The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board approved the 2021-22 calendar at their March 9 meeting with half of the district’s teachers supporting the choice.
In her staff development committee report, director Tami Rauk said teachers were presented three different calendars and were asked to vote on their preference.
“Fifty percent of the vote supported the one chosen,” she said.
Classes for the upcoming 2021-22 school year would start Sept. 7, a day after Labor Day, for students in grades 6-12 with conferences taking place for kindergarten through fifth-grade students on Sept. 7. The first day of class will be Sept. 8 for K-5 students.
Classes will end Friday, May 27, 2022, with commencement exercises at 7 p.m. that evening.
No snow days were designated in next year’s school calendar.
“With our e-learning days, there are no snow days,” Superintendent Todd Holthaus said.
Each school year, districts can conduct up to five e-learning days due to inclement weather.
 
In other business, the H-BC board:
•approved spring coaching assignments: golf, Dan Ellingson with Caleb Ellingson as volunteer assistant golf coach; track, Rex Metzger as head coach with Dalton Bass as assistant coach and Darin DeBoer as junior high coach.
•accepted Halden VanWyhe’s resignation as volleyball assistant coach.
 
Prom scheduled for May 15 in Beaver Creek
Prom for Hills-Beaver Creek High School junior and senior students will be Saturday, May 15, but not in the usual location.
Junior parents, who fundraise and organize prom activities, moved the annual event to the SpringBrooke Events center in Beaver Creek from the Goehle gymnasium in Hills.
“(The) school was only going to host a Grand March due to (pandemic) regulations they were going to have to follow,” said junior parent Kari Kueter.
“They couldn’t guarantee parents could be there for the Grand March. It’s not that we didn’t want it at school; we just wanted to be able to attend in person, so we asked parents and decided we would do it all.”
Parents are planning a meal, Grand March, dance and after-prom activities. Activities are still in the planning stages, Kueter said, with activities beginning at 4:30 p.m. and ending at 1:30 a.m. Exact activities and times will be announced in April.
Due to the pandemic, last year’s prom was canceled.

Four wind production companies operating in Rock County in 2020 will pay taxes totaling $792,327, according to information at the March 2 commissioners’ meeting.
That’s about $58,032 higher than 2019 ($734,295) but down $104,102 from the high of $896,429 collected in 2015.
The county will keep 80 percent of the tax, payable May 15, with the remaining 20 percent divided among the townships where the wind energy was produced.
The 2020 tax includes the two Rock County Wind Fuel turbines that came online last year to supply electricity to the Agri-Energy plant west of Luverne. The two towers generated $4,656 in taxes.
Prairie Rose Wind, whose 114 turbines operate near Hardwick, pays the largest tax amount (785,579).
Of the production tax collected in 2020, Rock County receives $633,862.
Commissioners have earmarked the tax money for repaying bonds taken out for a portion of the countywide broadband project and two other bonds for highway department equipment, and highway improvements.
For the first time this year, Luverne Township will receive a portion of the production tax ($931).
However, Beaver Creek Township will receive no tax for the first time in nine years due to the seven turbines north of Beaver Creek deemed nonoperational.
They will be decommissioned as part of the planned Walleye Wind Farm by developer NextEra Energy.
Four townships receiving a portion of the tax include:
• Martin, $418
• Rose Dell, $60,733
• Springwater, $11,883
• Denver, $84,499
 
Several years of no levy for Denver Township
Since 2013 Denver Township has received just over $695,000 in production taxes, the most of any of the county’s 12 townships.
For the past eight to nine years, township officials have not increased the local township tax levy, instead using production tax for road improvements and equipment purchases.
They also seek building a maintenance/meeting hall, which the township currently doesn’t own. Township officials meet in the city offices in Hardwick.
Last August, Denver Township officials met with the Hardwick City Council about a joint project to build a multi-purpose building that could include a new fire hall.
Plans, however, have been stymied.
“The problem we are running into is the logistics of it — one building for everything,” said township official Kyle Hemme. “It’s a fairly large building and the problem is space.”
No public property is available for the building in Hardwick. Talks with private landowners haven’t yielded any ideal locations.
Both entities agree to continue to work together.
“We are still in talks with the city,” Hemme said.

When government fails, it’s the rare public official who says, “Oops. My fault.”
That’s human nature, particularly for officials in the public eye who may have to run for office again. No one wants to be held directly responsible for letting the public down.
Case in point is the recent catastrophe in Texas, when unexpected winter storms left four million homes without power, ruptured pipes and tainted the water supply for many.
The Texas energy grid essentially collapsed. While Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was quick to blame frozen wind turbines, the cause was much more complex than that. To truly understand how things went so terribly wrong will require time, study and research.
… But how do you get to the truth when public officials so rarely step up to take direct responsibility for failures?
The answer is public records. And public meetings. And access to the information that taxpayers deserve.
States throughout the country have laws that guarantee access to government records and meetings. But the details vary widely and there are many statutory exceptions. New challenges to access emerge every year in virtually every state.
The need to fight for government transparency is reaffirmed each year during Sunshine Week. … [It’s] keyed to the March 16 birthday of President James Madison who drafted the Bill of Rights – including the guarantee of a free press – in 1791.
That journalism connection reflects the role news media play in the free flow of information, but it unfortunately can also leave the public with a sense that Sunshine Week reflects the concerns of a single industry.
To the contrary, access to government information is critical to every American who cares about the quality of his or her community, state and nation.
It’s important to see government employees – including elected officials – as the people we hire through our tax dollars to do a good job for all of us.
If you run a business or hire a contractor, you wouldn’t hesitate to demand a full understanding of how something went wrong. That should be exactly our relationship with government.
Getting that information, though, requires public meetings where residents can ask questions. It also means access to the documents that led to a poor decision. Words on paper can be much more forthright than the dissembling of politicians.
It’s critical that we hold government accountable, for better or worse. (It’s also important to acknowledge when government leaders are doing a good job.)
How can you help?
First, keep doing exactly what you’re doing at this moment. Read and support your local newspaper. Local journalists, more than anyone else, will stand up for your right to information. Facebook will not be going toe-to-toe with your mayor.
Second, when you believe government isn’t doing its job, demand an explanation. Ask to see the documents. Attend public meetings. And above all, support legislative efforts to make government more transparent.
It’s too easy for officials who have failed us to point fingers, blame the media and wait for their side of the partisan fence to rally to their defense. We deserve better. We all pay taxes to support the work of government. We should get our money’s worth.

The community received long-awaited news last week from the Sheriff’s Office that suspects had been arrested in connection with the holiday vandalism at the city park.
Businesses, organizations and individuals had put careful, creative consideration into their lighted displays, not to mention long hours and personal expense.
And it paid off in a big way.
Anyone who showed up for the fireworks and park lighting event can attest to the heartwarming experience of celebrating the season collectively, yet safely in our cars, not spreading the virus.
We’d lost so many of our traditional Christmas festivities — Sunday school programs, choir cantatas, school concerts and more.
This felt right. And it was safe. All was well.
Until someone destroyed the park displays … not just in one thoughtless act, but several.
As a community we shared the pain and outrage with the victims whose displays were destroyed.
We wanted justice, and we wanted the perpetrators to pay. Instinctively we believed we’d feel better once someone was punished.
But now that charges are filed, I can’t say I feel better,
Working on the news story, I found that my personal reaction wasn’t vindication.
Rather, I was heart-broken.
Somehow, I hoped the vandals would be from out of town with no ties to our community. … It’s easier to hate someone we don’t know.
But we do know the perpetrators accused in the holiday crime spree. They go to school with our children and grandchildren, and we sit in the bleachers with their parents and grandparents.
They have good parents in God-fearing homes, and their brush with the law is unnerving and disappointing.
But this doesn’t have to be the end of the story.
For the juveniles or for us as community members.
We’re known not by our mistakes but by how we learn from them and grow to be better people.
It’s true for kids, too, and now would be a good time to embrace the concept with our accused vandals.
Similarly, our community is defined not by its failures but by how it rises above hardships to do better and be better.
We’re right to feel good that justice is served, but a few harsh remarks on the Star Herald Facebook page made me cringe,
We’re better than that.
If we subscribe to the village concept of raising children, we can all play a role toward a happy ending.
Let’s withhold judgment (Jesus instructed the ones without sin to throw the first stone) and embrace the concept of forgiveness.
The vandals have an opportunity to learn and grow from their mistakes and hopefully make things right with their victims. Let’s give them space to do that.

Gust: Health care professionals need protest the vulnerable
To the Editor:
This morning (March 12) I was taking my dog Charley out and saw thebrightening in the east of the sunrise, announcing a new day. The night’s darkness was passing away.
I was thinking that yesterday was the one-year anniversary of theWorld Health Organization proclaiming the Covid-19 virus to be aworldwide pandemic.What a year it has been, in which the darkness had steadily deepenedwith the deaths of more than 527,000 of our fellow Americans, and every part of our society suffering. It has been difficult to hold onto hope. But, like the sunrise, hope is now brightening with the prospect of vaccines becoming available for each adult in the near future.
President Biden said,“Help is on the way ... help is here.” While we look to the future with hope as a nation, we also bear theburden of grief which we all share as Americans. We are all in this grief together.
Earlier in the week there was a television program honoring the lossof loved ones through the sharing of stories by loved ones left behind. SenatorElizabeth Warren is known for being a tough person, but she spoke withgreat feeling about the loss of her beloved brother to COVID-19. She spoke of the pain she still carries of not being able to say goodbye, of not having been able to hold his hand as he passed on. This is a story somany people have shared of their own loss and grief.
President Biden has sought to bring voice to the pain that thiscountry experiences. He speaks from the loss of loved ones in his ownfamily. He said we cannot heal until we confront and honor the emotional pains of loss. In so doing, emotional wounds begin healing. Words need to be spoken, and caring ears need to listen.With the passage of time the memories will become smiles, and tears will flow less often. But, there will always be a hole in the heart, an empty chair at the table.
As we care for and about our fellow Americans, we are comforted by the belief that “We are ALL in this together.”
God bless America.
Larry GreenLuverne
Green: A new day in dawning after pandemic year
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to Rick Petersen’s “For What It’s Worth” column from the March 11 edition of the Star Herald regarding questions on the MDH vaccine registrationwebsite.
My work for the past year has focused nearly solely onprotecting people (particularly residents in long-term care facilities from SARS-CoV2, commonly known as COVID-19.
Most recently,I have been spending my Saturdays administering COVID-19 vaccinationsfor the state of Minnesota through Homeland Health. Each Saturday we learnhow much vaccine we have available to administer. The quantities arelimited, and we administer every drop.
It is now common knowledge that some people are more likely to die from COVID-19. This includes people who are elderly, obese, diabetic,cognitively and physically impaired, and persons who smoke or vape. Any of these can lead to conditions that affect a person’s ability to dress and bathe (e.g., breathing difficulties, difficulty making decisions, loss of limb, mobility impairment, etc.).
There are alsogood reasons for questions relating to gender and sexual orientation. There is well-documented evidence of systemic bias and prejudice against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-genders in health care. These persons are less likely to receive preventive health care and are thus more vulnerable.
As health care professionals, we have a duty to protect our most vulnerable, which means making sure they receivedoses of a limited quantity of vaccine first.
While Rick may find these questions “absurd,” extraneous or perhaps even offensive, they are critically important to identifying these Minnesotans and ensuring they get vaccinated first.
The state of Minesota can certainly be erratic at times, but this is not oneof them.
Karis Rieke Gust,
Luverne
RN, BSN, MA, BC-RN
Representative Schomacker must stand up to Walz
To the Editor:
For nearly a year, Governor Walz has exercised total and unilateral control over the state of Minnesota. With his countless executive orders, he has shut down bars, restaurants, schools, churches, and more … many of which can never open their doors again.
What is Representative Joe Schomacker doing about it? It looks likeabsolutely nothing. He and many of his friends in the legislature have made afew weak efforts to repeal Walz’ powers, and nothing more. They’re letting Walz get off the hook for his abuse of power.
Not Representative Erik Mortensen. He’s fighting for small businesses byintroducing Articles of Impeachment to remove Governor Walz from office. This sends a message both to him and anyone succeeding him that the separation of powers in Minnesota’s Constitution is important and cannot be disregarded.
If Schomacker wants to keep his seat in 2022, then he’d better sign on toMortensen’s impeachment resolution.
Jessica Kracht
Luverne
 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for agricultural producers to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program because of recent winter storms and some clarifications to program rules.
This program assists producers who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying 2018 and 2019 natural disasters.
“Because of recent winter storms and some program updates, we want to provide five additional weeks for producers to apply for the program,” said Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
“I want to make sure eligible producers have the opportunity to apply and to work with our team members to help with any questions. We recently clarified policy to ensure producers who sold grain to the feed market due to quality issues are adequately compensated.”
 
About the program
The QLA program assists producers whose eligible crops suffered quality losses due to qualifying drought, excessive moisture, flooding, hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity or wildfires.
Eligible crops include those for which federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage is available, except for grazed crops and value loss crops, such as honey, maple sap, aquaculture, floriculture, mushrooms, ginseng root, ornamental nursery, Christmas trees, and turfgrass sod. Additionally, crops that were sold or fed to livestock or that are in storage may be eligible.
Assistance is available in counties that received a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or Secretarial Disaster Designation, or for drought, a county rated by the U.S. Drought monitor as having a D3 (extreme drought) or higher. Producers in counties that did not receive a qualifying declaration or designation may still apply but must also provide supporting documentation.
FSA will issue payments once the application period ends. If the total amount of calculated QLA payments exceeds available program funding, payments will be prorated.
 
More information
FSA began accepting applications on Jan. 6 and has received more than 8,100 applications so far.
To apply, contact your local USDA Service Center. Additional information is also available at farmers.gov/quality-loss. Producers can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877-508-8364.
While USDA offices are currently closed to visitors because of the pandemic, Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. To conduct business, please contact your local USDA Service Center. Additionally, more information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Dispatch report
March 5
•Complainant on U.S. Highway 75 and W. Gabrielson Road reported a pedestrian light malfunction.
•Complainant requested to speak to deputy about a license issue.
•Complainant on 171st Street, Jasper, reported a suspicious vehicle in the area.
•Complainant requested to speak to deputy about a business matter.
•Complainant reported someone tore up the grass at county park.
•Complainant reported a phone outage.
•Complainant on Interstate 90, mile marker 2, Valley Springs, reported debris in roadway.
•Complainant on E. Fletcher Street reported possible court order violation.
•State patrol requested county assistance on Interstate 90, mile marker 11, Luverne.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 9-10, Beaver Creek, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on Interstate 90 from Magnolia to Sioux Falls reported an intoxicated person who may drive.
March 6
•An outage was reported in Luverne.
•An outage was reported on N. Oakley Street.
•Complainant on Interstate 90, mile marker 11, Valley Springs, reported a vehicle swerving on the road.
•Complainant on 131st Street, Magnolia, reported prohibited items being burned.
•Complainant on Highway 23, Jasper, reported a semitrailer ran his vehicle off the road.
March 7
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue, reported a suspicious vehicle in parking lot.
•Vehicle was parked at location on County Road 8 and State Park.
•Complainant on U.S. Highway 75, Luverne, reported two kids fishing on unstable ice.
•Complainant on W. Lincoln Street reported a sewer issue.
•Complainant on E. Luverne Street reported vandalism.
•Complainant on N. Spring Street requested to speak to a deputy.
March 8
•Complainant on Interstate 90, Beaver Creek, reported a man standing outside his vehicle pointing a bow.
•Dispatch reported a phone outage.
•A wallet was found at location on Edgehill Street.
•A stolen vehicle was recovered in Sioux Falls.
•Extra patrol was requested at location in Hardwick.
•Subject was arrested in Worthington on Rock County warrant.
•Complainant on W. Main Street requested a deputy check on vehicle.
March 9
•Complainant on S. Fourth Street, Beaver Creek, reported a scam.
•Disorderly subject was reported at location on E. Luverne Street.
March 10
•Deputy was out with vehicle.
•Complainant at Sanford Hospital reported a child locked in car.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 10, Magnolia, reported an accident/property damage.
•Complainant west-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 3.5, Beaver Creek, reported they went into the ditch.
March 11
•State patrol requested assistance with accident westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 10, Luverne.
•Complainant on 120th Avenue, Luverne, reported an FBI warrant scam.
•Complainant observed driving with suspended license.
•Complainant on S. Kniss Avenue reported suspicious person at location.
March 12
•Complainant on 171st Street, Luverne, reported a trespassing issue.
 
In addition, officers responded to 3 deer accidents, 2 vehicles in ditch, 9 escorts, 25 ambulance runs, 2 paper services, 8 animal complaints, 1 fingerprint request, 13 burn permits, 2 background checks, 1 gas drive-off, 5 alarms, 3 drug court tests, 11 purchase and carry permits, 3 stalled vehicles, 27 traffic stops, 10 abandoned 911 calls, 2 welfare checks, 2 OFPs and 4 follow-ups.

The Luverne Rotary Club recognized three Luverne Middle School students as winners in the annual Four-Way Test essay contest for 2021.
Wed Kadhim, the daughter of Tareq Abdulhasan and Raghad Haddad, was selected as this year’s essay winner. Kadhim earned $75 for his winning effort.
His essay titled “Social Media” will be entered in the district essay contest. His winning essay is printed below.
Coy Thone’s essay was chosen for second place ($50) and Anna Reisdorfer received third ($25).
All the students are sixth-graders. Fifteen students submitted entries into the annual contest.
The contest introduces students to the Four-Way Test, which asks four questions to gauge whether thoughts, works and actions are appropriate. The questions are: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And will it be beneficial to all concerned?
This year’s contest was conducted differently from the past due to the coronavirus pandemic. The awards presentation in March 2020 was the last in-person meeting for the Rotarians.
Karen Willers is the club’s marketing/public relations chairperson.
“It felt good to hold one of our annual traditions again, although a bit different in format,” she wrote on the club’s social media page. “Students read their essays via Zoom to our club.”
 
Social Media
By Wed Kadhim
Does Social Media tell the truth? Well let's find out. We all have different opinions.
I think Social Media doesn't tell the truth because not everyone on Social Media tells the truth, like they might be lying about their age or where they are at. You never know what people might be doing these days.
Is Social Media fair to everyone? I think that it isn't because some people might not like what they are posting or maybe they are talking about a person they really enjoy talking to. It also could be when they are on vacation some people don't go on vacations and they may get jealous but they never say anything.
Can Social Media build friendship and positivity?
I think that Social Media can't build friendship and here's why. It can't because not everyone gets along so maybe they dislike each other. However it also can be dangerous and here's why. It can be dangerous because people might find out where you live, let's say Tik Tok people and can find where you live, lnstagram people might take the pictures that you posted on there and post it again and say it is theirs, or they might hacked and get into people’s identity. Snapchat is dangerous because people can have their location on and they can find out where you live, and they can put fake names or hack. But it also can be fun because you can make new friends.
Social Media is a great way to communicate with friends and family!
Most people love social media and they post everything on there but I honestly think that it's not that safe to put everything on there. Most people are comfortable with social media and some people aren’t and that's fine. Not everyone enjoys it, which is totally fine. You can't trust everyone out there, you never know what they are going to do.
Social Media can also be really bad because they might be posting inappropriate things and kids might see it as well.
Kids shouldn't have social media in the first place. It is now easier than ever to access the internet whether you are using a computer, phone, tablet.
There is no doubt that many young people are spending more and more time online, with both positive and negative consequences. Some young people become addicted to online gaming and this can mean they waste too much time playing video games. This can have a negative effect on schoolwork.
One advantage of the internet is that young people can do research for their schoolwork and homework.
We all have different opinions on Social Media; this is what I thought about Social Media.

Bridal showers
An online bridal shower for Natalie Willers, bride-to-be of Robert Golden, will be Sunday, March 21, at theknot.com/us/Natalie-Willers and any blessings or well-wishes may be sent to the couple at 379 61st Street, Beaver Creek, MN 56116.
 
Card showers
Rollie and Lynn Crawford will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary on Friday, March 19. Greetings may be sent to them at 282 81st Street, Beaver Creek, MN 56116.
 
Curt and Mary Smook will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday, March 26. Greetings may be sent to 212 N. Washington Street, Magnolia, MN 56158.
 
 Virginia “Jean” Knips will celebrate her 90th birthday on Thursday, March 25. Greetings may be sent to her at 4513 Prince of Peace Place, Boulder Creek #7, Sioux Falls, SD 57103.
 
Fred Cook will celebrate his 80th birthday on Saturday, March 27. Greetings may be sent to him at 720 S. Donaldson; Luverne, MN 56156.