St. Patrick’s Day parades aren’t typically a big deal in Luverne, but this year it was different.
A first-ever marching band of Edgerton students led the procession of green-colored parade entries, and crowds lined the parade route in numbers not seen at a Luverne St. Patrick’s Day Parade in decades.
More than anything, the celebration was festive, like a normal community celebration, something not experienced since before the pandemic canceled gatherings over a year ago.
“The last parade in Rock County was for the Band Festival in 2019 so we have had a long dry spell,” said Luverne Area Chamber Director Jane Wildung Lanphere.
To entice more parade entrants, the Chamber offered a gold dollar coin to each participant at the end of the parade route.
“Like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” Lanphere said.
The event attracted out-of-town entrants and spectators who said they were seeking St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and couldn’t find them in Sioux Falls or other area towns.
“We came here from Valley Springs, because South Dakota didn’t have anything,” said Ardell Johnson, who wore a flashy green outfit with her similarly dressed daughter, Kasey Johnson, to enjoy Luverne’s parade.

Rock County Commissioners approved a 10-year abatement of county taxes March 2 for Rock River Ag Properties LLC south of Luverne.
Owners Brad Bergman and Joshua Renault requested abating 100 percent of taxes on the six acres in Clinton Township.
It’s the site of a combined warehouse, seed storage and office facility recently built at the intersection of Highway 75 and 61st Street.
Five jobs will be created with the new agronomy sales facility, according to the abatement application.
The county assessor determined the improvements would add $2,958 to the county’s current tax base annually or $29,577 over 10 years.
No one from the public attended the public hearing for the abatement consideration.
Commissioner Stan Williamson questioned making decisions for future commissioners, whose four-year terms would include honoring a decision they made in 2021.
“That’s two-and-a-half in terms of change of commissioners,” he said.
Instead of 10 years, commissioners unanimously approved five years of tax abatement at 100 percent or $2,958 annually with a 20-percent reduction each year over the remaining four years.
 
Future hearings to take place quarterly
Commissioners also agreed at their March 2 meeting that all future abatements hearings will take place at the last commissioner meeting of each quarter.
For 2021 those meetings will be June 22, Sept. 21 and Dec. 21.
However, two abatement applications have already been submitted and commissioners agreed to conduct the public hearings April 6.
Ross Van Hulzen submitted a tax abatement for a new home in Battle Plain Township, and a business tax abatement was submitted by Kelly and Tammie Leuthold in Martin Township for a salon and spa.

The Helping Building Communities Stronger (HBCS) club will meet later this month to plan the 2021 Friendship Days.
“There are never enough hands,” said HBCS president Howard Vis.
The planning meeting will be 7 p.m. Monday, March 29, at the Hills Legion Hall.
Vis made the announcement at the March 9 Hills City Council meeting.
He said current coronavirus pandemic guidelines will be easy to follow for the Saturday morning parade, but club members will need to review guidelines for the community meal at the city park along with the children’s activities including the soapbox derby.
“We’ll have some activities. We just don’t know what they will be,” he said.
The March 29 meeting will choose a 2021 parade marshal and a possible parade theme. Community letters about the event will be sent this month, Vis said.
The 2021 event is scheduled for the second weekend in June with activities slated for Friday, June 11, and Saturday, June 12.
Events were canceled in 2020 due the pandemic.

The state of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program is expanding further this week, with temporary vaccination events in Marshall at the MERIT Center and Worthington at the Worthington Event Center.
Vaccine will be administered at the Marshall and Worthington events to currently eligible Minnesotans, including frontline workers in food processing and agriculture this week.
“Across the state, we continue to build an expansive network of providers to bring vaccines directly to Minnesotans in their communities,” Gov. Tim Walz said.
“These new opportunities in Marshall and Worthington will help us reach even more people in southern Minnesota, including hard-working folks in food processing and agriculture.”
The temporary Marshall and Worthington one-time events join seven permanent, large-scale community vaccination sites in Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, Bloomington, Saint Paul, St. Cloud and Mankato as part of the Community Vaccination Program.
“We need broad community protection before we are able to rein in COVID-19 and get back to the many normal parts of life we all have missed,” Walz said. “And the way we get there is by getting as many people vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible.”
Minnesotans who have not received a vaccine should sign up for the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, which will notify them about vaccine opportunities nearby.
Users currently eligible for the vaccine may be randomly selected for an appointment at a Community Vaccination Program location. Minnesotans may be contacted directly if they can make an appointment.
Minnesotans can sign up at https://mn.gov/vaccineconnector.
Minnesotans unable to sign up online or who require translation assistance can call 833-431-2053 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday to sign up over the phone.
In addition to the Vaccine Connector, Minnesotans can search for local providers, contact information and scheduling opportunities on the state’s vaccine finder map:
https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp.

We appreciate the opportunity to clarify the Minnesota Parks and Trails project to redevelop Eagle Rock Vista at Blue Mounds State Park. 
First, it is important to note for context that the Frederick Manfred house site is an important and valued area within Blue Mounds State Park. It reflects the contributions of a famous American author to the community of Luverne and his family’s legacy.
As part of the redevelopment project, DNR has assessed the potential for saving the house. However, the extensive damage and environmental hazards caused by the quarried cliff being incorporated into the building has resulted in the conclusion that the building is unsafe and unsustainable.
The full "Existing Conditions Assessment of the Frederick Manfred House" is now available on the DNR website. The report goes into great detail about the considerable structural deficiencies and public safety issues associated with the structure. 
Further, because of the design of the structure incorporating the quarried cliff and the resulting persistent water intrusion, saving the structure in its current form is not only costly, but impossible. 
Due to the ongoing water intrusion over the years, the only feasible way the building could be made sustainable would be to rebuild the facility functionally separated from the cliff wall and would likely cost over $2 million. 
And finally, if it were rebuilt, it would no longer reflect the original architecture of the building.
It is also important to point out that during the 2017 Blue Mounds State Park Citizen Advisory Group process, group members learned about the state of the building and generally agreed the site needs to be repurposed for a different use in the future. 
The name “Eagle Rock Vista” was suggested by a wayfinding group from the Luverne Economic Development Office, because the large rock in the immediate vista area is named “Eagle Rock,” and is rumored to have been named by the Manfred family.  
Because the focus of the area will shift from a visitor center building to more of an interpretive, reflective site and trailhead location – the name “Eagle Rock Vista” was recommended. 
To effectively honor Frederick Manfred’s legacy while enhancing the natural landscape and space for public use, education and appreciation, the DNR Parks and Trails Division requested proposals for professional architectural, site design, and engineering services to redevelop the Manfred House-Eagle Rock Vista trailhead area at Blue Mounds State Park
The resulting concepts that are being reviewed today effectively retain the footprint, foundation and stone face that were prominent in the structure while also celebrating the splendor of the rare natural plant communities in the area along with the spectacular views from the exposed cliff for which the site is known.
 The DNR has undertaken a lengthy process of engagement of stakeholders including a series of group meetings in the community to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to the park, including the Manfred house. 
Among various outcomes, the citizen advisory group requested that they be engaged in considering alternative options culminating in the current opportunity for public comment on the design concepts. 
And there have been multiple communications with advocates for saving the Manfred house about the condition of the house and plans to redevelop the area into a trailhead dating back to at least 2019. 
The assessment, performed by licensed architects and engineers, substantiated the expectation that the house would need to be deconstructed.

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. 
That old “rule” seems to be forgotten on social media.
It seems like negative, divisive, and/or false information is posted or shared much more than positive or uplifting content. 
You know what I mean. 
The same few people who constantly produce posts that are either bashing one political party, sharing false information or generally complaining about something.
Maybe that’s why one recent post made such an impression on many people.
I was looking through Facebook on a Saturday morning and came across a post about the Luverne at Windom boys’ hockey game the night before.
It appeared to be from a Windom fan or parent. 
I expected something negative. 
And I was totally wrong. 
It turns out, the lengthy and heartwarming post was about a positive experience the author witnessed after the game. 
And it was all thanks to the actions of a Luverne player, goalie Shaid Shearer. 
The Windom mom noticed that, after losing to Windom in the last regular-season game of his senior season, Shaid skated over to congratulate the Eagle players on their win. 
The author was profoundly moved by this gesture of sportsmanship by Shaid.
To paraphrase the post, she wrote that she could not stop thinking about how selfless his actions were and how much Shaid’s display of sportsmanship meant to her. 
She went on to share how this experience reminded her how valuable high school sports can be and how the emotional moment brought her to tears.
She even wrote of how she was so moved that she sought out Shaid’s mom after the game and even stood outside the Luverne locker room waiting to thank the Cardinal goalie for his actions. 
After reading this post, I felt really good.
I felt good for Shaid, for his parents, and for this Windom parent who was so moved that she typed such a positive post and shared it with the world. 
I also thought of how Shaid’s sportsmanship, the impact it had on this parent and her willingness to share it, had all taught me something. 
I also reflected on how much I enjoy being a fan of high school sports and how blessed I am to work with so many kids like Shaid every day as a teacher. 
And all of this because of a post from a random stranger whom I will never meet. 
Just imagine if more social media posts could have such a positive impact on others.
What if more people typed uplifting words that made others feel proud and grateful, instead of negative or resentful?
What if we could all show the kind of sportsmanship online that was demonstrated by both Shaid and the Windom mom?
Maybe it's time for a modern version of the old rule:
If you don’t have anything nice to post, don’t post anything at all. … But if you can say (or post) something nice, by all means, please do.

The St. Patrick’s Day parade that made its way down Main Street last week may pale in comparison to other event parades, but this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was the best parade of the year by non-traditional measures.
The parade itself was kind of a coming out party for life having a little bit of normalcy.
For 10 years or more, the Star Herald has participated in the parade, and I would say it was one of Luverne’s bigger St. Patrick’s Day parades.
Hats off to Jane and Angela from the Luverne Area Chamber for once again organizing a great local event.
In addition to the nice turnout for the parade, two of the coolest things in this year’s parade were that the Edgerton Public School band led the parade, and if memory serves, that was the first band to participate during my parade tenure.
The second thing on the parade entry cool list was the mobile picnic table. Albert VanBelle and his grandchildren rode on some sort of gas-powered, wheel-driven picnic table complete with a green umbrella.
The crowd lining the five-block parade route was larger than past years as well, and there was plenty of candy handed out along the way.
All in all, the St. Patrick’s Day parade is simple – maybe even a little cheesy, but considering the year and all we’ve been through, it was spectacular and hopefully a sign of better days ahead. 

The Rock County Board of Commissioners decided a tied bid for highway striping with the flip of coin at their March 16 meeting.
Traffic Marking Services Inc. of Maple Lake won the coin flip in what was a first-ever tied bid-letting process for Rock County engineer Mark Sehr.
“Both quotes were identical at $71,294.40,” he said.
“After discussions with (County Administrator) Kyle (Oldre) and the county attorney’s office, it was determined we will use a coin flip to determine who to award the bid to.”
Before the board meeting Traffic Marketing Services was assigned the “heads” side of the coin, and AAA Striping Service of St. Michael was “tails.”
Vice chairman Jody Reisch flipped the coin with County Attorney Jeff Haubrich as witness.
Company representatives and Commissioner Gary Overgaard watched the process via Zoom as the coin landed on “heads.”
Board chairman Stan Williamson was absent.
Sehr commented after the meeting that the two striping contractors have experienced tied bids in the past, since they use the same paint.
The bid called for 3,159 gallons for 4-inch-wide white reflectorized edge line markings and 1,792 gallons of yellow 4-inch-wide reflective centerline paint to stripe roads throughout the county this summer.
Sehr has been the Rock County Highway Department engineer since 1996.

Dispatch report
March 12
•Complainant on 171st Street and N. East Park Street reported a trespassing issue.
•Complainant on W. Mead Court reported loud music at location.
•Harassing communications were reported at location on S. Fairview Drive.
•Complainant on 241st Street reported vagrants squatting at location.
•Report of debris in roadway westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 11, Luverne.
•Accident was reported at location on E. Veterans Drive.
•Deputy checked on vehicle on U.S. Highway 75.
March 13
•Deputy reported suspicious vehicle on S. Kniss Avenue.
•Complainant on E. Main Street reported door damaged at location.
•Complainant on W. Fletcher Street reported harassment via text message.
•Complainant on E. 3rd Street, Hardwick, reported garbage being thrown in recycling shed.
•Report of ticket booth vandalized at fairgrounds.
•Deputy reported an open storage door on S. Kniss Avenue.
March 14
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street, Magnolia, reported a juvenile runaway.
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street, Magnolia, reported a juvenile runaway.
•Complainant in Luverne reported an unlicensed driver.
•Complainant on County Road 7 reported someone suspicious at location.
•Complainant on Interstate 90, mile marker 3, Beaver Creek, reported a vehicle off the roadway.
March 15
•Complainant on Cedar Street reported a parking issue.
•Complainant on N. McKenzie reported snow blocking the driveway.
•Complainant on E. Luverne Street reported he is locked in city hall building.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 11, Luverne, reported debris on the road.
March 16
•Complainant on Interstate 90, mile marker 3.5, Beaver Creek, reported a vehicle rollover.
•Complainant reported subject with Rock County warrant.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on Warren Street reported a suspicious phone call and delivery situation.
•Complainant on S. Freeman Avenue reported a rental issue.
•Complainant on 251st Street, Jasper, reported a disorderly male at location.
March 17
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue requested a hotel room voucher.
•Assistance from another department was conducted on 251st Street, Jasper.
•Extra patrol was requested at location on Railroad Avenue S., Jasper.
•Complainant northbound on 20th Avenue, Hills, reported erratic driver at location.
•Roadside assistance was provided on Main and Kniss Avenue.
•Dispatch confirmed at Rock County warrant.
March 18
•Complainant on W. Maple Street, Luverne, reported an open door at location.
•Complainant on Northview Drive reported a Minnesota unemployment scam.
•Complainant on 100th Avenue, Hardwick, wanted information on how to pay a citation.
•Complainant on W. Main Street reported losing a wallet.
•Complainant on N. McKenzie Street reported a hit and run accident.
•Complainant on S. Anna Avenue, Hills, reported a social security scam.
•Complainant at Avera Behavioral Health, reported stalking activity.
March 19
•Deputy was out with vehicle on County Road 8 and 161st Street, Luverne.
•Complainant on County Road 6 and 161st Street, Luverne, reported an accident to property.
•Complainant on W. Bishop Street reported possible theft occurring.
•Train blocking roadway at location on 41st Street, Hills.
 
In addition, officers responded to 2 motor vehicle accidents, 5 vehicles in ditch, 1 transport, 7 escorts, 20 ambulance runs, 1 paper service, 6 animal complaints, 4 fingerprint requests, 22 burn permits, 1 vehicle impound, 1 alarm, 4 drug court tests, 5 purchase and carry permits, 2 stalled vehicles, 21 traffic stops, 7 abandoned 911 calls, 2 tests, 1 welfare check and 2 reports of cattle out.