Mortgage foreclosure sale set for April 28 
NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage:
DATE OF MORTGAGE: February 9, 2012
ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $0.00
MORTGAGOR(S): Justin Birger, Her Husband and Laressa Birger, His Wife
MORTGAGEE: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as mortgagee, as nominee for Dacotah Bank, its successors and assigns
DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: 
Recorded: February 21, 2012 Rock County Recorder
Document Number: 178607
ASSIGNMENTS OF MORTGAGE:
And assigned to: Colonial Savings, F.A.
Dated: January 19, 2017
Recorded: February 13, 2017 Rock County Recorder
Document Number: 190119
Transaction Agent: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.
Transaction Agent Mortgage Identification Number: 100793500000021541
Lender/Broker/Mortgage Originator: Dacotah Bank
Residential Mortgage Servicer: Colonial Savings, FA
COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Rock
Property Address: 302 E 7th St, Hills, MN 56138
Tax Parcel ID Number: 15-0316-000
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: Lot Three (3) and Four (4) in Block Two (2) of Parkview Second Addition to the City of Hills, Rock County, Minnesota
AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE: $196,677.55
THAT all pre-foreclosure requirements have been complied with; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof; that this is registered property;
PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above-described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:
DATE AND TIME OF SALE: April 28, 2022 at 1:00 A.M.
PLACE OF SALE: County Sheriff`s office, in the lobby of the Rock County Law Enforcement Center, 1000 N. Blue Mound Avenue, Luverne, Minnesota
to pay the debt secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorney fees allowed by law, subject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns.
If the Mortgage is not reinstated under Minn. Stat. §580.30 or the property is not redeemed under Minn. Stat. §580.23, the Mortgagor must vacate the property on or before 11:59 p.m. on October 28, 2022, or the next business day if October 28, 2022, falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.
Mortgagor(s) released from financial obligation: NONE
THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT.  ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. 
THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.
THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR'S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.
DATED: February 22, 2022
MORTGAGEE: Colonial Savings, F.A.
Wilford, Geske & Cook, P.A.
Attorneys for Mortgagee
7616 Currell Boulevard, Suite 200
Woodbury, MN 55125
(651) 209-3300
File Number: 050335-F1
(03-03, 03-10, 03-17, 03-24, 03-31, 04-07)

Rock County open meeting March 22
NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING
An open meeting will be held to discuss the road and bridge replacement program for the transportation system of Rock County. The meeting will be at the Rock County Library Basement Meeting Room, 201 West Main Street, in 
Luverne, MN Tuesday, March 22, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
This public informational meeting will be held at the Rock County Library. Any individual, group or agency wishing information is urged to attend and participate in this meeting. The meeting is to provide information on the planning, programming and schedule of work on the County Highway system.
Mark R. Sehr,
Rock County Highway Engineer
(03-03, 03-10)

City of Luverne seeks 
bids by March 23 
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Sealed proposals will be received by the City Council of Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota, at the Luverne City Offices, 305 East Luverne Street, P.O. Box 659, Luverne, Minnesota 56156 on Wednesday, the 23rd of March, 2022, at 1:00 P.M. for the Schmuck Addition Utility Extension, Luverne, Minnesota, at which time the proposals 
shall be publicly opened and read aloud by the City Administrator and Engineer.
The approximate quantities of work on which proposals will be received are as follows:
974 L.F. 8” Sanitary Sewer Main, Trenched
94 L.F. 8” Sanitary Sewer Main, Trenchless
710 L.F. 8” Water Main, Trenched
6 Ea. Sanitary Manholes
and other related items of construction.
All bids shall be made on proposal forms furnished by the Engineer and shall be accompanied by bid security in the form of a certified check or bid bond, made payable to the City of Luverne, Minnesota, in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the bid, which security becomes the property of the City in the event the successful bidder fails to enter into contract and post satisfactory bond.  Work shall commence 
on or after May 18, 2022, and be completed by September 3, 2022.
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive technicalities and irregularities. The City also reserves the right to increase, 
decrease or delete items of work to comply with budget limitations.
The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 
The Contractor and all subcontractors shall submit to the Owner a signed statement verifying compliance with each of the criteria described in the State of Minnesota “Responsible Contractor” law as codified in Minnesota 
Statute section 16C.285.  See the Instructions to Bidders for more details.
Complete digital project bidding documents are available at www.questcdn.com. You may download the digital plan documents for $20.00 by inputting Quest project #8136488 on the website's Project Search page. Please contact QuestCDN.com at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance in free membership registration, downloading, and working with this digital project information. An optional paper set of the proposal forms and specifications for individual use may be obtained from the office of the Engineer, DGR Engineering, 1302 South Union, P.O. Box 511, Rock Rapids, Iowa 51246, telephone 712-472-2531, Fax 712-472-2710, 
e-mail: dgr@dgr.com, upon payment of $50.00, none of which is refundable.
Published upon order of the City Council of Luverne, Minnesota. CITY OF LUVERNE, MINNESOTA
By /s/ Patrick T. Baustian,               Mayor
(03-03)

The Luverne-Adrian FFA Chapter hosted an appreciation pancake breakfast Friday at the American Reformed Church in Luverne. The first-time event allowed FFA’ers to thank the community for their continued support for the long-standing agricultural program.

There will be no roundabout at the Highway 75 and Main Street intersection, but there will be designated left turn lanes on Main Street and wider corners for truck traffic.
That’s the compromise state and local leaders arrived at in response to what studies show to be increasing crash risks at that intersection.
Luverne City Council members and Rock County Commissioners met in a joint Zoom session with state transportation officials Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Robert Jones of MnDOT commended local leaders for their input.
“It was awesome that we all worked together and the city and county made their resolutions known to us,” Jones said. “We really wanted to listen to what your needs were.”
He said the three local needs are to 1. reduce crash ratings, 2. improve pedestrian safety and 3. facilitate trucks moving through the intersection.
Jones and other MnDOT officials last summer had proposed a roundabout at the intersection, but local leaders opposed it.
City and Rock County officials worked together in December on a resolution in support of right turn lanes and updated traffic lights for the intersection, rather than a roundabout.
“This was the least invasive of the options,” council member Kevin Aaker said at the Dec. 21 city meeting.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Jones said traffic engineers worked on the alternate plan, but discovered that designated left turn lanes on County Road 4 would be safer than right turn lanes.
They also deemed that in order for trucks to turn right without swinging wide into the left turn lanes, the corners would have to be pulled back, and this would affect the city’s new planters and signage at the intersection.
“We didn’t want to impact those, but our traffic engineer said we wouldn’t be able to facilitate truck traffic and pedestrian safety without widening the right turns, which meant moving the planters,” Jones said.
In discussions with city and county leaders, he said there is plan to protect the integrity of the new corner aesthetics.
“The good news is these planter boxes and the city of Luverne signs, as they sit now, are right outside of our right of way, therefore it would be our responsibility to pay for and move those planter boxes,” Jones said.
“We will try to keep that sign exactly where it is but reconstructing the planter box a little further back.”
He said the state would work with local designers to complete the project in a way that the public won’t notice a big difference in their appearance.
The planter box on the Veterans Memorial corner will need to be moved, but the flags won’t be affected.
Jones said the state could also include in the project a fourth planter box on the southwest corner if the city wants, at city cost.
The cost for street lights and poles are shared 50-50 between the city and county.
“If the city wants these poles brown again we have to order them from the factory that way, that’s part of the city cost,” Jones said.
“So, we want to be up front about these costs, but we can make this work. We can do this all in the same project and have our contractor do it.”
These details would be spelled out in cooperative agreements between the state and local entities and between the city and county.
Engineers at Tuesday’s meeting used graphics and maps to show why the left turn lanes and wider corners are preferred.
Essentially, westbound traffic turning south onto 75 was increasing, as were the left turn-related crashes. They said it would move traffic through the intersection more smoothly and safely.
County Commissioner Gary Overgaard expressed support for the revised plan.
“We appreciate you guys coming down here to talk to us and get this thing figured out and come to an agreement we can be happy with,” Overgaard said Tuesday.
“The feedback on the roundabout was definitely a ‘no,’ but it looks like people can work together and we appreciate it.”
Jones agreed.
“Absolutely. You guys are the major stakeholders and you’re going to have to live with it when we’re done,” he said. But these are our roads, and we want to make sure they are built safe, according to MnDOT standards.”
Mayor Pat Baustian also supported the revisions.
“Everybody worked together to come up with the best plan possible,” he said. “Thanks for taking everybody’s considerations and comments into it. Working with everybody is the best option.”
The city and county will approve amendments to their existing resolutions and resubmit them to the state.
The Main Street intersection work is part of a planned 2.5-mile resurfacing project scheduled for 2025 on Highway 75 from Main Street to Veterans Drive.

Saturday’s benefit at Rock Ranch in Hills is about more than raising money, according to Kris Van Der Brink, who is organizing the event to benefit two families.
“I’ve been in both of those two families’ spots,” said Van Der Brink, Luverne.
She was referring to cancer and a spouse’s unexpected death at a young age.
In the years since, she found solace and an outlet for her horse-loving daughter, Kellie, in the 4-H horse project, through which she met the Ehlers and Fey families.
Mark and Lisa Ehlers of Luverne both faced recent cancer diagnoses. Mark underwent successful surgery in January.
“Lisa barely got done ringing the bell when Mark was diagnosed,” Van Der Brink said.
(The late?) Tanya and Wyatt Fey of Woodstock are adult volunteers with the Southwest Minnesota 4-H Western Heritage, a program within the horse project.
Tanya, 37, died at home in November from a horse-involved accident.
“I know what Wyatt is going through — missing someone sitting across from the table,” Van Der Brink said.
Her journey started more than a decade ago, when her husband, Mike, was diagnosed with cancer. While he underwent months of treatments, they worried about finances, lost work time and the demands of raising a family. Mike died in 2005.
Proceeds from Saturday’s benefit will be split evenly between the two families with no stipulations on how the money is to be spent.
“It is for them to use on whatever they need even if it’s hospital bills, regular bills, gas, food,” Van Der Brink said.
She knows from experience even the smallest gifts can have big impacts.
“I remember when we received an anonymous gift card and used it for gas after we discussed how we were going to get to Rochester,” she said.
Van Der Brink also understands everyday demands also hinder donors as well.
She announced months ago the Tack Swap Benefit would be a free-will donation event, giving everyone time to clean out closets and make other preparations for the benefit.
The 4-H and Western Heritage families are organizing a food stand and silent auction.
Individuals are organizing booths to sell items and/or services with a percentage of the sales benefiting the Ehlers and Fey families.
Educational stations are also planned for those who attend Saturday’s event, even if they are not directly involved in 4-H or the horse program.
Being a member of a group helped the Van Der Brink move forward after Mike’s death.
A 4-H family introduced Kellie to her first horse, and since then various horse project activities have developed into family-like support and atmosphere for the mom and daughter.
More importantly, the animals have been therapeutic.
“You can tell your horses all your problems,” Van Der Brink said.
The animals’ responses were always the same, “We’ve got it taken care of.”
The Tack Swap Benefit is a come-and-go event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rock Ranch, 355 40th Ave., Hills.

Two Hills-Beaver Creek High School basketball players joined the school’s 1,000-point club in the past week.
H-BC senior Kenadie Fick scored her 1,000th point on Tuesday night, Feb. 22, during the game with Adrian-Ellsworth.
“I have said it time and time again, Kenadie Fick is one of the hardest working players I have ever been around,” said H-BC girls’ basketball head coach Dylan Gehrke.
“To reach that 1,000-point mark was special for her, I’m so proud of her dedication to Lady Patriot Basketball. She has paved the way for our younger generation on what it looks like to be a Lady Patriot.”
Kenadie is the daughter of Randy and Kathy Fick.
H-BC senior Cole Baker scored his 1,000th point Friday night in the game with Russel Tyler Ruthton.
“Cole is an unbelievable athlete and ultimate competitor. He wants what is best for the team and is humble in his individual achievements,” said H-BC boys’ basketball head coach Kale Wiertzema.
“It has been an honor to coach him and I’m thankful I was able to be a part of his 1,000th point achievement."
Cole is the son of Randy and Janie Baker.
Fick and Baker are the 22nd and 23rd Patriots basketball players to join the H-BC 1,000-point club.

The Cardinal wrestling team traveled to Wabasso Saturday, Feb. 26, and returned home with seven medals.
Luverne senior Braydon Ripka earned a trip to the 3A State Tournament with his second-place finish at 145 pounds.
Seven out of eight Cardinal wrestlers placed, beginning with Rayden Boyenga at 113 pounds. Posting a 2-2 record, Boyenga returned home with a fourth-place medal. 
At 120 pounds, Leif Ingebretsen secured a medal after wins in consolation, but lost his final match 4-2 to Wabasso’s Mikale Goblirsch receiving a sixth-place finish. The same result occurred for Hudson Hough at 126 picking up a sixth-place medal.
Luverne senior Noah Mehlhaff posted a 3-1 record securing third place. He began his day at 132 pounds by pinning Red Rock Central’s Zakary Zimmermann in 2:28. 
In the semifinals, Mehlhaff was bested by Ayden Horner of Tracy before rebounding with a 14-8 decision over Levi Miest from Saint James Area. 
In the third-place match, Mehlhaff pinned Pipestone’s Davis Budden in 1:52.  
“Noah wrestled a fantastic tournament and ended placing higher than where he was seeded. It feels great to see a senior end his career that way,” head coach Jordan Kopp said.
As a senior ending his run as a Luverne wrestler, Mehlhaff reflected on his high school wrestling career.
“I came in as the fifth seed, pinned the fourth and third seed, but came up short with the 1 and 2 seed,” he said. “I feel pretty good, but a little disappointed.”
In his final section tournament appearance, Braydon Ripka produced three wins on his way to the finals before finishing in second place.
Ripka began his day by pinning Red Rock Central’s Andrew Pankonin in 1:18 before pinning Pipestone’s Gavin Olson in 2:55.
In the semifinals, Ripka bested Adrian’s Rilee Heidebrink 10-4. Jackson’s Dylan Withers ended Ripka’s win streak by pinning him in 1:28.
By securing second place, Ripka now advances to the state tournament beginning Friday, March 4.
“It feels great to accomplish a goal since I started my varsity wrestling career in eighth grade,” Ripka said.
“It’s a new experience and it’s pretty cool I made it.  I’m just headed up to have some fun and wrestle.”
At 170 pounds, Jacob Madison navigated his way into the fifth-place match and beat Wabasso’s Ezekial Olson 6-4. Senior Ayden Bonnett also secured a fifth-place medal at 195 pounds.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team as they have been working hard all season,” Kopp said.
“We had expectations to come home with several medals but returning back to Luverne with seven medals just makes it that much better.”