Vandalism cases against local teenagers are proceeding through juvenile court, with one defendant paying his share of restitution and now in military basic training.
According to the Rock County Attorney’s Office, Gavyn Boll, 17, paid roughly $1,500 in restitution to be divided among the victims.
Some of Boll’s charges were dismissed as part of that negotiation, said David Owens, assistant county attorney.
“To proceed with those charges against Mr. Boll with the new information received would not have been in the best interests of justice,” he said.
Boll participated in a string of vandalisms with fellow teen Elliot Stoltenberg, who faces both vandalism and felony assault charges.
The boys, along with two younger juveniles, admitted to destroying property in Luverne City Park when it was decorated with lighted holiday displays.
The criminal complaints outline more than a dozen counts of vandalism in varying degrees and assaults that took place in and around the city of Luverne between December 2020 and February 2021.
The assault charges stem from the use of air-gun style, CO2 powered automatic pistols that were used to shoot at individuals. At least one incident involved shooting at a pedestrian from a vehicle.
The same weapons are described in damage to property, much of which involved shooting out windows.
The complaint outlines more than a dozen separate incidents of Luverne residents and business owners reporting damage to vehicles or property by a BB-gun style weapon.
Each juvenile reportedly admitted to one or more of the vandalisms and implicated other juveniles.
Boll left Monday for U.S. Marine Corps basic training in San Diego, California, and Owens said this military experience is factored into legal penalties.
“Most were in agreement that the USMC basic training would be more onerous and rehabilitative than juvenile probation,” Owens said.
“It is my understanding that a drill sergeant, when their craft is applied appropriately, tends to ‘rehabilitate’ people quite well.”
He said the consensus was also that the courts would rather not discourage someone from serving in the military when they admit to wrongdoing.
Owens said the cases involving the other juveniles are still in negotiation, and it’s unclear whether any will proceed to trial.

Former board member Harley Fransman was unanimously appointed to the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board during Monday night’s meeting.
Fransman served 13 years on the H-BC Board, retiring in 2018. He served six years as the board’s chairman and was instrumental in bringing the district out of statutory operating debt.
Fransman replaces Dan LaRock, who resigned his position on the board earlier this month.
Fransman will join the board May 26. The public has 30 days from Monday’s board resolution adoption to challenge the appointment.
Fransman will serve until the November general election. The position will then be open for any eligible resident to file for election to complete the last year of the four-year term, which expires in 2022.
 
In other business, board members:
•approved adding a full-time elementary teacher for the 2021-2022 school year. Estimated salary is $55,000.
•agreed to join eight to 10 other southwest Minnesota school districts in splitting lawyer fees to answer the Minnesota State High School League’s continued requests to replace lost revenue through a second payment to the organization. H-BC passed a resolution in December to pay a portion of the requested $4,317 or $28.22 per student. Instead, H-BC paid $1,707 or $11.16 per high school student. H-BC has 104 high school students.
“It’s a matter of fairness and how these fees were put out there,” Superintendent Holthaus said.

A forgotten influence recently came to mind with the news of Walter Mondale’s death. The memory took me back to Augustana College as an 18-year-old freshman.
The 1984 presidential campaign featured Democratic presidential candidate Mondale, and I was one of a small group of Young Democrats on campus.
Like me, he was a Minnesota native, and my political leanings were beginning to take root in his Democratic ideals.
Through the years I have voted for Democrats, Republicans and Independents. It’s the person that draws my attention and how he or she intends to move the nation forward.
I met Mondale in person a couple of years ago at the 2016 Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention. I shook his hand and told him of his influence in my political thinking. Ever so gracious, he thanked me for my support all those years ago and encouraged my continued input into community journalism.
I wrote about that meeting in a 2016 column. I recall him stating that it’s the business of newspapers to ask questions and form public opinion.
Politics and public opinions today are very divisive. It’s also “your view is wrong,” and no solutions or common ground is ever established.
Mondale famously asked “Where’s the beef?” in the 1984 presidential nomination debate. In essence, he asked his Democratic opponents to stop with the BS and bring legitimate ideas to the table for discussion. The sentiment still applies today. “Where’s the beef?” Where are the solutions we can discuss?
I will miss Mondale and those like him in politics today who graciously model what public service and private behavior should be.
In his memoir, “A Good Fight,” he wrote about his confidence that government could be used to better people’s lives, even though it appears that others don’t share the same philosophy. “My faith has not dimmed. But I also came to understand that voters didn’t simply put us in office to write laws or correct the wrongs of the moment. They were asking us to safeguard the remarkable nation our founders left us and leave it better for our children.”
We should all strive to think and act more like Mondale.

Youthful exuberance was palpable Friday as Hills-Beaver Creek Secondary students exited the school bus at the Hills Rez Park.
They were laughing, running after each other and just plain excited to be outdoors.
The change of scenery, however, didn’t mean they weren’t learning.
Last Thursday was Earth Day, a day to protect the environment and focus on conservation.
Our prairie landscape needs to be protected, appreciated and recognized for the mental renewal offered in the fresh outdoor air.
Unfortunately, not all kids in the U.S. are able to have that experience, because green areas in some urban areas are just not there — the land is needed for housing, streets, commercial buildings, everything that makes up a big city.
Here in Rock County, however, we are happy to see our students embracing what living in a rural area can offer.
Last week the Star Herald published a story about the new seed library offered through the Rock County Library.
Even though we are surrounded by acres of corn and soybeans, Rock County is, by definition, a “food desert.”
Being a food desert means the majority of our residents are not within walking distance of a grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables, the building blocks to a healthier lifestyle. Instead, processed, inexpensive foods can easily be purchased, but these foods are not good for our health.
The seed library allows patrons to start their own gardens, to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Along with the free seeds, the library has reference materials available to show how gardening is done.
If reading is not to your liking, the library can connect patrons to people who will eagerly help start gardens in a backyard or even in containers that don’t take up much room.
One of the H-BC students cleaning at the Rez stated, “There are a lot of food wrappers out here.”
One simple way to help the environment is “picking up after oneself.”
Last fall the guest speaker at Luverne High School’s National Honor Society induction said his mentor would pick up garbage from the ground.
He stated he wasn’t going to wait for someone else to clean up the community. He was going to just do it.
We also need to just do it.
When you see an errant food wrapper, plastic bottle and other garbage on the ground, don’t just walk by — pick it up and dispose of the litter properly.
Let’s keep our communities clean and enjoyable for decades to come.
 

Sasker: 'Glad to call Luverne home'
To the Editor:
I wrote a letter to the editor years ago and never sent it.
This is that letter in part:
It happened again like so many times before. I am in a store in Luverne and I hear a clerk refer a customer to another store because they didn’t have the item asked for.
I thought, “Wow! This is commendable, no competition for business; just people helping people.” And I have lost count how many times it has happened to me personally.
I am a transplant to Luverne and I love it here. This is one of the reasons I am glad to call Luverne home.
Clerks, carry on —
Marilyn Sasker
Luverne

Question: Can you talk about motorcycle safety going into spring riding?
Answer: With everything going on in the world today, a motorcycle ride can be the perfect escape. Leave your worries behind, put that helmet on, and head for the open road.
Here are steps you can take to reduce your risk of crashing:
•Ride sober.
•Wear highly visible protective gear, including a brightly colored helmet.
•Have a good riding strategy for every ride.
Wearing proper protective gear can help keep you safe in case of a crash, but having good riding skills can prevent a crash from happening in the first place.
Motorcycle training is a great way to develop and improve safe riding skills, but time is running out to register for the Basic Rider Course (BRC) to earn your endorsement. More than 1,300 riders took the BRC in the first two months of the training season, which started the first week of June, and nearly 300 more riders took other MMSC training courses. Register now for one of the 22 locations throughout Minnesota.
There are a limited number of intermediate courses still available too. This course is a great way to practice riding a new motorcycle or riding with a passenger. You can take the intermediate course with a passenger for no additional charge.
MMSC offers advanced and expert training courses too, but those have wrapped up for the season.
Challenge yourself to take a training course every year or two to keep your riding skills sharp — after all, training can make a huge difference in avoiding crashes. You can find details about all the training courses on the MMSC’s website, including eligibility requirements for each level.
Additional information can be found on the Department of Public Safety’s blog: https://dps.mn.gov/blog/Pages/20200824-make-every-motorcycle-ride-safe…
If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848.  (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)

Dispatch report
April 16
•Complainant on 31st Street, Hills, reported a vehicle with nobody around.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 5, Beaver Creek, reported a driving complaint.
•Driver history was requested.
•Complainant from Interstate 90 to County Road 4 reported vehicle for driving conduct.
•Complainant on Central Avenue and Main Street, Kenneth, reported an assault.
•Complainant on S. Cottage Grove reported trespassing.
April 17
•Complainant west-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 8, Beaver Creek, reported a metal gate or ramp in roadway.
•Complainant requested to speak to a deputy about an active OFP.
•Complainant on Veterans Drive reported harassing communications.
•Complainant on E. Crawford Street reported subject walking down the street holding a cardboard box.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue requested deputy for combative patient.
•Complainant east-bound on County Road 4 to Magnolia reported hazardous driving.
•Complainant on 121st Street and 140th Street, Luverne, reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant on S. Fourth Street, Beaver Creek, reported kids on four-wheeler/ATVs at location.
April 18
•Complainant on County Road 4 and County Road 17, Manley, reported vehicle and train accident.
•Complainant on Elmwood Avenue reported theft from his driveway.
•Complainant on Highway 23 reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on Main and Donaldson reported a tree down and blocking roadway.
•Complainant on E. 1st Street, Hardwick, reported threats.
April 19
•Complainant on W. Main Street reported identity theft.
•Complainant requested assistance in investigation of a crime.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 5, Beaver Creek, reported a reckless driver.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported someone videotaping her.
April 20
•Complainant on E. Crawford Street reported someone harassing him.
•Complainant on 140th Avenue, Hardwick, requested to speak to a deputy about a property dispute.
•Complainant on W. Hatting Street reported a fire at location.
April 21
•Complainant on Highway 75 and Dodge reported a crosswalk light malfunction.
•Complainant on S. West Park Street reported suspicious behavior.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a gas spill.
•Complainant on N. Linden Street requested deputy for intoxicated, aggressive male.
April 22
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 20, Magnolia, reported a ladder on road.
•Complainant reported a hit and run accident.
•Complainant on Interstate 90, mile marker 13-14, Luverne, requested deputy assistance.
•Complainant south-bound on Highway 75 from Pipestone County, requested assistance in locating a vehicle involved in an accident.
•Complainant on U.S. Highway 75, Luverne, reported an act of vandalism.
•Complainant west-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 32, Luverne, reported poor driving conduct.
•Complainant on Cedar Street reported a woman screaming and a pellet gun sound.
April 23
•Complainant on 150th Avenue requested deputy for disorderly son.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported a suspicious vehicle.
•Complainant reported a disorderly party.
•Complainant on 121st Street reported a grass fire.
 
In addition, officers responded to 5 motor vehicle accidents, 1 deer accident, 8 escorts, 14 ambulance runs, 15 paper services, 9 animal complaints, 1 fingerprint request, 31 burn permits, 1 gas drive-off, 8 alarms, 4 drug court tests, 12 purchase and carry permits, 1 stalled vehicle, 5 traffic stops, 13 abandoned 911 calls, 3 tests and 4 welfare checks.

On Monday the U.S. Census Bureau released the first population data from Census 2020, showing that Minnesota grew enough to hold on to all eight of its congressional seats.
The state’s population grew by 7.6 percent to 5,706,494, outpacing most Midwestern states and keeping pace with the national average.
The nationwide head count showed that the country’s population on April 1, 2020, was 331,449,281, up from 308,745,538 in 2010, for a 7.4 percent increase.
“I want to thank Minnesotans for their nation-leading civic engagement, which made us the No. 1 state in responding to the census,” said Governor Tim Walz.
“Because of that participation, we will be fully represented in Washington and will have access to federal resources we need to improve our infrastructure, fund our schools, and support our health care system.”
Minnesota hung on to the 435th seat in Congress by a close margin — less than 1,000 people.
Keeping all eight representatives in the U.S. House means maintaining the clout that helps bring home federal funding for schools, highways, and health care.
“Losing one district would have been a serious blow to the state,” said Susan Brower, state demographer.
“Had Minnesota lost that seat, each of the remaining seven districts would have had to grow by 102,000 people, setting off a complex realignment or redistricting of the state’s political map.” 
She said the impact in greater Minnesota where the districts are already quite large would have been especially difficult.
Minnesota led the nation in self-response to the census, with 75.1 percent of households returning their census form without additional follow-up from a census taker.
Efforts by governments, non-profit groups, and advocates ensured that residents that are typically undercounted, like college students, the homeless, apartment dwellers, snowbirds, rural areas, and black, indigenous, and people of color were motivated to fill out their census forms. 
“Our great self-response rate gave Minnesota an edge over other states that didn’t respond as thoroughly,” said Brower.
“Minnesotans are historically very civically engaged, and that carried through to their participation in the 2020 Census.”
States losing one seat in Congress included California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
States gaining one or more seats in Congress included Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Texas (+2).
Block level census data that are used in the redistricting process to create new map boundaries for congressional and state legislative districts will be released in August 2021.

Kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School raised nearly $6,000 in a fundraiser organized by the Parent-Teacher Association.
The walk-a-thon accepted pledges from March 30 through April 8, and students completed the walk-a-thon on April 9.
This is the second year for the fundraiser, which supports indoor recess activities, classroom supplies for teachers, quiz bowl and special student activities.
Last year the first walk-a-thon raised $6,300.