Rock County Commissioners meet Nov. 2
Herreid Board Room          9:00 A.M.
Rock County Courthouse Nov. 2, 2021
The meeting was called to order by the Chair with all Commissioners present. Also in attendance were Administrator Kyle Oldre, County Attorney Jeff Haubrich, Deputy Administrator Susan Skattum and Star-Herald Reporter and Mavis Fodness.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those in attendance.
Motion by Reisch, seconded by Overgaard, to approve the November 02, 2021,
County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Burger, seconded by Thompson, to approve the October 19, 2021,
County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote.
Southwest Health & Human Services Representatives Beth Wilms, Director, and Nancy Walker, Deputy Director, presented an organization update to include annual report of 2018 and 2019, financial health has improved as they are currently at 2.6 months of reserves, the status of mental health services and Public Health has regained federal funding that was eliminated in 2013. Walker stated that the current staffing count is at 235 employees and that they have several vacancies that they have not been able to fill due to lack of applicants; also have left MN Merit System.  
Administrator Oldre acknowledged Jason Kloss, SWHHS Environmental
Health Manager for the exceptional job he has done serving as Rock County’s 
designated Public Health representative during the pandemic.
Oldre also requested Wilms to discuss the funding formula of Southwest
Health and Human Services with board representatives; Wilms confirmed
that she would add the funding formula topic to their agenda.
Calla Jarvie, Rock County Community Library Director, reported on a recent
conference which she attended in Reno, Nevanda; the conference expenses
were covered by an Association of Rural and Small Libraries scholarship.
She stated that the fellowship and resources that she acquired were
very focused on equity, diversity and inclusion. 
Ashley Kurtz, Auditor/Treasurer, presented the claims; motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to pay the claims, declared carried on a voice vote.  A complete listing of the claims is available at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office.
NOVEMBER 2, 2021 CLAIMS OVER $2,000
A & B BUSINESS INC $2,602.32 
BMO HARRIS COMMERCIAL CARD                 2,733.36 
BUFFALO RIDGE CONCRETE                 7,843.50 
C & B OPERATIONS LLC             82,000.00 
FLEET SERVICES DIVISION-ADMIN FMR                 7,227.53 
FRONTIER PRECISION INC                 3,589.34 
KEMP ELECTRIC   2,940.74 
KUSTOM SIGNALS, INC             3,942.00 
LIBERTY TIRE RECYCLING LLC                 2,635.25 
LUVERNE/CITY OF             71,548.83 
NOBLES COUNTY AUDITOR-TREASURER                 4,600.00 
ROOS CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION                 2,130.00 
SOUTHWEST HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES             34,571.39 
SUPERIOR CAULKING INC             18,685.70 
ZIEGLER INC                 8,500.00 
56 PAYMENTS LESS THAN $2,000             20,249.29 
TOTAL               $275,799.25 
The County Board was in receipt of the Fund Balance report which reflected a 50 percent distribution to the school districts; motion by Overgaard, seconded by Thompson, to approve the Fund Balance report, declared carried on a voice vote.
The County Board was in receipt of the 2022 tax capacity rates;
presented as informational.
Kurtz requested to re-issue the following lost warrants:
#88239 payable to Lee Christians; $7.00
#89633 payable to Lynette Jauert; $74.90
#94879 payable to Lee Christians; $20.71
Motion by Thompson, seconded by Williamson to approve re-issuance
of the lost warrants, declared on a voice vote.
Ryan Holtz, Rural Water Systems Manager, presented a request for the county
to approve a Lewis & Clark Expansion agreement; the expansion will provide an
additional 174,000 units of water/day and members have one year to find the
funding/financing for the project. On a recommendation from the Rural
Water Board, motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to approve the
agreement, declared carried on a voice vote.
Holtz stated that he would be visiting with township officials
regarding the use of their ARP funding.
Mark Sehr, Engineer, requested to purchase a trailer from Dell Rapids Custom Trailers, Inc. for $13,865.00; motion by Thompson, seconded by Williamson,
to approve the purchase, declared carried on a voice vote.
Sehr briefly discussed the MnDOT study regarding a roundabout at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 75 in the City of Luverne stating that he did not think it would be a good investment to go from a B-rating to an A-rating; the city would also lose all of the newly constructed aesthetic features at the intersection as well.  
Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Burger, to decline membership to the
Rural Counties Caucus, declared carried on a voice vote.
The Administrator presented an update of the AMC District VIII meeting 
were regional levies, DMV Driver Testing sites and Opioid settlement coming
in December were discussed.
The Luverne Area Chamber requested a County Board representative
on the 150th Celebration Committee; Commissioner Thompson stated she would
be that representative.
The Administrator stated that the streambank stabilization project south of Luverne City Park has reached a resolution, and that he is reviewing options for security camera on the courthouse grounds and that the Armory project will be breaking ground yet this fall.
Commissioner Reisch stated that he had attended the following meetings:  Plum Creek Library, City/County Liaison, and Budget meeting with the Sheriff.
Commissioner Thompson stated that she had attended the following meetings: Prairie E-Loft ground breaking ceremony, AMC District VIII,
Southwest Health & Human Services and Ashby Trail dedication.
Commissioner Overgaard stated that he had attended the following
meetings: Lyon County Landfill, AMC District VIII, City/County Liaison, and
the Prairie E-Loft ground breaking ceremony.
Commissioner Burger stated that he had attended the following meetings: Prairie E-Loft ground breaking ceremony, Southwest Health & Human Services, Budget meeting with the Sheriff and Nursing Family Partnership.
Commissioner Williamson stated that he had attended the following meetings: Prairie E-Loft ground breaking ceremony and AMC District VIII.
With no further business to come before the County Board, the
meeting was declared adjourned by order of the Chair.
(12-23)

Walleye Wind, LLC
provides notice 
 
Walleye Wind, LLC, provides this notice regarding the installation of a tower with a 
radar-based Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) at the Walleye Wind Farm in 
Rock County, Minnesota.
The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the installation of the
radar tower for potential impacts to historic properties. The tower will
consist of a 100-foot-tall steel lattice tower within a 0.1-acre area. Access
to the tower will be via a new 0.25-mile-long, 16-foot-wide engineered gravel
road. Any interested party wishing to submit comments regarding the potential
effects that the Walleye Wind ADLS radar tower may have on any historic
property may send comments to: Walleye Wind ADLS Radar Tower c/o SWCA
Environmental Consultants, 295 Interlocken Blvd. Suite 300, Broomfield,
Colorado 80021, or via telephone at 720-249-3441. (12-23)

Connell probate
STATE OF MINNESOTA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    FIFTH JUDICIAL COURT
                                                                         DISTRICT COURT
COUNTY OF ROCK                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   PROBATE DIVISION
 
Court File No. 67-PR-21-301
 
Estate of:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    NOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON                      
Terry James Connell,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND 
                  Decedent                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL
                                          REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
 
It is Ordered and Notice is given that on January 24, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., a hearing will be held in this Court at 204 E Brown St, Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the Will of the Decedent dated, May 15, 2015, and codicil(s) to the Will dated, and separate writing(s) under Minn. Stat. 524.2-513 ("Will"), and for the appointment of Chantel Connell, whose address is 1190 North River Road, Luverne, MN 56156, as Personal Representative of the Estate of the Decedent in an UNSUPERVISED administration. 
Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the Personal Representatives will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate including the power to collect all assets, to pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and 
personal property, and to do all necessary acts for the Estate.
Notice is also given that (subject to Minnesota Statutes section 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the Personal Representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the 
date of this Notice or the claims will be barred.
A charitable beneficiary may request notice of the probate proceedings to be given to the Attorney General pursuant to Minn. Stat. 501B.41, subd. 5.
  
Date Filed: December 17, 2021                                                                                                  BY THE COURT
 
COURT SEAL                                                                                                                           /s/ Terry Vajgrt
                                                                                                                                                   Judge of District Court
                                                                                                                                                   /s/ Natalie Reisch
                                                                                                                                                   Court Administrator
Attorney for Petitioners
Benjamin Vander Kooi, Jr.
Vander Kooi Law Offices, P.A.
Street: 127 E. Main Street; PO Box 746
Luverne, MN 56156
Attorney License No: 112124
Telephone: (507) 283-9546
FAX: (507) 283-9629
Email: lawkooi@gmail.com
(12-23, 12-30)

The Luverne boys’ basketball team picked up its first win of the season when it made the short trip to Hills for a game with Hills-Beaver Creek.
The Cardinals defeated their Rock County rivals, the  H-BC Patriots, 48-32 in the Tuesday, Dec. 14, contest.
The Patriots led the entire first half of the game, leading by as much as 10 points (18-8), and took a 20-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Luverne came out stronger in the second half and quickly narrowed the lead and then tied the game.
The two teams traded baskets until about 11 minutes remaining in the contest when the Cardinals took a 27-26 lead.
Luverne outscored the Patriots 21-5 the remainder of the game to earn the sixteen-point victory.
Casey Sehr led the Cardinals with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Connor Overgaard had 13 points and six rebounds in the contest.
For the Patriots, senior Cole Baker scored 18 points and brought in four rebounds.
Andrew Harris scored five points and collected five rebounds.
Ty Bundesen and Liam Raymon recorded seven and six rebounds respectively.
 
Luverne box score:
Cole-Kraty  2 0 1-2 5, Schoeneman 0 0 0-0 0, Frahm 0 0 0-0 0, Sneller 0 0 0-0 0, Cowell 1 0 0-1 2, Sehr 8 0 2-4 18, Feit 0 0 1-2 1, Radtke 3 1 2-5 9, Friedrichsen 0 0 0-0 0, Connor Overgaard 6 0 1-7 13, Mounce 0 0 0-0 0, Arp 0 0 0-0 0
 
H-BC box score:
Baker 6 1 3-4 18, Raymon 1 0 0-0 2, Page 0 0 0-0 0, Leenderts 0 1 0-1 3, Bundesen 1 0 0-3 2, Metzger 0 0 0-0 0, Durst 1 0 0-0 2, Harris 2 0 1-6 5
 
Team statistics:
Luverne: 20 of 48 (42 percent), 7 of 21 free throws (33 percent), 35 rebounds, 15 turnovers
 
HBC: 13 of 42 (31 percent), 4 of 12 free throws (33 percent) 35 rebounds, 18 turnovers

Luverne girls’ hockey team improved to 10-1 on the year, picking up another three wins in the past week.
They started Tuesday, Dec. 14, with a varsity boys’ and girls’ doubleheader when the LHS girls took down Windom 9-0 before they beat Austin 7-3 on the road Friday and Rochester Mayo 7-1 Saturday.
Luverne was scheduled to travel to Benson Tuesday to take on the MBA Storm, and they’ll head to Blaine Saturday, Dec. 27, for a Holiday Tournament.
 
Luverne 9, Windom 0
The Windom Eagles came to Luverne Tuesday night and Luverne got on the throttle early and never backed off. 
Reghan Bork got things started for the Cardinals netting Luverne’s only two first-period goals, with Kamryn Van Batavia assisting on both of them. Luverne heavily dominated the shots on goal for the first period by a tally of 13-1.
Payton Behr got things started just 46 seconds into the second period beating Windom’s goalie, Kaylie Baerg, with Van Batavia and Bork getting the assists.
Van Batavia found the back of the net twice in the next seven minutes to give the Cardinals a 5-0 lead after two periods. Luverne put up another 17 shots on goal, with three by the visiting Eagles.
The Cardinals would continue the dominance in the third period with another 18 shots on Baerg with four resulting in goals.
Luverne went on a power play just seconds into the third when Bork found Van Batavia who scored an unassisted goal to make it 6-0 Cardinals.
Midway through the third Luverne netted another goal, this time with Bork getting the feed from Van Batavia.
The Cardinals were not finished yet. Macie Edstrom beat Baerg at the 11:02 mark with the assist going to Hannah Woodley.
Van Batavia would get her fourth goal of the game with five minutes left to give the Cardinals a 9-0 lead, and that’s how it would end at the Blue Mound Ice Arena Tuesday.
Luverne’s goalie Cheyenne Schutz registered another shutout making six saves in the contest. Final shots on goal were Luverne 48 and Windom 6.
 
Luverne 7, Austin 3
The Cardinals girls’ hockey team went on the road for a Friday night showdown with the Austin Packers at Riverside Arena.
Luverne got on the board first with Kamryn Van Batavia lighting the lamp just 54 seconds into the game with the assist going to Reghan Bork.
Luverne had some good looks, but Austin’s goalie, Kyla Radford-Garcia, stood strong the rest of the period to keep the visiting Cardinals to just a one-point lead at the end of the first period.
The second period saw more action when Austin tied the game at 2:55 into the period. Van Batavia took over and netted  three goals in the next six minutes to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead with seven minutes left in the second.
Austin cut the lead within two at the 12:20 mark, but Austin got called for tripping to send the Cardinals on the power play. Bork found Payton Behr who beat Radford-Garcia, giving Luverne a 5-2 lead at the second intermission. Shots on goal for the period were 15-7 in favor of the Cardinals.
Bork buried the puck just over two minutes into the third with assists going to Van Batavia and Behr to make it 6-2.
Austin got the puck past Luverne’s goalie Cheyenne Schutz halfway through the period to cut the lead to within three points.
Van Batavia answered with her fifth goal of the game just 18 seconds later to bring the score to 7-3, and that’s how it would end in Austin.
Schutz had 13 saves in the game, and the Cardinals finished with a 42-16 shots on goal advantage
 
LHS 7, Rochester Mayo 1
The Cardinals continued their eight-game winning streak, picking up another “W” in Rochester Saturday afternoon.
Ella Apel got the Cardinals on the scoreboard at the 10:35 mark of the first period with an assist from Greta McClure. A minute later Luverne junior Kamryn Van Batavia found the back of the net to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Shots on goal were 23-9 in favor of Luverne.
The second period started just like the first ended, with Van Batavia beating Rochester Mayo’s goalie Grace Kober just two minutes in. Payton Behr and Van Batavia added to Luverne’s lead with goals 26 seconds apart to give the Cardinals a 5-0 lead after two periods of play.
Second period shots on goal were Luverne 20 and Rochester Mayo 11.
Rochester Mayo finally slipped one past Luverne goalie Cheyenne Schutz at the beginning of the third to cut the lead to 5-1.
Luverne responded with goals from Van Batavia and Reghan Bork to increase the lead to 7-1, the final score.
Luverne improves to 10-1 on the year. Schutz ended with 25 saves in the contest and Luverne ended with a 59-26 advantage in shots on goal.

ormed their first holiday music program in the school’s performing arts center Thursday afternoon, Dec. 16.
The 86-member second-grade class took the stage first with “The Nutcracker (in 20 minutes or less).”
Students challenged music teacher Morgan VanHolland to read the narrative quickly as they performed “Jingle Bells,” “March” of the Nutcracker ballet, “Sugarplum Dancing,” “Russian Dance,” and “Peppermint Candy Cane.”
Fifth-grade band teacher (and high school German teacher) Angie Swenson co-directed 82 fourth-graders in the production of “Winter!”
“It is amazing to work in the performing arts center,” Swenson said. “The sound and lighting are awesome. It is such a joy that students have the opportunity to perform in a setting that is designed for music.”
The fourth-graders also performed “The Big Chill,” “Better Bundle Up,” “Snow Day,” “Winter Fun,” and “Winter Again.”
They donned stocking hats and mittens for their performance.

A Dec. 7 open house celebrated the Team “E” Fieldhouse of Hope opening in Hills and Game Plan 4 Hope’s volunteer fan club.
“We are excited to see how the building is going to help us with our current mission and open doors to new opportunities in the future,” said co-founder Missy Bass.
Hills couples Jeff and Missy Bass and Heather and Aaron Erickson, formed the nonprofit Game Plan 4 Hope in 2019 to be “quarterbacks” for families experiencing life-changing events as they had with their own sons.
The opening of an office and multi-purpose area gives them and volunteers a place to assemble care packages, write encouragement notes, provide emotional support, and coordinate hospital outreach activities with families just affected or in the middle of the life-changing journey.
“We can spread our wings locally, too,” added Heather Erickson.
A public fitness center will open early in 2022 when remodeling is complete, and the multi-purpose room with Zoom Room Technology is available for rent for private or business events.
“The community supported us and we’re happy we can offer something back to everyone,” Jeff Bass said.
A fundraising campaign to remodel the former grain elevator office at 312 W. 3rd Ave. began on Jan. 1 with a $135,000 goal.
The group raised nearly $144,000.
Within months, members of the local football team and others in the community helped remove walls, and skilled volunteer offered construction, plumbing and electrical work, while adding decorative features both inside and out.
In the Fieldhouse, medical equipment that Game Plan 4 Hope has received will be inventoried, repaired and redistributed to families readjusting to the life-changing events that may require such equipment.
The handicap-accessible vans are housed at the Fieldhouse and are available to families, including the Bass family.
Their son, Trenton Bass, was 17 when he suffered a paralyzing injury during a high school football game in 2017. The family used the specially equipped van to transport Trenton to and from medical experts as he learned to live as a quadriplegic.
The medical equipment, advice, spiritual support and knowledge gained during Trenton’s recovery are what the Basses want to pass along through Game Plan 4 Hope.
Cancer brought life-changing events to the Erickson family when their then 11-year-old son, Ethan, was diagnosed with Burkitts Leukemia.
They share through Game Plan 4 Hope an understanding of the difficult decisions they made in Ethan’s care.
After 18 months, leukemia eventually took Ethan’s life in 2019, a month before Game Plan 4 Hope was officially formed. The “E” in Team “E” Fieldhouse of Hope is named for Ethan.
Support and grief group meetings are also envisioned for the Fieldhouse, which will also host speakers and learning opportunities.
“The Fieldhouse has truly allowed us to spread out from our bubble,” Heather Erickson said.
For more information about renting the building, using the vans or medical equipment, referring a family who needs support, or to join the Game Plan 4 Hope Volunteer Fan Club, email info@gameplan4hope.org or call 605-743-4902.

The city of Luverne will dive into the business of child care after years of shortage of local day care openings and numerous studies showing that independent day care businesses can’t succeed on their own.
“No matter what, we have to fix this day care shortage in order to keep our economic development engine running,” Mayor Pat Baustian said Monday.
“Right now, we have a lot of people working in Luverne but living in Brandon and Sioux Falls because they can’t find day care here. There are also a lot of professionals who want to work here, but there’s no day care available.”
At their Tuesday night meeting, the Luverne City Council met in closed session to consider buying the Total Card Inc. building (formerly Tri-State Insurance) on North Blue Mound Avenue.
San Diego-based Vervant purchased the property in November 2020 for $944,700 and in March 2021 closed Total Card and listed the property for sale at $1 million.
The city, however, is negotiating a purchase price of less than a $600,000 with closing expected in March 2022. The building is appraised at $1,080,000.
The 1974 building has 30,000 square feet on 4.7 acres of land, which would provide adequate outdoor “green space” required by the state for day care centers.
It’s located next to the pool and fitness center and the city’s bike and walk path.
“The building itself is in good shape,” Baustian said. “It’s been well maintained.”
The city will pay for necessary retrofits and remodeling estimated at $1.5 million as well as furnishings and equipment at roughly $2.5 million.
The intent is for the city to own, maintain and insure the building, but not actually run the day care center. As a city-owned property there would be no property taxes.
“The primary goal is to have a commercial day care come in and run it,” Baustian said. “We’d say, ‘Here’s the building; we’ll take care of all of this. You take care of the rest.’”
He said “the rest” would be employing and retaining qualified child care professionals, which has been identified as the primary obstacle in cash-flowing a commercial day care center.
Baustian said local leaders understand that the subsidy will be a permanent commitment in order to keep the day care center in business.
“It’s like the pool and fitness center, library and other quality-of-life amenities that we subsidize,” Baustian said.
“If we can subsidize a pool and not local child care, we have bigger problems. This is a quality-of-life and economic must.”
The city currently subsidizes the pool and fitness center at $530,000 per year in order to keep memberships affordable for community members. That doesn’t include the $5 million remodeling and expansion currently in progress.
In many communities — even where building space has been donated — day care centers end up going out of business because it costs more to employ qualified staff than most working families can afford to pay in child care fees.
“It’s the same story in communities all over the state,” Baustian said. “You can afford the overhead and you can afford the employees, but you can’t do both.”
Personnel costs, in addition to taxes, maintenance and other expenses, were cost-prohibitive for profits, and day care centers often train employees only to lose them to school districts where benefits are more generous.
“Quality employees are key,” Baustian said. “By the city taking care of building costs, the hope is that child care center providers will be paid well with benefits.”
The city is working with the Luverne School District and Rock County Commissioners to seek some support for the project.
He pointed out that the city day care investments will be offset by recent economic development adding value to the local tax base. “We’ll be able to subsidize child care with minimal levy impact,” Baustian said.
 
Child care crisis
Ten in-home child care providers in Rock County left the profession in the past year, leaving roughly 120 children needing care elsewhere.
That’s in addition to nearly 200 slots already needed locally.
To illustrate the trending problem, there were 56 licensed child care providers in Rock County in 2016 compared with 37 in 2019 and 28 today.
This creates a rapidly widening gap between working families who need child care and the available slots with licensed providers.
And it all adds up to stifled economic growth, because if there aren’t places for workers’ children, it’s harder for businesses to find workers and it’s harder for the community to recruit businesses and industry.
 
Build it and they will come
The city, county, school and dozens of local economic partners for the past decade have recognized child care as an economic development driver.
Realizing a day care center would need to be subsidized, a physical location was needed to get the ball rolling.
After nearly a dozen other considerations, Luverne building inspector Chad McClure said the former Tri-State building represents the best option for many reasons.
“I can’t imagine a better option,” he said. “It’s by far the best one we’ve seen so far.”
He mentioned that the building has been well-maintained, the sprinkler system is up to code and the large break room will lend itself well to a cafeteria and kitchen area for the day care center.
It’s unclear how many children the center will be able to accommodate once renovations are complete and hiring is started.
“Do you build it for the number of children it can accommodate and hope they come, or do you build it with a certain number in mind with the option to expand?” McClure said. “I don’t think anyone’s had that conversation yet.”
He said it’s significant to have a viable building and local leadership willing to provide public support.
“I’ve seen young families move to Luverne from other areas for the small-town feel and impeccable quality of life,” McClure said. “Some of them now have a child with a local provider, but they’re not able to find care for their second child.”
Knowing Luverne has a day care center will be an important consideration for any young family moving to the community and for any business seeking an adequate local workforce.
Luverne EDA Director Holly Sammons has been at the helm of Luverne’s quest to remedy the day care crisis. and city finance director Barb Berghorst has pushed to keep it a city priority.
The two recently toured the vacated Total Card Inc. building with the local non-profit child care board.
“The TCI building is in an excellent location and favorably priced,” Berghorst said Monday.
“If the city is successful in acquiring the building, we are in a position to work with Rock County, the state and possibly the school and local employers to apply for grants to help with costs related to renovation and startup costs for a child care center in our county.”
Berghorst retired in July but has stayed on part time in order to assist the city with several project.
Workforce housing has long been an economic development priority, and that finish line is quickly approaching as two 27-unit PrairiE Loft market-rate apartments are under construction.
Child care remains her final project, and Berghorst said the city could be on its way to solving the complicated crisis.
“Costs to construct a new building were extremely high and finding a suitable building to renovate was unsuccessful until the TCI building was listed for sale,” she said.
“There are many details to work out to determine the best solution for the management of a child care center, and the city will work closely with the non-profit child care board to evaluate various options that are used in other communities.”
 
Built in 1974
The original Tri-State Insurance offices were built in 1974 and remodeled in 1995.
Tri-State gave the building to the city in 2002 after the business became Continental Western Group as part of Berkley Corporation and moved across the street to the north.
The city paid for the new building as an incentive to keep the business in town, and the Continental Western Group has been leasing it from the city since then.
Total Card Inc. bought the building from the city in 2004 as part of former Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s Job-Z incentives for businesses to expand into Minnesota.
TCI was forgiven property tax, income tax for major investors and sales tax for business improvements for 12 years.
The city offered incentives of its own, including a new roof for the building and financing the property’s mortgage of $500,000 for 20 years at 4.5 percent interest.
The credit card processing company occupied the building until late in 2020 when San Diego-based Vervant bought Total Card Inc. and closed the doors in March 2021, displacing 22 employees, half of whom worked at home.

Adult and youth members of Grace Lutheran Church assembled for the congregation’s annual “Live Nativity” Sunday in the church parking lot in Luverne. The recreated Biblical nativity scene featured Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the manger, three wisemen and shepherds with live donkeys, goats and camels and an angel overlooking the manger. Participants were able to warm up in the church with cookies and hot chocolate, and fire pits were available for outside warming.  Vehicles drove through the lot beginning at 4 p.m., and walk-throughs started at 5 p.m.