Frahm) Lange on March 27, 1915, at Westside Township, Nobles County, near Magnolia. She attended country school in Nobles and Rock counties in southwest Minnesota. She worked as a housekeeper for several people until her marriage.

She married John M. Broesder on May 27, 1939, in Rock Rapids. They farmed near Rock Rapids until 1968 when they moved to a farm near Ellsworth. In 1983 they retired from farming and moved to Rock Rapids. After her marriage she was a homemaker and helped with chores, especially taking care of her chickens. She also sewed. Mr. Broesder died on March 16, 1990. Due to her failing health she became a resident of Rock Rapids Health Care Centre on May 24, 2000.

Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Marilyn Broesder, Rock Rapids; one daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Klaas Nagel, Little Rock, Iowa; five grandchildren, Mark (Dana) Broesder, Spencer, Iowa, Kyle (Shari) Broesder, Rock Rapids, Brenda (Curtis) Jurrens, George, Iowa, Becky (Joel) Heidebrink and Bradley (Donell) Nagel, all of Little Rock; 12 great-grandchildren; four sisters, Edna Goembel, Luverne, Violet Cauwels, Verdi, Vivian Cauwels, Magnolia, and Florence Utley, La Harpe, Kan.; four brothers, Lloyd Lange, Fort Ripley, Robert Lange, Beaver Creek, Donald Lange, Adrian, and Rodney Lange, Luverne.

Mrs. Broesder was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John, three sisters, Esther, Fern and Joyce, one brother, Raymond, and one great-granddaughter, Sarah Nagel.

Roste Funeral Home, Rock Rapids, was in charge of arrangements.

Lyle D. Authier Sr., 71, Buffalo, formerly of Luverne, died Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, in Buffalo Hospital.

Services were Saturday, Sept. 15, at United Methodist Church in Thompson, Iowa. The Rev. Wendy Trone officiated. Burial with military rites was in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Lyle Authier was born to Cyril and Goldie Authier on Nov. 28, 1929, in Pipestone. He graduated from high school in Thompson in 1947.

He married Norma Pierce on Aug. 8, 1949, in the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. He served with the U.S. Air Force followed by a career in law enforcement which he dearly loved. He began his career with the Tucson Police Department, Tucson, Ariz., served as chief of police in Luverne and retired with the Winnebago County Sheriff Department in 1991.

Survivors include his wife, Norma Authier, Buffalo; four children and their spouses, Kathy and David Noll, Alexandria, Diane and Kevin Mulligan, Delano, Kirk and Brenda Authier, Vinton, Iowa, and Lyle Jr. and Jamie Authier, Highlands Ranch, Colo.; 12 grandchildren, Christopher, Justin, Matthew, Adam and Steven Noll, Keely and Chelsey Mulligan, Philip, Andrew and Allison, Authier, and Travis and Shelby Authier.

Peterson Chapel, Buffalo, was in charge of arrangements.

Vernon "Pete" Pedersen, 72, died Saturday, Sept. 29 at his home. Memorial services will be Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, Luverne, with Rev. Paul Fries officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to services. Engebretson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.