The Luverne volleyball squad relished a 4-1 win over the Windom Eagles in Windom Thursday, Sept. 16, in a rematch the Cards had been eyeing all week.  
Coach Sarah DeBeer said that the word “redemption” came up frequently in practice all week after the Cardinals fell to the Eagles in the Sept. 11 Luverne tourney.
That changed Thursday when the Cardinals upset the Eagles 4-1 in their home nest.
Luverne came out strong with a 7-1 lead in the opening set, which was marked by kills by senior Elise Ferrell.  
With a pass by Reghan Bork, a set by Trista Baustian and a kill by Junior Anja Jarchow, the Cards had a strong lead at 20-10.  Ferrell capped Set 1 with two service aces.
Jarchow started Set 2 with a solid pass to Baustian, who set up Ferrell for a kill.  Despite strong passes by Macy Stratton and kills by Ferrell and Kamryn Van Batavia, Windom knotted the score at 21-21.
Luverne errors riddled the final points of the set to give the Eagles a win at 25-23.
Slow play through the first 12 points kept the score tight early in Set 3 until Baustian delivered a tip kill and a service ace to tie the score at 7-7.  
Consecutive kills by Ferrell and Van Batavia helped put the Cards ahead 12-10.  Windom challenged the lead by forcing errors from Luverne, but the Cards responded with kills late in the match by Baustian and Jarchow to upend the Eagles at 25-22.
With a clean pass by Stratton, Ferrell was able to pound a kill from a Bork set to get the Cards off to an exciting start in Set 4.  Jarchow and Ferrell teamed up for a series of kills and a block to push the lead to 15-10.  
After an ace by Ferrell, Bork set up Christina Wagner for a kill out of the middle to extend the lead to 19-13, forcing a Windom time out.  
Luverne punished the Eagles with two aces by Van Batavia and a final kill by Ferrell for a 25-18 set score which resulted in a 4-1 win for the Cards.
 
Serving:  Christina Wagner – 100 percent serving percentage; Elise Ferrell – 4 aces
Digs:  Macy Stratton – 13; Elise Ferrell – 11
Set Assists:  Reghan Bork – 19; Trista Baustian – 8Kills:  Elise Ferrell – 19; Anja Jarchow – 5
Blocks:  Anja Jarchow – 3 assists; Trista Baustian – 1 solo, 2 assists

The Late-Season Enduro Races wrapped up recently with several Rock County Enduro racers appearing in final point standings.
According to LSR volunteer Josh Klay, two of the six races were canceled due to rainouts and scheduling conflicts.
The Rock County Speedway in Luverne hosted two of the events, and Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa, and Murray County Speedway in Slayton hosted one each.
The Top 5 place earners received payouts with Rock County natives Jasmine Kalass (third) and Justin Mann (fifth) among them.  
Other local racers, Chase Overgaard (seventh) and Tony Fluit (10th), both of Luverne, made the Top 10 list of place earners.
Thirty-four cars competed this year with three wins for Stacey Krohnberg and one win for Stuart Nelson.
Following are the point standings for the season:
 
1 Stacey Krohnberg, Walters, 194
2 Rod Kramer, Sioux Falls, 192
3 Jasmine Kalass, Sioux Falls, 180
4 Stuart Nelson, Sioux Falls, 173
5 Justin Mann, Tea, SD 166
6 DJ Jones, Sioux Falls, 164 
7 Chase Overgaard, Luverne, 161
8 Scott Jones, Sioux Falls, 154
9 Robert Thompson, S. Falls, 150
10 Tony Fluit, Luverne, 143
13 Blake Schneekloth Brandon 119
14 Hunter Fluit, Luverne, 108
29 Eric Gaul, Luverne, 25
30 Josh Fick Luverne, 24
33 Trevor Fluit Hardwick, 21
34 Bradden Kunkle, Adrian, 21

The Lady Pates volleyball team dropped two matches in the past week, one on the road and one during Homecoming Week in Hills.
The Patriots fell to the Westbrook Walnut Grove Chargers 4-1 in their first conference match on Tuesday, Sept. 14, and they dropped a home game to Mountain Lake 1-4 on Thursday, Sept. 16.
The Patriots were scheduled to play away at Red Rock Central on Tuesday, Sept. 21, and against Edgerton at home Thursday, Sept. 23.
They’ll play two more home games on Sept. 27 and 28 against St. Mary and Murray County Central, respectively.
 
HBC 1, WWG 4
The Patriots had a tough time getting things to go their way, and this allowed the Chargers to dominate the first set, winning 25-16.
The score was tied on several occasions during the second set. 
With the score 16-16, a big block and kill from senior Taylor Durst gave the Patriots their first lead 17-16. 
The score was tied again at 21-21, 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24. A hard hit from WWG’s DeSmith gave the Chargers the edge to win the game 26-24.
Some impressive net play by H-BC was key in the Patriots maintaining the lead in the third set. 
Sophomore Lanae Elbers and seniors Durst, Sam Moser and Kenadie Fick all had kills with help from senior setter Tess VanMaanen. 
A final kill from Durst gave the Patriots the win at 25-20.
WWG rallied back, however, to take Set 4. 
A kill from Moser brought the score within a point of the Chargers at 11-10, but WWG extended the lead as the set progressed, winning 25-15.
 
Kenadie Fick: 14-14 serving, 1 ace serve, 7 kills
Sam Moser: 16-16 serving, 6 kills
Taylor Durst: 2 ace serves, 10 kills, 2 blocks
Lanae Elbers: 14 kills, 2 blocks
Tess VanMaanen: 38 set assists
 
HBC 1, Mountain Lake 4
The Lady Pates were not able to register a win at home during Homecoming Week against Mountain Lake on Thursday, Sept 16. 
MLAC started the game with a 7-0 lead before the Patriots were able to get on the board. A tip over the net by Sam Moser brought the score to 5-12 in favor of MLAC. 
Tess VanMaanen’s set to Kenadie Fick got the Patriots closer 12-16. Another kill from Fick gave them a final chance to serve but MLAC went on to win the first set 19-25.
The Patriots were able to maintain the lead throughout Set 2. 
VanMaanen and Fick both contributed to the win by each serving four in a row. A final kill by Moser gave them the win 25-16.
The Patriots struggled getting things to work in their favor after that. 
They went on to lose Set 3 by a score of 15-25 and Set 4 by a score of 14-25. 
Senior Kenadie Fick, who played a very good game, said the Patriots need team chemistry. “We need to focus on working together as a team,” she said. 
 
Kenadie Fick: 2 ace serves, 11 kills
Tess VanMaanen: 25 set assists 
Lanae Elbers: 5 kills
Olivia Bork: 9-9 serving, 2 ace serves

I have been so looking forward to this week. For about the last 10 years I have wanted to head west to hunt a very unusual bird called a sage grouse. 
These are big birds that live in the sage brush country of Wyoming, Montana and other places west. The season is only three days long, and bag limits are very low. 
Like many other open lands species, the sage grouse has been having a hard time over the past 20 years. 
This is primarily due to tons of habitat destruction but also habitat intrusion. Even if the habitat is suitable, energy development and industries like mining result in human activity egressing into their habitats. 
Too much activity, even just vehicle traffic, during the wrong times of the year can affect their reproduction success. Hunting is eliminated in places where numbers are low enough that it can have an impact.
In almost all cases, it allows for the harvest of a portion of the allowable surplus of any particular species. Hunting in a controlled season with set dates and limits has not and does not affect game populations in any measurable way. 
Weather and suitable habitat contribute the vast majority of the outcomes of game reproduction and thus their ability to thrive.
One of the factors that has been identified as a measurable cause of sage grouse mortality is barb wire fences. These birds fly low over the sage and are often killed by flying into a strand of barbed wire. 
The solution to this was discovered to be when ranchers and other wildlife conservationists started hanging a short section of white vinyl siding channel on the wire between the posts. If done in enough places, this would help with mortality caused by human landscape management.
Invasion and encroachment of eastern red cedar trees into sage brush country is also a contributing factor in the decline of the sage grouse. 
These challenges are similar with many other grassland bird species. Woody encroachment is negatively affecting the sharp-tail grouse populations in Minnesota, for example. 
I am heading to Gillett, Wyoming, for a three-day sage grouse hunting season. 
The limit is two per day with four in possession, but I intend to harvest exactly one bird. This is the same number the other three members of my hunting party intend to harvest. When we each have one sage grouse, we are relocating to a different part of Wyoming to hunt the more plentiful sharp tail grouse. 
When I spend days afield in other states, I do so with the understanding that we may very well be only mildly successful. Once in a while they can be a complete bust. 
A severe, completely un-forecast weather change last January made my quail hunt to Kansas a four-day, 50 mph wind quail-less adventure. 
When you hear stories about guys or gals breaking new ground in a new state with fabulous results, most of those reporters are using lots of editorial exaggeration. 
We have hit a few home runs on these new spaces investigations, but they are few and far between.
I go because it allows me to see and appreciate the beautiful landscapes of other states and get a better understanding of the special habitat types that exist there. I can have as much fun with a camera and a spotting scope as I can with a gun. My dogs would not say the same.
I spent a few days last year just south of the Badlands National Park, and there was a rugged beauty there I had never experienced. Hunting birds with the Badlands in the distance was just breathtaking. 
Very few other hunters – and the middle of the day when temperatures were too hot for the dog – meant sitting under some giant trees with a breeze and good friends. 
I manage to find the locals’ favorite steakhouse and go out of my way to greet and visit with local ranchers who know where all of the birds are hanging out. 
Maybe it’s my age but killing lots of anything no longer really makes any difference to me. I am 60 years old and in pretty good health.  I just hope, as do my dogs, that I will be able to experience some more unique places and even shoot a bird or two if I am lucky.
 
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.

Sept. 11
•Deputies assisted Pipestone County.
•Complainant on 161st Street, Luverne, reported vehicle theft.
•Complainant on W. Main Street reported suspicious activity.
Sept. 12
•Complainant on Luverne Street, Magnolia, reported a stolen vehicle.
•Complainant on 40th Avenue, Hills, reported an abandoned vehicle.
•Missing person was reported at Blue Mounds State Park.
•Complainant on W. Virginia Street requested a deputy at location.
Sept. 13
•Complainant on S. Donaldson Street reported a noise complaint.
•Complainant on N. Oakley Street reported an assault at location.
•Complainant on 51st Street, Luverne, reported car repossession.
•Complainant on E. 1st Street, Hardwick, reported harassing communication at location.
•Complainant reported a lost chainsaw.
•Complainant on Brown Street reported suspicious activity.
•Edgerton fire/ambulance ran rescue drill training.
Sept. 14
•Complainant on S. Donaldson Street reported loud music in the area.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a protest at location.
•Complainant reported a subject with a Rock County warrant.
•Complainant on Koehn Avenue reported debris on the road.
•Complainant on S. 2nd Street, Beaver Creek, reported repossession at location
•Complainant requested a tint check.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported finding a cell phone.
•Complainant on County Highway 4 and 110th Avenue, Luverne, reported a vehicle fire.
•Complainant on SW Park Street reported an HRO/harassment issue.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 4, Beaver Creek, reported a tarp in roadway.
Sept. 15
•Complainant on 3rd Avenue, Pipestone, reported a subject with a Rock County warrant.
•Roadside assistance was conducted on W. Hatting Street and S. Kniss Avenue.
•Harassing communication was reported at location on N. Oakley Street.
•Assistance from another department was conducted.
•Complainant reported identity theft.
Sept. 16
•Complainant on E. Warren Street reported fraud.
•Complainant on S. Donaldson Street reported threats.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a confused customer.
•Complainant reported a found chainsaw.
•Complainant on Railroad, Kanaranzi, reported unsafe driving.
Sept. 17
•Complainant on E. 1st Street, Hardwick, reported severe property damage.
•Complainant on Highway 75 and County Road 16, Luverne, reported a tree down over roadway.
•Citywide power outage was reported for city of Luverne.
•Complainant on E. Veterans Drive reported a death notification.
•Complainant on Harrison Street requested extra patrol.
In addition, officers responded to 2 motor vehicle accidents, 1 vehicle in ditch, 1 transport, 9 ambulance runs, 1 paper service, 1 animal complaint, 3 fingerprint requests, 5 burn permits, 6 alarms, 2 fingerprint requests, 3 gas drive-offs, 4 purchase and carry permits, 3 stalled vehicles, 12 traffic stops, 20 abandoned 911 calls, 2 tests, 4 welfare checks, 2 reports of cattle out and 1 follow-up.

Robert Stephen Tomlinson, 74, Luverne, died Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.
A funeral service was Saturday, Sept. 18, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial with full military honors followed at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Robert Tomlinson was born on Dec. 7, 1946, to Robert and Hazel (Larson) Tomlinson in Luverne. He was baptized at First Presbyterian Church in Luverne. He graduated from Luverne High School in 1964 and then worked at Jordan Millwork in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, making cabinets and windows.
In May 1967, Robert enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Following his honorable discharge in March 1969, he returned to Jordan Millwork where he worked for many years.
On Dec. 12, 1970, Robert married Dianna DeZeeuw at the Methodist Church in Lake Benton, and the couple lived in Luverne. During a strike, Robert began working for A.R. Wood as a welder and in the brooder department. When the company closed down, he worked for Land O’ Lakes as a bagger. In 1987 Robert had knee surgery, and a short time later he retired due to health issues. He then went into full-time service helping others.
Robert was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. He was a member of the Luverne Lions Club, Woodcarvers, VFW, American Legion Honor Guard, and a church greeter at the Veterans Home.
In his spare time, Robert enjoyed woodworking, scroll work, driving all the grandkids to pre-school, taking scenic drives, and visiting. He loved raising calves and helping the grandkids show animals through 4-H at the fair.
Robert is survived by his wife, Dianna Tomlinson of Luverne; a daughter, Laura (Rodney) Richters of Luverne; four grandchildren, Brittney (Kurtis) Van Gent, Brenton (Aimee) Richters, Brian Tomlinson (significant other Courtney Kruger), and Breanna Richters (significant other Andy Wolters); and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Donna Loud.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
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Guenther Peter Luitjens, 76, died on Sept. 8, 2021, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, from a heart attack.
A funeral service was Monday, Sept. 13, at Green Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Interment was at Green Hill Memorial Gardens.
Guenther Luitjens was born on June 2, 1945, in Pulkau, Austria, to LeRoy and Margarete Luitjens. He lived the first 13 years of his life in Austria, attending the local Catholic school. He was an altar boy who fondly remembered the stern nuns with their ruler.
After moving to Luverne, he attended Luverne schools until he graduated in 1964. After graduation, Guenther enlisted in the United States Navy, spending time on both ship and submarine, where he was honorably discharged in 1971.
He worked the majority of his life as a Ford car salesman. His most recent position was a shuttle driver for a local dealership.
Guenther loved watching football and basketball, but he especially loved watching the Minnesota Vikings games while wearing team clothing.
After his first wife of 25 years, Patricia Sue, passed away, he later married Karen in March of 2016.
Guenther is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter Kimberly (Dave) Medrick; Karen’s daughter Tammy (Shawn) Leonard; grandchildren Alysha Medrick, Aaron (Brittany) Medrick, Elizabeth (Matthew) Koppe, Zachary (Sara) Medrick, Michael Phillips, Wyatt Phillips; great-grandchildren Maverick, Ethan, Grayson, Hadley, and Ryker.
Guenther was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia Sue, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, his parents; and his brother, Roy, and his wife, Rose, Luitjens of Bloomington, Illinois. 
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Nancy Christianson, 91, of Pierre, passed away Monday, Sept. 6, 2021.
A memorial celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at Feigum Funeral Home with Pastor Craig Wexler officiating. Nancy’s service will also be broadcast live at www.feigumfh.com.
Nancy Suzanne Christianson was born on Feb. 10, 1930, to Ernst and Mary (Dugan) Juhl in Rock County, Minnesota. Nancy was baptized and confirmed in Rock County and was later a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Aberdeen and Lutheran Memorial Church in Pierre.
Nancy grew up on a farm outside of Luverne, Minnesota, where the family raised purebred Duroc hogs. The family held auctions that were attended by people from across the country. Nancy was an active member of 4-H. In 1947 she became headline news as the first female to win blue ribbons at the Rock County and Minnesota State Fair for both showmanship and her purebred Duroc gilt. She graduated from Luverne High School in 1948 and continued her education at the University of South Dakota.
Nancy met her future husband, Raydon (Ray) Christianson, at the university and reportedly helped many of Ray’sfraternity brothers, who were returning soldiers from World War II, with their course assignments.
She married Ray on June 17, 1951, in Luverne. After their marriage she worked for the federal government in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, until she left to raise two sons. When her sons entered grade school, she attended Northern State University and graduated with a degree in elementary education. She taught fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary School in Aberdeen until her retirement in 1986.
In 1988 Ray and Nancy moved to Pierre, South Dakota, to be closer to family, where she was living at the time of her death.
Nancy loved to cross stitch and was exceptional at it. She enjoyed her time with her cross stitch group, and the group would often take road trips to visit stores in other towns. In their later years, when it became more difficult to travel, yet staying true to their tradition, the out-of-town road trip became an overnight stay in Fort Pierre.
She treasured her husband of 61 years, her sons, Mark and Bob, grandsons Eric and Marcus and met her great-grandson, Alexander. She would check in twice daily to see if there was any new update in the family and would often say one of her greatest joys was to be a part of her grandsons’ lives. In later years she developed a love for gardening and could be found tending to her flowers and vegetables.
Grateful for having shared in her life are Mark and his wife Mary (Skulborstad) of Bolingbrook, Illinois; Bob and his wife L. Ann (Harrington) of Pierre, South Dakota, and their sons Eric and Lisa (Weber), Marcus and Corey (Wannamaker). She cherished getting to hold and welcome her great-grandson Alexander into her family. 
She was preceded in death by her husband, sister and two brothers.
In lieu of flowers or memorials, please perform an act of kindness while holding Nancy in your heart and memory.
Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.feigumfh.com
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