Sports 2 November 2021

Luverne bows out of football playoffs

The Luverne Cardinal football season came to an end Saturday in Fairmont. Fairmont dominated all aspects of the game, taking a 21-0 lead into halftime and finishing the game with a 40-6 win.
Fairmont, the No. 1 seed in Section 3AAA playoffs will now face No. 2 seed Waseca for the section championship and the right to compete in the state tournament.
“We made improvements throughout the season but we just have a hard time matching up our roster versus teams like Waseca and Fairmont,” said Coach Oye after the game.
The Cardinals struggled offensively, and defensively could not find an answer to the Fairmont offense led by quarterback Zach Jorgensen. Jorgensen would finish the game with one running touchdown and three passing touchdowns.
After a quick three and out on their first possession and a short punt, the Cardinals gave Fairmont excellent field position for their first possession of the game.
Taking over at the Luverne 42-yard line, Jorgensen marched his team down the field with a series of runs and passes.
Facing a third and goal from the 16-yard line, Jorgensen would break through the Luverne defense and run for the first score of the game. After a successful extra-point kick, Fairmont held a 7-0 lead with 6:11 to go in the first quarter.
The Cardinals looked to answer back in their next turn with the ball. Facing a 3rd and 10, Luverne quarterback Casey Sehr connected with junior receiver Gannon Ahrendt on a 68-yard passing play which would bring the Cardinals down to the Fairmont 12-yard line.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they were not able to gain any more ground and turned the ball over on downs.
Fairmont regained momentum after the defensive stop and march right back down for an 82-yard scoring drive. Jorgensen registered a 16-yard run and a 16-yard pass on the drive and Fairmont would finish the drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Jorgensen to receiver Eli Anderson.
The extra-point kick was good once again and Fairmont now had a 14-0 lead with no time left in the first quarter.
The Cardinal offense was stopped again and gave Fairmont excellent field position when they took over on offense.
It took Fairmont only two plays to score as it utilized a 47-yard touchdown reception from Jorgensen to Hudson Artz. After kicking the extra-point Fairmont led 21-0 with 9:55 to go in the second quarter.  
Luverne got one more chance at a score in the first half. After a defensive stand, the Cardinals took over at their own 39-yard line. Sehr would find senior receiver Eli Radtke for a 30-yard completion to get the ball into Fairmont territory.
After a pass interference on Fairmont, Luverne got all the way to the Fairmont 14-yard line before getting stopped and turning the ball over on downs.
Fairmont then marched down to the Luverne six-yard line, but the Cardinals were able to get the defensive stop after time expired for the half.
The Fairmont offense kept rolling after halftime and took the first possession into the end zone when running back Gavin Rodning scored from 21-yards out.
Fairmont missed the extra-point attempt and now held a 27-0 lead with 9:41 left in the third quarter.
The Luverne offense once again got into Fairmont territory on their next drive but the drive stalled out and Luverne gave the ball back to Fairmont.
Fairmont capitalized when Jorgensen found Anderson again for a 55-yard touchdown reception. After a successful point-after kick, Fairmont now had a 34-0 lead with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter.
The Cardinals were finally able to finish off a drive on their next possession to get their only points of the night. After taking over at their own 34-yard line, Luverne converted a fourth and six when Sehr found Ashton Sandbulte on a 26-yard passing play.
Sandbulte then broke free for a 35-yard touchdown run to get the Cardinals on the board. After an unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt the score was now 34-6 in favor of Fairmont with 11:11 to go in the game.
Fairmont wasted no time responding as kick returner James Johnson took the ensuing kickoff back 80-yards for a touchdown.
After a missed 2-point conversion, Fairmont was now leading 40-6 with 10:59 left in the 4th quarter.
With neither team able to score the remainder of the game, the game ended with Fairmont taking the 40-6 victory. With the loss, Luverne finished the season with four wins and six losses.
 
Team Statistics:
Luverne: 80 rushing yards, 155 passing yards, 235 total yards, 8 first downs, 7 penalties for 45 yards, 2 turnovers.
Fairmont: 132 rushing yards, 248 passing yards, 380 total yards, 16 first downs, 2 penalties for 25 yards, 1turnover.
 
Individual Statistics:
Rushing: Ashton Sandbulte 16-76
Passing: Casey Sehr 5-18 for 155 yards
Receiving: Gannon Ahrendt 1-68, Eli Radtke 2-40, Ashton Sandbulte 1-26, Nathaniel Cole-Kraty 1-21
Defense: Connor Overgaard 5.5 tackles, Casey Sehr 3.5 tackles, Nathaniel Cole-Kraty 3.5 Tackles, Jamie McCarthy 3.5 tackles                                                                                                                                                                            
Luverne 23
Worthington 7
The Luverne Cardinal football team advanced in the Section 3AAA playoffs Tuesday night with an opening-round win over Worthington in Luverne. 
After a close first half which saw the Cardinals take a 6-0 lead, Luverne was able to outscore the Trojans 17-7 in the second half to take the 23-7 victory.
The Cardinals struggled in their regular-season finale versus Waseca, but Cardinal Coach Todd Oye said he proud of how his team came out to play versus Worthington. 
“Our team bounced back from a loss in Week 8 and played a solid game to open the playoffs,” he said. “I felt we played well in all three phases of the game, especially defensively.”
Senior Nathaniel Cole-Kraty echoed those sentiments. “Our defense was able to do a better job of getting to the right spots and we just did a better job of making plays overall,” Cole-Kraty said.
The Cardinal defense proved to be especially important as the offense struggled for much of the first half. The defense earned stop after stop and kept the game scoreless until the final seconds of the half. 
With Worthington possessing the ball on their own 35-yard line and just 1:05 to go in the half, it appeared both teams would head into halftime with no points on the board.
Luverne junior Gannon Ahrendt, however, would come up with a big defensive play to give the Cardinal offense one more chance. On first and ten for the Trojans, Ahrendt intercepted the Worthington pass and ran the ball back to the Worthington 43-yard line.
Luverne quarterback Casey Sehr would lead his team down the field quickly with two 13-yard runs and an 11-yard pass to Ahrendt which brought the Cardinals to the 6-yard line with just 22 seconds to go in the half.
Sehr then connected with wide receiver Eli Radtke in the back of the end zone to get the Cardinals their first points of the night.
After an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt Luverne now had a 6-0 lead with just 18 seconds left in the half.
With Worthington unable to score on their next possession the Cardinals would take the 6-0 lead into the halftime break.
Luverne kept its momentum going to start the second half. Taking over at their own 17-yard line it would only take the Cardinals two plays to get back in the end zone. Facing a 2nd and 11, Luverne senior running back Ashton Sandbulte took the handoff from Sehr and broke free up the right side of the field and rushed 84-yards for the score.
Sehr then found sophomore receiver Henry Hartquist in the end zone on the 2-point conversion and the Cardinals now had a 14-0 lead with 11:03 to go in the third quarter.
Worthington would not go away, however, and would answer right back with a scoring drive of their own. 
Taking over at their own 49-yard line, Worthington pounded the ball on the ground and moved deeper and deeper into Cardinal territory.
Worthington would finish off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run from running back Andrew Dorcey. After a successful point-after kick the Luverne lead was now 14-7 with 3:06 to go in the third quarter. 
The Cardinals could not move the ball on their next possession, but the defense held strong once again and forced Worthington to punt as well. Taking over at their own 33-yard line the Cardinals would quickly move the ball down the field.
Sandbulte started the drive with an 11-yard run for a first down. Next Sehr connected with sophomore Henry Hartquist for a 27-yard reception.
Sehr would then find Sandbulte on the next play for a 19-yard gain to get the Cardinals to the Worthington 11-yard line.
After a 4-yard gain from Tyson Cowell, Sandbulte would finish off the 67-yard scoring drive with his second touchdown of the game.
Luverne sophomore Patrick Kroski would make the extra point to give the Cardinals a 21-7 lead with 6:18 to go in the 4th quarter. 
Luverne pinned Worthington on their own five-yard line on the ensuing kickoff after an excellent kick by junior kicker Riley Sneller.
A Worthington penalty in the end zone resulted in a safety, giving the Cardinals two points to make the score 23-7 with 5:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. Neither team would advance the ball the remainder of the game and the score finished 23-7 in favor of the Cardinals. 
With the win, the Cardinals earned the right to travel to Fairmont on Saturday to take on the No. 1-seeded Fairmont Cardinals.
 
Team Statistics:
Luverne: 188 rushing yards, 127 passing yards, 315 total yards, 15 first downs, 9 penalties for 85 yards, 1 turnover.
Worthington: 109 rushing yards, 56 passing yards, 165 total yards, 11 first downs, 8 penalties for 55 yards, 3 turnovers.
 
Individual Statistics:
Rushing: Ashton Sandbulte 15-141, Casey Sehr 6-30
Passing: Casey Sehr 11-20 for 127 yards
Receiving: Gannon Ahrendt 3-35, Henry Hartquist 1-27, Connor Connell 2-26, Ashton Sandbulte 2-25
Defense: Ashton Sandbulte 5.5 tackles, Casey Sehr 5.5 tackles, Anyuon Atem 4.5 tackles, Nathaniel Cole-Kraty 4.5 tackles, Connor Overgaard 4 tackles

Columns 2 November 2021
Sometimes a dog is more than a dog

A dog is a dog is a dog, unless the dog is one of my dogs.
All dog owners have different levels of attachment to their dogs. Some keep a dog around only as a family pet. Others hunt with them on special occasions. Most of these dogs with little time afield or with limited training do as much or as little as the owner expects of them.
Others will train their dogs extensively or even have a professional trainer turn them into a finely synchronized operating hunting companion.
I have the latter. My dogs are valuable to me both as loving companions and in terms of money. It is not usual for a trained hunting dog, at least a Labrador, to bring in the neighborhood of $5,000 to $7,500 depending on their age and breeding pedigree.
When I hunt birds, my dogs are rarely ever out of my sight. Some owners will let their dogs run over the hill out of sight and not start to worry until the dog has been gone for more than 20 minutes.
Most often these dogs come down from the Metro area. The owner loses track of the dog and after looking for a few hours just abandons it and goes home with the hope that someone would call him if it were found.
Over the past 20 years I have had at least 15 examples where people would call and ask me if I would hold on to a dog they found out wandering around on a Sunday evening.
I have heard many stories where a dog gets lost and the owner will leave his hunting coat on the ground at the parking area, and upon his return the next day, the dog would be lying on the jacket.
If the dog had an ID tag, we boarded these dogs at Round Lake Kennels which has since moved to Bemidji, Minnesota. We’d call the owner and make arrangements for pickup.
When the owner came back the next weekend, they would argue over the $15 per day boarding fee. Some dogs had no tags and were never claimed.
How could you or would you ever just abandon your dog? No flyers on telephone poles, no calls to the dog catcher, no Facebook posts, no radio ads looking for your lost dog. Some people should just not ever own a dog.
With my dogs, I use training collars for corrections if they fail to listen to a known command. This is what most hunters will use. If they get to the point where they cannot find their dog, they will just turn up the intensity and the dog will yelp and they will know what direction to move to retrieve it.
It’s not the best method by any means, but it’s better than losing the dog completely.
You can buy a collar that has a GPS receiver and you use the handset to track and follow the dog up to five miles away. My dogs are never more than 50 yards away from me so I don’t need a 5-mile range.
I use a collar that has a beeper on it. These can be used to track your dog as it runs in the tall grass. It makes one sound when running and a different sound when the dog is standing still. These can be heard from a quarter of a mile away under most weather conditions.
I just can’t stand the collar sounding off all the time, which reminds me of a garbage truck backing up.
I don’t use the run or point modes. I only use the locate mode. This is a button on the hand set that you can push to make the collar beep. Don’t push the button and you get no sound. Push the button and you get a beep.
I was hunting a few years back and could not locate my dog. I called and called and he was nowhere to be seen.
I used the locate button and found him about 50 yards behind me lying on his side. He had run a 30-inch-long stem of blue grass down his throat, punctured the throat lining and impaled the grass stem into his lung. He was just lying there shuddering.
I removed the stem and made haste to the veterinarian. He lived through the incident — barely, but without the locate beeper on the collar, it’s unlikely I would ever have found him on the 80 acres of 6-foot-tall native grass.
It would have been like finding a needle in a haystack. This beeper could also save your dog’s life if they ever got caught in a conibear trap that kills the animal within a minute or two.
My dogs mean everything to me. A more expensive collar with a beeper locate is worth every penny.
There are many brands out there, but if you want help picking one out, contact me at scottarall@gmail.com. I have lots of experience with these collars over the past 20 years and will make sure you don’t buy the wrong one. Remember, Christmas is just around the corner.
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.
 

Church 2 November 2021
Sacrifice

Ryan Arnold of Denver, Colorado, knew what was important to him. He also knew the risks. In fact, there were many risks to consider, but the decision he made demonstrated that he had his priorities straight: the life of his brother was worth risking it all.
Before the surgery, where Ryan planned to give his brother Chad part of his liver, they had one last embrace. Sadly, this would be the last time Chad would see his brother alive.
After the surgery was over, their father entered into the waiting room to update the anxious family. He said, “Ryan is gone, but we still serve a God who is good.”
It’s hard to understand the pain and suffering one faces, especially in a situation like this, but what Ryan risked showed that even in the face of death, he knew what was important.
In John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.” Ryan was a man with such faith and compassion that he was willing to lay down his life so that his brother might live.
In Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus tells a short but important parable about sacrifice. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” However, this isn’t a parable about our sacrifice.
Who is the merchant in this parable? It is Christ. So, who or what is the pearl? It’s you. It’s the whole world.
Christ sacrificed himself for you. He loves you so much he does not let you live in your sin, but he seeks you out like that merchant looking for fine pearls. He calls you to faith through his gospel and brings you into his kingdom through baptism.
Jesus has made a great sacrifice to make you his own. Jesus sacrificed himself to pay for your sins and reconcile you to God and give you life.
How do we respond to this great gift? The sacrificial love of Jesus inspires us to make changes in our lives to live according to God’s will.
We may never be asked to risk our life for another person, but living the Christian life brings with it a sacrifice of our old ways of thinking. We submit our wills to God’s will. We now live with faith toward God and love toward others.

Church 2 November 2021
Church news Nov. 4, 2021

St. Catherine Catholic Church
203 E. Brown St., Luverne
St. Catherine Ph. 283-8502; www.stscl.org
Monsignor Gerald Kosse, Pastor
Sundays 8:30 a.m. Mass. Public Mass will be celebrated at FULL capacity in the church. Masses: 9 a.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Friday at the nursing homes – check the bulletin. All Sunday masses will be live streamed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/stccluverne/videos/. Visit www.stscl.org for more information.
 
Luverne Christian Reformed Church
605 N. Estey St., Luverne
Office Ph. 283-8482; Prayer Line Ph. 449-5982
www.luvernecrc.com — office@luvernecrc.com
Sundays 9:30 a.m. Worship service. 6:30 p.m. Evening worship service. We are streaming Sunday services live on YouTube at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Send him a friend request if you’re not connected. You may also visit our website for delayed broadcasts. Also our services are on local cable TV at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. In all circumstances, may we joyfully declare: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8.
 
First Baptist Church
103 N. Jackson St., P.O. Box 975, Luverne
Ph. 283-4091; email: fbcluv@iw.net — www.fbcluverne.org
Walt Moser, Pastor
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. In-person worship service. Service is also on Facebook Live at 10:30 a.m.
 
Grace Lutheran Church
500 N. Kniss Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-4431; www.graceluverne.org — graceluverne@iw.net
Ann Zastrow, Pastor
Dave Christenson, Interim Pastor
Thursday, Nov. 4: 8:30 a.m. Missions in Action. Sunday, Nov. 7 – All Saints Sunday: 8 a.m. 9 a.m. Confirmation service with Holy Communion. 10 a.m. Fellowship Coffee. 10 a.m. Sunday School. 10-10:30 a.m. Older instrumentalists meet with Janine. 10:30-11 a.m. Christmas program practice. 5 p.m. Worship service with Holy Communion. 5 p.m. 9th-12th Co-ed flag football game. 6:30 p.m. Transitional Task Force meeting. 6:30 p.m. Worship practice. Monday, Nov. 8: 5:45 p.m. Bells rehearsal. Tuesday, Nov. 9: 9 a.m. Staff meeting. 1:30 p.m. Women’s board meeting. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 7 a.m. Men’s Bible study. 3:15 p.m. Faithweavers. 5 p.m. Youth supper. 6:15 p.m. 6th-7th grade Confirmation. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Voices of Grace rehearsal. 7:15 p.m. 8th grade Confirmation. 8:15 p.m. 9th grade Confirmation. Thursday, Nov. 11: 8:30 a.m. Missions in Action. Online, TV and Radio Worship options are available. Online: Sundays 9 a.m. on the church website www.graceluverne.org, click Worship tab or go directly to our Facebook page at Grace Lutheran ELCA, Luverne. TV: Vast Channel 3 will air our worship service Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m. Radio: KQAD-AM Radio will air our worship service on Sundays at 8:15 a.m.
 
Bethany Lutheran Church
720 N. Kniss Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-4571 or 605-215-9834
pastorapalmquist67@yahoo.com
Andrew Palmquist, Pastor
Sundays, 10:15 a.m. Worship service; worship online as well (at els.org). Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Zoom Bible study. See our Facebook page, Bethany Lutheran Church (Luverne) for other classes and events.
 
American Reformed Church
304 N. Fairview Dr., Luverne
Ph. 283-8600; email: office@arcluverne.org
Friday, Nov. 5: 6:30 a.m. Community men’s Bible study. Wedding rehearsal. Saturday, Nov. 6: Fall clean-up. Wedding of Brittany Evans and Josh Wagenaar. Sunday, Nov. 7: 9:30 a.m. Worship service. 10:50 a.m. Sunday School. 12 p.m. Commons reserved. Youth room reserved. 1 p.m. TEC meeting. 3 p.m. Youth retreat reserved. Tuesday, Nov. 9: 12 p.m. Staff meeting. 7 p.m. Consistory meeting. 7 p.m. Youth room reserved. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 5:30 p.m. Midweek Meal. 6:30 p.m. Pioneer Clubs and youth groups. 8:15 p.m. Cantata rehearsal. Thursday, Nov. 11: 9 a.m. Classis meeting. 5:30 p.m. Reserved—Tumbling Tikes. Services are also broadcast on Vast Channel 3 on Mondays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. DVD’s available upon request. To stay up to date on announcements, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @arcluverne.
 
Rock River Community Church (formerly First Assembly of God)
1075 110th Ave., 2 miles west of Luverne on County Rd. 4
Ph. 612-800-1255; email info@rockrivercommunity.church
Bob Junak, Pastor; Annette Junak, Assistant Pastor
Sundays, 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship service. Children’s church for ages 3-6th grade and nursery for ages 0-3 provided during our services. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Worship service. All services are in-person and all are welcome.
 
United Methodist Church
109 N. Freeman Ave., Luverne
Ph. 283-4529
Dorrie Hall, Pastor
Wednesday, Nov. 3: 6:15 p.m. FUEL. 6:30 p.m. Confirmation. 8 p.m. AA meeting. Saturday, Nov. 6: 8 p.m. AA meeting. Sunday, Nov. 7: 9:30 a.m. Adult Sunday school. 9:45 a.m. Coffee hour. 10:30 a.m. Worship Service. 4:30 p.m. Genesis/Revelation Bible study. 6:30 p.m. 8 p.m. AA meeting. Live streamed on Facebook and radio. Tuesday, Nov. 9: 9:30 a.m. Folding Team. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 6:15 p.m. FUEL. 6:30 p.m. Confirmation. 8 p.m. AA Meeting.
 
First Presbyterian Church
302 Central Lane, Luverne
Ph. 283-4787; email: Firstpc@iw.net— www.fpcluverne.com
Jason Cunningham, Pastor
Thursday, Nov. 4: PW Executive. Sunday, Nov. 7: 9:30 a.m. Worship service. 10:30 a.m. Brunch – Dedication Sunday. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 5:30 p.m. Bell choir. 6:15 p.m. Choir. 7:15 p.m. Session. Youth Fellowship. In-person Worship service and live on Facebook. Our Facebook page can be found under First Presbyterian Church of Luverne. We are also on the local Luverne cable station at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. on Thursdays.
 
St. John Lutheran Church
803 N. Cedar St., Luverne
Ph. 283-2316; email: stjohn@iw.net
www.stjohnlutheranluverne.org
Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, Pastor
Saturday, Nov. 6: 5:30 p.m. Worship. Sunday, Nov. 7 : 9 a.m. Worship service. 10:15 a.m. Adult Bible study. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 6:30 p.m. Confirmation. 6:30 p.m. Kids for Christ. 7:30 p.m. Youth group. Services will be available on the Vast Channel 3 Sunday and online at the city website, cityofluverne.org.
 
Living Rock Church
500 E. Main St., Luverne
Ph. 449-0057; www.livingrockswmn.org
Billy Skaggs, Pastor
 
New Life Celebration Church
101 W. Maple, Luverne
Ph. (605) 368-1924; email: newlifecelebration@gmail.com
Food mission every third Thursday.
 
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
305 E. 2nd St., P.O. Box 36, Hardwick
Ph. (507) 669-2855; zionoffice@alliancecom.net
Jesse Baker, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 7: 9 a.m. Worship service with communion. 10:15 a.m. Sunday school. 10:30 a.m. Bible study. Worship service on Luverne cable at 3:30 p.m. every Thursday and Friday.
 
Ben Clare United Methodist Church
26762 Ben Clare Ave., Valley Springs, S.D.
igtwlb@WOW.net
Bill Bates, Pastor
 
First Lutheran Church
300 Maple St., Valley Springs, S.D.
Ph. (605) 757-6662
Mark Eliason, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 7: 9 a.m. Worship service with Holy Communion. 10 a.m. Sunday school. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required, even if fully vaccinated. Worship will be streamed live on Facebook Video worship via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdQwVxFcU4
 
Palisade Lutheran Church
211 121st St., Garretson, S.D.
Ph. (507) 597-6257 — firstpalisade@alliancecom.net
Mark Eliason, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 7: 9:30 a.m. Sunday school. 10:30 a.m. Worship service with Holy Communion with opportunity to give your Thank offering. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 9 a.m. Quilting—Every Wednesday. Thursday, Nov. 11: 7 p.m. Palisade Lutheran council meeting. Masks are strongly recommended, but not required, even if fully vaccinated. Worship will be streamed live on Facebook. Video worship via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdQwVxFcU4
 
First Presbyterian Church
201 S. 3rd St., P.O Box 73, Beaver Creek
Ph. 507-935-5025
email: lori.firstpres@gmail.com
Sundays, 9:30 a.m. Worship Service. Second Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m. Session meeting.
 
Magnolia United Methodist Church
501 E. Luverne St., Magnolia
Ph. 605-215-3429
email: magnoliamnumc@gmail.com
Nancy Manning, Pastor
Sunday, 9 a.m., in-person with livestream available on the church’s Facebook site.
 
Steen Reformed Church
112 W. Church Ave., Steen
Ph. 855-2336
Jeremy Wiersema, Pastor
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Worship service in-person with livestream available on Facebook and YouTube. Radio worship on KQAD Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
112 N. Main St., Hills
Ph. 962-3270
Nita Parker, Pastor
Sunday, Nov. 7: 9 a.m. Worship at Tuff Home. 9:30 a.m. Sunday school. 10 a.m. Worship service with Holy Communion. 7-8:30 p.m. Youth group meets. Worship will be streamed live to Facebook at Bethlehem of Hills. You can find more info on our website blchills.org. Tuesday, Nov. 9: 2 p.m. Tuff Home Bible study. 3 p.m. Tuff Village Bible study. Wednesday, Nov. 10: 9 a.m. Quilting. 6 p.m. Confirmation class. 7:15 p.m. Wednesday night worship.
 
Hills United Reformed Church
410 S. Central Ave., Hills
Office Ph. 962-3254
hillsurc@alliancecom.net
Alan Camarigg, Pastor

Columns 27 October 2021
Be a great dog owner

The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived! Pheasant hunting season in Minnesota opened Oct. 16, and there are a few things your hunting dogs need before you get out in the field.
Many dog owners will let these items slip until something bad happens, and then they have to deal with them in the aftermath.
 
Trim toenails
The first task is to trim your dog’s toenails. Most dogs live in the house and are not able to wear their toenails down as they can do over the hunting season.
Long toenails can end up breaking off in the habitat.  They don’t often come all the way off, but they break back into the fleshy part of the nail and bleed more than you would think.
A dog can come up lame for several weeks if the nail break is significant. There is almost nothing you can do for this problem after it has happened, and only time will heal the damage.
Cutting your dog’s nails is something best done on a schedule. If they get too long, you cannot cut them back to the proper length all at one time. You will have to do a trim, wait a week or two for the cuticle to back up, and trim them again. It might take three to five trimmings to get the nail to a length that is not prone to damage.
A broken nail is one issue, but I have seen dogs whose nails got so long that they actually broke down the bones in the dogs’ foot to a point where they go lame permanently.
 
Care for eyes and ears
Two other things you need to do in the season on a regular basis is ear wash and eye wash.
Dogs that are in and out of the water on a regular basis can get several different kinds of infections or parasites.
Ear mites and different bacterial or yeast infections are quite common if regular preventative ear maintenance is not completed.
A gentle squirt of ear wash and a gentle massage is all it takes in most cases to keep ear issues at bay. I do this about two times per month over the entire hunting season and once a month in the off season.
When’s the last time you rinsed out your dogs’ eyes after a hunt?
I do this after every hunt and try to do it before the dog gets back in the truck, if possible. If not, they certainly need to get rinsed when they get home before they get fed.
I have washed as many as 10 different native grass seeds out of my dogs’ eyes after a hunt. You could not even see them present in the eye socket. I just use sterile saline. 
Non-medicated contact solution can also work.  Never buy a product that is under pressure. It would be awful if the pressure in the can injured the dog while you were trying to do something responsible. Only a squeeze bottle is recommended. I keep this bottle in my hunting coat and not in the truck. A bottle of eye wash that is 3 degrees from freezing is not to be used on your dog.
My dogs seem to actually enjoy a fresh flush in their eyes after a hunt. Can you imagine the discomfort they must suffer from those seeds under their eye lids? Even after the flush I continue to watch for rubbing or pawing at their eyes. Sometimes it takes two or three flushes to remove all of the debris.
High energy hunting dogs need care, and even if they are a house dog most of the year, they cannot be tended to like a house dog when hunting season comes around.
 
Watch for injuries
After each hunt do a thorough body scan of your dog. Cuts and other injuries can be repaired a lot easier if done right away.
A cut or tear that is more than a day old will require the vet to cut back the skin to reach new health cells before a stitching can be successful. It happened to me many years ago. Try to avoid this mistake if at possible.
The dog and the hunter have an interdependent relationship. We need the dog to find, flush and retrieve our birds. The dogs need us to shoot the game in order for them to get their prize, which to them is the retrieve.
If the dog does bad, we don’t physically suffer. If we do bad, the dog certainly suffers. Be a great dog owner and pay attention to the details that many dog owners don’t concentrate on enough.
My fourth dog comes home from my training partner on Nov. 5. Until then I will hunt with the three I have.
The only thing better than one Labrador is two, and so on and so on till you get to four. Four is a magic number at my house. Life is good. Life with lots of dogs is better.
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.
 
 
 

26 October 2021
Rock County Commissioners meet Aug. 17

Rock County Commissioners
meet Aug. 17
Herreid Board Room          4:30 P.M.
Rock County Courthouse August 17, 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 and Star-Herald Reporter and Mavis Fodness.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those in attendance.
Motion by Burger, seconded by Reisch, to approve the August 17, 2021,
County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Thompson, to approve the August 03, 2021, County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Williamson, to approve
the consent agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.
1. Resolution No. 20-21, VSO Operational Enhancement Grant
Ashley Kurtz, Auditor/Treasurer, presented the claims; motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to approve, declared carried on a voice vote. A complete listing of the claims is available at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office.
AUGUST 17, 2021 CLAIMS OVER $2,000
ALADTEC INC $2,547.00 
BREMIK MATERIALS, INC   9,448.16
CENTRAL SPECIALTIES INC   5,730.30
CHS 11,102.41
COUNTIES PROVIDING TECHNOLOGY   6,584.00
GRAHAM TIRE-WORTHINGTON   2,115.40
KEMP ELECTRIC   3,956.99
KETTERLING SERVICES INC 11,132.42
LYON COUNTY LANDFILL 16,952.38
MORRIS ELECTRONICS   4,012.84
NOBLES COUNTY AUDITOR-TREASURER 15,028.61
ROCK COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES   2,264.31
SANFORD HEALTH   5,142.00
STAPLES ENTERPRISES INC   3,268.32
TRANSOURCE TRUCK & EQUIPMENT INC   2,627.56
ZIEGLER INC   8,656.92
68 PAYMENTS LESS THAN $2,000 24,862.15
TOTAL               $135,431.77 
 
Kurtz presented the Fund Balance report; motion by Burger, seconded by
Reisch, to approve, declared carried on a voice vote.
Mark Sehr, Engineer, presented the following bids for the 2021 Box Culvert projects SAP 067-599-184, SAP 067-594-001, SAP 067-599-180, and SAP 067-599-183:
Henning Construction Inc. $278,120.00
A & C Excavating LLC $344,799.50
Midwest Contracting, LLC $375,383.00
Motion by Burger, seconded by Thompson, to approve the low bid to Henning Construction for $278,120.00, declared carried on a voice vote.
By order of the Chair, the County Board meeting moved into closed session at 5:08 P.M. for the purpose of discussing attorney client privileges.
By order of the Chair, the County Board meeting arose from closed session
at 5:20 P.M.
The County Board was in receipt of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Rock County and the University of Minnesota Extension for Extension Educator Services for 2021; motion by Overgaard, seconded by Williamson, to approve, declared carried on a voice vote.
The County Board was informed that the Rock County Community Library has been awarded an American Library Association Grant of $3,000 to initiate additional programming efforts entitled “Transforming American Libraries”; motion by Reisch, seconded by Thompson to accept the grant award, declared carried on a voice vote.  
The County Board was informed that Jarvie will be attending an Association for Rural and Small Libraries conference in Reno, NV on October 20-23, 2021, requirement of the scholarship award announced at the June 22, 2021, County Board meeting; out of state travel was approved at the time. 
The Administrator gave a brief update of meetings and requests he
has handled; no action was taken.
Commissioner Reisch stated that he had attended the following meetings: Community Corrections, Budget, Southwest MN Opportunity Council.
  Commissioner Thompson stated that she had attended the following meetings:  n/a   
Commissioner Overgaard stated that he had attended the
following meetings: Hardwick Fire Department benefit.
Commissioner Burger stated that he had attended the following meetings: Southwest Health & Human Services, Community Corrections, and Community Corrections Budget.
Commissioner Williamson stated that he had attended the following meetings:
Rural Water, Soil & Water Conservation District; requested information
regarding the status of the ongoing drought.
With no further business to come before the County Board, the
meeting was declared adjourned by order of the Chair.
(10-28)

26 October 2021
Rock County Commissioners meet Aug. 3

Rock County Commissioners meet Aug. 3
Herreid Board Room          9:00 A.M.
Rock County Courthouse Aug. 3, 2021
The meeting was called to order by the Chair with Commissioners Overgaard, Thompson and Reisch present, Commissioner Burger was absent. Also in attendance were Administrator Kyle Oldre, Deputy Administrator
Susan Skattum and Star-Herald Reporter and Mavis Fodness.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those in attendance.
Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Thompson, to approve the August 03,
2021, County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to approve the July 20, 2021,
County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Thompson, seconded by Overgaard, to approve the consent
agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.
1. Resolution No. 19-21, UCAP Family Homeless Prevention & Assistance Program
By order of the County Board Chair, to go into recess for the regular
County Board meeting and open the Public Hearing at 9:05 A.M. for comments
on the Capital Improvement Plan 2022-2026.
The Administrator reviewed details of the CIP and options for bonding to consolidate debt and allow the county to move forward with a portion of the items identified on the CIP.
By order of the County Board Chair, the Public Hearing was closed at 9:24 A.M.
Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to adopt Resolution
No. 20-21, adopting the 2022-2026 CIP and GO Series 2021A not
to exceed $21,836,249, declared carried on a voice vote.
Dan Kippley, Ellis & Eastern Economic Development Director and Steve Watson and Will Kratt with ISC presented results of a site survey conducted by ISC identifying potential industrial park sites along the Buffalo Ridge Regional Rail (BRRRA). Also in attendance for the presentation was Nobles County Board of Commissioners and Southwest Regional Development Commission Deputy Director Robin Weis and Development Planner Rosemary Bruce-White. Weis commented on the value the site survey brings for future economic development. The site survey was paid for the BRRRA; Watson and Kratt were thanked for their presentation.  
Betty Mann, Rock County Historical Society President introduced Wendell Buys, the new History Center Director to the County Board.  The County Board welcomed Mr. Buys and wished him well in serving as the new Director at the History Center.
Ashley Kurtz, Auditor/Treasurer, presented the claims; motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to approve the claims, declared carried on a voice vote. A complete listing of the claims is available at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office.
AUGUST 3, 2021 CLAIMS OVER $2,000
A & B BUSINESS INC $2,647.47 
ALLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS COOP 16,200.00
BREMIK MATERIALS, INC 14,180.03
COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORTATION   2,621.83
FLEET SERVICES DIVISION-ADMIN FMR   7,147.50
JOHNSON CONTROLS   6,479.72
LEADSONLINE   2,192.00
LUVERNE/CITY OF 20,196.02
SANFORD HEALTH   2,005.22
TRAFFIC MARKING SERVICE, INC 59,698.08
WEX BANK   3,234.06
ZIEGLER INC   2,664.27
68 PAYMENTS LESS THAN $2,000 27,112.78
TOTAL               $166,378.98 
 
The County Board was in receipt of the Fund Balance report; motion by Overgaard, seconded by Thompson, to approve, declared carried on a voice vote.
The Administrator presented an update regarding the Land Records Office. Oldre and members of the Personnel Committee of the County Board interviewed (2) candidates for the Land Records Director position and extended a conditional offer to Rachel Jacobs, Land Records Technician I. Motion by Overgaard, seconded by Reisch, to approve the conditional 
offer of employment effective 08/02/2021, declared carried on a voice vote. 
Oldre also recommended that the County Board appoint Jeff Sehr as an Interim Assessor due to his SAMA licensure and pay a $500/mo additional compensation during the intermittent appointment; motion by Reisch, seconded by Thompson, to approve the appointment and additional compensation with an effective date of 08/03/2021, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Thompson, seconded by Williamson, to authorize the Administrator’s office to fill the vacant LRO Technician I, declared carried on a voice vote.
Motion by Reisch, seconded by Overgaard, to accept a bid of $20,000 
for Unit 241, a surplus dump truck, declared carried on a voice vote.  
The Administrator reviewed the timeline of events on August 17th, next board meeting date. After discussion it was determined to schedule a Budget Retreat for the County Board at 3:00 P.M. and move the start time of the County Board meeting to 4:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.; at 5:30 P.M. the County Board will meet with city mayors to discuss law enforcement and assessment contract renewals as well as the utilization of American Recovery Plan funds.
MnDOT Representatives Greg Ous, District 7 Engineer and Rhonda Allis, Sr. Planner, presented an overview of the District 7 Area Transportation Improvement Plan (ATIP). An improvement project of concern in 2025 was the placement of a round-a-bout at the intersection of US Highway 75 and CSAH 4.  After considerable discussion, the County Board requested that MnDOT utilize the safety data of US Hwy 75 from when it switched from a 4-lane highway to a 3-lane highway for a 10-year period before making any improvements at that intersection.
Commissioner Reisch stated that he had attended the following
meetings: (2) Personnel Committee meetings.
  Commissioner Thompson stated that she had attended the following meetings:
Southwest Health & Human Services, Houselog retirement party.
Commissioner Overgaard stated that he had attended the following meetings:  District 2184 School tour/Road & Bridge tour, Rural Energy, Solid Waste, Farm Family of Year ceremony at the Fair, City/County Liaison, Houselog retirement party. Also wished to congratulation the Fair Board on a successful fair in 2021.
Commissioner Burger stated that he had attended the following meetings: n/a
Commissioner Williamson stated that he had attended the following meetings: District 2184 School tour/Road & Bridge tour, Houselog retirement party.
The County Board determined to schedule September 21st
for the Employee Picnic date.
With no further business to come before the County Board, the meeting was
declared adjourned by order of the Chair.
(10-28)

26 October 2021
Ballot counting locations set for School District 671 election

Ballot counting locations set for 
School District 671 election
 
NOTICE OF LOCATION WHERE BALLOTS WILL BE COUNTED
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 671
(HILLS-BEAVER CREEK)
STATE OF MINNESOTA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the election judges for Independent School District No. 671 shall count the ballots cast in the School District’s November 2, 2021 special elections at the following locations for combined polling places specified.
COMBINED POLLING PLACE: Beaver Creek City Offices, 
311 E 1st Ave
    Beaver Creek, MN 56116
 
COMBINED POLLING PLACE: Hills American Legion, 
207 South Main Ave
    Hills, MN 56138
 
Dated: July 28, 2021.                                BY ORDER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD
 
By /s/ Tamara Rauk
School District Clerk
Independent School District No. 671
(Hills-Beaver Creek)
State of Minnesota
(10-28)

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