Luverne School District’s food service program is back on track, thanks to student input and federal funding.
Food service director Ann Rigney updated School Board members at their April 28 meeting about progress since the school year began.
She said student council members have offered ways to streamline lunch offerings, and the students meanwhile learned how the district receives reimbursement dollars.
“Mrs. Rigney and her staff have taken the never-ending suggestions from the student council,” said council vice president Brooklynn Ver Steeg.
“It has definitely been appreciated — they know you have been working hard.”
An audit released in December showed the district’s food service budget started the school year with a $17,841 deficit.
Business manager Tyler Reisch projected the deficit would grow due to a federal mandate that stipulated free meals for students due to the pandemic. The mandate, however, didn’t sufficiently cover meal costs.
Since then, Reisch said, funding increased, and the food service budget is now $5,000 in the black with less than a month left to the school year.
“Ann has done a great job,” he said. “We are not going in the hole quite yet — we are keeping a close eye on it.”
Rigney said her staff serves an average of 400 federally reimbursed meals daily, an increase of about 100 students over the previous year.
The increase is due to the School Board’s decision to close the open lunch hour for freshman and sophomore students.
In addition to the reimbursed meals (which are free to students), the new commons and kitchen area allowed Rigney to add an a la carte service option of grab and go lunch items, which the students purchase.
Rigney said she’s been frugal in her selection of all food items.
“I have a certain price I would like to stay under for the price per plate per day,” she said. “It is hard to do right now.”
Prices are increasing.
The most recent offering of chicken strips jumped $60 per case (165 servings) in one month and a case of napkins increased $20.
“It is not just a little jump, it is a big jump,” Rigney said.
Prices are expected to continue increasing, and the free meal mandate expires after this school year.
“I would say the revenue we are getting currently — we would love to see the free lunch continue — we are keeping up with expenditures,” Reisch said.

Meetings
Beaver Creek Township Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 9, in the township hall.
American Legion Auxiliary #123 will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 11, at the Pizza Ranch in Luverne. Call Dianna Tomlinson, president, with questions.
Friendship Club (formerly TOPS) meets Mondays at 9 a.m. at the Luverne Pizza Ranch. New members welcome. Contact Karen at 507-935-2004 for more information.
 
Concert May 6
Luverne fifth-grade band students will perform in concert at 2 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the middle-high school performing arts center.
 
Generations to host mission presentation
Chris Anderson and his family will be at the Generations Tuesday, May 10, following the 11:30 a.m. lunch for a presentation about their mission work in Romania. Anderson lived in Luverne and attended Southwest Christian in Edgerton. He’s a grandson of the late Robert Anderson and nephew of Renae Reu, Luverne.
 
Community Ed summer brochure coming May 7
The Luverne Community Education summer brochure will be released in the May 7 Luverne Announcer.
Many of the classes have an early registration deadline of May 25.  Take advantage of lower fees ahead of that date for: hockey, football, volleyball, tennis, golf, morning rec, arts & crafts, basketball, track, gymnastics and weight lifting.
Call 507-283-4724, to register for classes. Community Ed’s website is www.isd2184.net, select Luverne Community Education under schools.
Register by May 12 for the Twins Trip on June 12.  Fee is $97.
Stensland Dairy Bus Trip on May 26 is for a parent with a child ages 3 and older.  Fee is $20 for the pair and includes an ice cream treat.  
Register by May 27 for the June 21 bus trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for flowers, grasses, exhibits and more.  Mary and Harold Tilstra will assist the Rock County Master Gardeners in hosting this trip. The low fee of $49 is made possible through a donation from Jeannine Rivet and Warren Herreid.
Defensive Driving classes allow adults 55 years of age and older to save on insurance premiums. After the beginning 8-hour class, every three years drivers take a 4-hour refresher class. In Luverne, the beginning classes are June 21 and 23 (four hours each) and the refresher four-hour class is May 19.
 
Sign up by May 12 for Twins bus trip
Register by May 12 for the June 12 bus trip to the Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay game in Minneapolis. Fee is $97, which covers game ticket and charter bus ride. Seats are in the upper rows of the shaded infield box straight out from first base. Bus leaves Luverne at 7:30 a.m. for the 1:10 game, with stops for breakfast and supper (all meals on your own), and returns at 9 p.m.
Call Luverne Community Education, 507-283-4724
 
Rock County Library Happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com
Story Time with Bronwyn is at 10:30 a.m. Fridays through April 29.
Seed library is open and available to anyone in the public who wants to plant a garden. Flowers, fruit and vegetable seeds are available for free.
Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Take 16 in Luverne. Team registration begins at 6 p.m.
Reminiscence Kits are available featuring various topics such as gardening, pets, baking, sewing, farming and hunting. The kits are designed to use with a loved one experiencing memory loss, encouraging the loved one to open up about activities they once loved in the past.
 
A.C.E. respite care available, volunteers needed
A.C.E. of SW Minnesota (A.C.E.) offers respite care services in Rock County for those needing a break from caring for a loved one.
The respite program offers short-term (1-3 hours), temporary care for families and caregivers by providing a brief period of reprieve from the daily cares they provide to their loved one.
Volunteers provide non-professional supportive services to caregivers to give them time for themselves, relieve their stress and help them remain healthy.
Respite care volunteers are also needed. Trained A.C.E. volunteers provide respite care to family caregivers of adults age 60 and older who are suffering from long-term health conditions.
Contact Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064 or ace.rock@co.rock.mn.us.

Luverne School Board members took action on a number of personnel matters at their regular meeting April 28.
 
Retirements:
The board approved the retirements of:
•Deb Ward, special education teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
•Rod Rosin, custodian, effective July 29.
•Nyla Sohl, paraprofessional, effective May 27.
 
Hires
The board also approved hiring:
•Peyten Elbers, elementary teacher, for a salary of $43,727 beginning the 2022-23 school year.
•Matt Fodness, agriculture teacher and FFA adviser for a salary of $45,276, beginning the 2022-23 school year.
•Sara Weber as English language learner teacher for a salary of $64,477 to begin the 2022-23 school year.
•Megan McCormack as long-term substitute teacher for Aaron Perkins beginning April 28 for the remainder of the school year.
•Tami Bergman as middle-high school administrative assistant effective May 15.
 
Resignations
The board accepted the resignations of:
•Lucas Larson as social studies teacher and boys’ tennis head coach effective at the end of the school year.
•Travis Bullerman as middle school football coach effective at the end the 2021-22 school year.
•Bailey Cowell as assistant baseball coach effective May 5.
 
Leaves of absence
The board approved a medical leave of absence for Aaron Perkins, chemistry/physics teacher beginning April 28 for the remainder of the school year.
The board approved a maternity leave request for paraprofessional Kellsie Rivas beginning April 25 for the remainder of the school year.

May is National Foster Care Month, and Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota (LSS) is seeking foster parents to partner in caring for children and youth in need.
If you are interested in making a difference in children’s lives, consider becoming a foster parent.
On an average day in 2020, approximately 8,600 children and young adults were in foster care, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Jodi Raidt, statewide program manager with LSS Therapeutic Foster Care, said foster parents are needed now more than ever.
“We are in the process of recruiting foster parents statewide,” Raidt said.
“We hope that individuals and families who have been considering this opportunity will take this time to learn more. Fostering is a rewarding experience, and to have someone step forward and provide a safe and caring environment can be life-changing.”
LSS Therapeutic Foster Care provides a spectrum of services based on the unique needs of each child, ensuring that all children in our care have the individual supports to build healthy relationships and skills to meet their specific needs.
Foster parents receive ongoing education to care for children, and trained professionals are available to answer questions or offer support 24/7.
LSS can provide weekly support from a mental health practitioner. As a foster parent, you can help children and families as they build resilience and stabilize.
“Supporting teenagers in foster care is about giving them the opportunities they need to thrive,” said Cassandra Carpenter, who worked with LSS Therapeutic Foster Care to gain her foster care license.
“Things aren’t always perfect, but getting to celebrate their successes with them is an amazing feeling.”
Families and individuals who provide foster care can have different household structures and come from diverse backgrounds.
LSS is seeking prospective foster parents who are willing to listen, support and create positive relationships in their families and communities.
Flexibility, patience and a healthy sense of humor are also ideal characteristics for foster parents.
Lutheran Social Services invites anyone interested in becoming a foster parent to attend the organization’s online information session at 5 p.m. Monday, May 16
The session will offer information about LSS Foster Care services, the licensing process and how you can foster Minnesota children.
Registration is available through a link at lssmn.org/events or through fostercaremn.org/training.
You can also learn more by contacting Jodi Raidt at fostercare@lssmn.org or 612-499-5990, or by visiting fostercaremn.org

Last year I set a goal to compete in the WSCA Champ Show on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
One part to achieving that goal was to be a more physically fit rider.
For nine months I pushed myself to ride daily, and as a result, I achieved that goal and brought one of those big prize ribbons home.
Goal accomplished.
Now as the weather warms up, I’m finding I’m fitting a little tighter in the saddle.
In the eight months since the show season ended, I’ve been ensconced on the couch, and the inactivity now shows — those show clothes are fitting a little snug.
As a result, I’ve taken up a goal of walking 7,500 steps a day. This count includes doing everyday tasks like walking to the car, working all day and doing daily chores.
My iPhone dutifully counts all my steps.
The number — 7,500 — comes from my newly purchased AARP membership.
The AARP officials point to a 2017 Stanford University that stated 10,000 steps is a daunting number (I would agree) and that the effective benefit of daily movement peaked at 7,500 steps. While taking more steps is beneficial, the benefit of decreased mortality was ultimately achieved at the more modest 7,500 steps a day.
I thought, “How hard would it be to walk the equivalent of 3.7 miles a day?”
Turns out it’s harder than I thought.
For the past 30 days I’ve fallen far short of the magical 7,500 daily steps.
My average over the last 30 days has been 4,648 steps a day. My lowest (842 on a Saturday) and my highest (10,740 on a Thursday) appear to be weather influenced. I reached my daily step goal three times in 30 days.
That doesn’t mean I’m a total failure, but I’m far from the gold medal performance I was hoping for.
I’ve started riding regularly again, and when I used to count steps using a Fitbit, I regularly reached 8,000 steps, my goal at that time. Of course, the Fitbit used to count the horse’s steps, too.
The iPhone is a little harder to cheat. It doesn’t count the horse’s steps or my leg movements during the time period I am in the saddle.
Because the iPhone is honest, I must be realistic too — I’ve ordered a size larger riding pants — just in case those fitness step numbers don’t add up.

Last week the city of Luverne finished up another round of the citywide junk pickup.
A tip of the hat goes to the crew that picked up our junk. They swooped into my neighborhood, wearing their neon green vests, with a garbage truck, a Payloader, a couple of John Deere side-by-sides and a dump truck or two, and with the speed and precision of a NASCAR pit crew, they were in and out of the hood in no time.
As is the Peterson yearly tradition – as it probably is for many of you – we drive around prior to the city picking up the junk to check out what people are throwing away.
The usual items such as mattresses, broken toys, a toilet or two – maybe more – and one avocado-colored bathtub cut in half were waiting for pickup along the boulevards. Windows, doors and more carpet than in past years got the “heave ho” this year.
Furniture seemed to top the list of most popular items to get shoved to the curb. Recliners and overstuffed fabric chairs with thick cushions were hauled out in what looked like record numbers, only to be blown down the street one day and back the other way the next day due to our windy weekend.
The junk pickup is often underappreciated and often abused. Yet year after year it’s one of the perks of living in Luverne we all can take advantage of, whether you’re throwing out junk or just driving around looking at other people’s junk.
It’s an annual tradition that we can all be thankful for.

To the Editor:
First, we want to thank everyone who put so much time and effort into providing a safe and fun prom experience for our Luverne youth. A lot of work goes into planning this special day and it takes many to pull it off.
With the rain predictions for prom this year, everyone was fortunate to have a facility where indoor photos could be taken. What was disheartening was to see alcoholic beverages being offered and consumed by many of the adults present. Photos on social media can verify this as well as people in attendance. Photos also depict alcoholic beverages unattended at tables where youth were sitting.
We know we are not the only parents that felt this was inappropriate. As parents we should also uphold the prom standard of providing safe environments that do not provide temptation or go against the guidelines set in place for our young people.
While students are asked to sign an agreement in regard to expected behaviors throughout the prom activities, we would like to encourage adults to support these expected behaviors and keep this in consideration in the future.
Our community can do better. Our young people are worth it!
Mike and Wanda Jarchow,
Luverne

A crane was once again called into service at the city power plant this past week, this time to install exhaust tacks near the building.
The work is part of the city’s $11 million project to improve Luverne’s back up generation and remodel the old building.
Earlier this year, a crane installed two 50,000-pound generators, 3-megawatt each, to join the city’s existing 1960s 3-megawatt generator in the power plant.
The combined 9-megawatt continuous capacity of the three generators will ensure Luverne’s backup generation can carry a major part of the city’s total electrical load in the event of an outage.
The improvements will also allow the city to provide more backup power for Missouri River Energy Services, which contracts with Luverne for that energy.
MRES currently pays the city $75,000 per year to keep its generators in working condition for backup power in peak usage times. In a new capacity agreement, MRES will pay Luverne $6.7 million over 30 years, which will help pay for roughly half the $11.8 million total cost of the project.
In addition to the new generators, that work includes: •modernizing the east substation and the associated switchgear.  •a new control building (the prefabricated building was delivered March 2). improvements to the power plant to house the generation equipment.

Dispatch report
April 22
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported tools stolen from vehicle.
•Complainant on County Road 3 reported a cell phone was found.
•Complainant reported a missing person.
•Complainant on Freeman Avenue and Luverne Street reported a parking complaint.
•Complainant on E. Lincoln Street reported a possible break-in.
•Complainant on 51st Street reported a train fire.
•Complainant on 231st Street, Jasper, reported an unknown vehicle driving on property.
April 23
•A weather alert issued in Rock County.
•Complainant on W. Main Street reported a trampoline in the road.
•Complainant on Interstate 90 reported a trailer flipped over.
•Complainant on 110th Avenue, Luverne, reported hay bales on fire.
•Complainant on W. Mead Court reported a disorderly woman at location.
•Complainant on 180th Avenue and 241st Street, Edgerton, reported an erratic driver.
April 24
•Complainant on County Road 6 and 81st Street, Beaver Creek, reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant on N. Estey Street reported a juvenile runway.
•Complainant on S. Cottage Grove Avenue reported a civil issue.
April 25
•Complainant in San Diego, California, reported out-of-county emergency.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported vandalism.
•Complainant reported shared personal data.
•Complainant on N. Estey Street reported a runaway child.
•Complainant on County Road 12, Edgerton, reported trash in the ditch.
•Complainant on Hatting Street reported trespassing.
April 26
•Complainant reported bad checks.
•Complainant on W. Lincoln Street reported animal property issue.
•Complainant in Sioux Falls reported animal ownership complaint.
•Complainant on 2nd Street West, Hills, reported someone taking photos and yelling.
•Complainant in Luverne reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 18, Luverne, reported erratic driving.
April 27
•Subject was arrested on a Rock County warrant.
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street reported a lost child.
•Complainant on N. Fairview Drive reported a white pickup driving too fast.
•Complainant on 121st Street reported debris on roadway at location.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker, 6, Beaver Creek, filed a driving complaint.
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street reported an assault.
•Property was found on S. Kniss Avenue.
April 28
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported an assault.
•Complainant wanted to talk about previous incident.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a counterfeit bill.
•Complainant on W. Lincoln Street wanted to talk to deputy about pet custody.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a driving complaint.
April 29
•Suspicious activity was reported on 60th Avenue, Jasper.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a transient.
•Complainant reported they dropped meds for disposal.
In addition, officers responded to 1 motor vehicle accident, 1 deer accident, 1 vehicle in ditch, 5 transports, 2 escorts, 19 ambulance runs, 7 paper services, 7 animal complaints, 3 fingerprint requests, 19 burn permits, 1 background check, 5 alarms, 7 drug court tests, 6 purchase and carry permits, 15 traffic stops, 5 abandoned 911 calls, 2 tests, 1 report of cattle out and 2 follow-ups.