Snowflakes are appearing around Rock County as symbols of support for a 3-year-old girl recovering from a Jan. 13 farm accident.
Nora Matthiesen, daughter of Jed and Deann Matthiesen, was outside around noon with her dad and others who were working at the family’s farm southwest of Magnolia.
No one witnessed the accident, which was reported to the Rock County Law Enforcement Office at 12:15 p.m. The caller stated that a girl had been run over by a tractor.
However, doctors at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls have since told the family that Nora’s injuries are more consistent with being thrown to the ground by the tractor’s impact and not run over.
Her injuries are limited to her head and doctors are keeping her sedated to assist in the healing process.
Recovery is expected to take time and the 3-year-old has a long road to recovery.
Deann’s mother, Lori Popkes of Rock Rapids, is keeping friends and family updated through regular entries on Nora’s Caringbridge.com website.
In the two weeks since the accident, Nora is showing positive signs she may not have lasting physical injuries from the accident.
In her Jan. 19 Caring Bridge entry Popkes wrote, “Nora is moving all her extremities and scrunching her eyebrows frequently throughout the day today.”
By Friday breathing tubes were removed and Nora is now breathing on her own.
Doctors continue to assess the extent of her brain injury as sedatives are gradually reduced.
“The team did a great job of pointing out that Nora is well ahead of where they thought that she would be at this point,” Popkes wrote on Friday.
 
Donations are accepted at two local banks
Two bank locations are accepting monetary donations from the public.
Checks should be made out to Jed and Deann Matthiesen and dropped off at either the U.S. Bank in Rock Rapids or MinnWest Bank in Luverne.
Cards and letters are being collected by Popkes and shared with the Matthiesens at the address PO Box 308, Rock Rapids, Iowa 51246.
Popkes wrote that Jed and Deann are reluctant to receive donations.
“They truly feel more comfortable giving rather than receiving. We have discussed and prayed about this, and in my study Bible, I came across a part where it spoke about giving and helping as one of the most wonderful ways that we can honor God. And so, even though it is very difficult to be the receiver, we also do not want to keep someone else from having the blessing of giving/helping, if that is what they are being called to do.”
Print Express in Luverne designed shirts and hoodies with the words, “You are our sunshine,” from Nora’s favorite song. Orders to support her cause can be made online at luvprintexpress.com/nora/shop/home.
 
Snowflakes appear as a show of support
As a show of support, one farming neighbor encouraged hanging snowflake ornaments or decorative snowflakes on their mailboxes in support of Nora and her family as she recovers.
“My heart just broke for them as we all know in the farming community that this could be any of us,” said Amy VonHoltum. “This just seemed like an indirect way to make a meaningful tribute of support.”
VonHoltum explained the symbolism behind the snowflake in her social media post.
 “When you consider the beauty of the snowflake, it is amazing how fragile yet strong and resilient it is before forming into one of God’s beautiful masterpieces,” she wrote.
“Life is much the same. Please keep those big prayers coming. I also have a hunch that this little girl loves ‘Frozen,’ and snowflakes go with the territory.”

Luverne High School alumni and the community can be a part of history with the school’s remodel and expansion project.
Luverne Education Legacy Fund (LELF) organized the LHS 2184 Campaign to raise money for extra amenities for the school building project.
“The school has items they can do under their budget,” said LELF president Cory Bloemendaal.
“We will try to do projects outside of this. I call it the ‘wow’ factor.”
Voters within the Luverne School District approved a $31 bond referendum in November 2017 to remodel the 60-year-old facility and add classrooms, a larger commons area and ground-floor cafeteria and kitchen.
The project will be complete this summer.
As work progresses to the finishing stages, the LELF campaign will add as many extras as the donations allow.
The areas of “wow” improvement will focus on the four main areas of academics, activities, fine arts alumni connection and campus beautification.
Several extras for once-in-a-lifetime projects include:
•A 16-foot “L” in the new commons area.
•A grand piano for the new performing arts center.
•An alumni information center.
•Improved digital signage on the school’s front lawn.
•An outdoor learning space under the original school canopy.
Campaign letters and pledge cards will be mailed to LHS alumni next week, but the fundraiser is open to all businesses, friends and supporters of Luverne Schools.
Pledges can be completed online at the LELF website, luverneeducationlegacyfund.org.
Gift levels of $2,184 or greater receive recognition on a display and receive a palm-sized glass cardinal made by artist Tom Maras, LHS ’89 alum.
Pledges can be spread over a three-year period.
For more information contact LELF President Bloemendaal at 507-227-2087 or coryb@buffaloridgeins.com.
Questions can also be directed to Luverne Area Community Foundation Director Emily Crabtree (LHS ’90) at 507-227-6841 or Emily@luvacf.org.
 
Who is LELF?
Luverne Education Legacy Fund evolved from the Luverne School Foundation established by school board members in 2003, when an endowment fund was created through a donation from Rock County resident Harvey Ordung.
Through additional donations, the LELF board of directors awards grants yearly through an application process.
These help pay for special field trips and educational enhancement technologies along with one-time campaigns, such as the one that paid for the tennis court improvements in recent years.
The LHS 2184 Campaign focuses on enhancements for the current construction project at the middle-high school.
Donations can be directed toward the Foundation’s yearly grant program or to the school enhancement campaign.

Luverne’s pool and fitness center expansion project drew 11 interested construction companies participating in the Jan. 19 bid letting.
The low bid was submitted by Hoogendorn Construction from Canton, South Dakota, at $4,327,150.
The city’s architectural and engineering company CO-OP Arch reviewed bids and has recommended Hoogendorn for the job, according to City Administrator John Call.
“They are a local company with vast experience and an excellent track record for quality work,” Call said.
The city plans to finance the project with general obligation bonds that would be retired over a 20-year period.
According to the proposed project timeline, work will start in March or April of this year and be completed by May of 2022.
The city plans to issue general obligation bonds in the amount of $5.2 million to cover the base cost of the construction project and additional costs.
These include fixtures, furniture and equipment, repair and replacement of plumbing in the pool chemical room, a 24/7 security and access system and construction oversight of the project.
Improvements to the facility included in the construction plans are:
•an outdoor splash pad on the south side of the pool.
•new locker rooms.
•four family changing rooms.
•flat space rooms for group aerobic exercise.
•new office space and staff area.
•larger rooms for both 24-hour weightlifting and aerobic exercise machines.
•new mechanical and heat, ventilation and air-conditioning for the facility.
Luverne City Council members took action at their Tuesday, Jan. 26, meeting to award the bid for Luverne Area Aquatics and Fitness Center Expansion and Remodel Project to Hoogendorn Construction, Canton, South Dakota.

License fee revenues in Rock County dropped in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The licensing center in the Rock County Courthouse in 2020 received $98,674, “... which is significantly lower than in 2019,” said auditor-treasurer Ashley Kurtz.
In 2019 the fees for motor vehicle, drivers, sporting and recreational vehicle licenses generated $123,003, the highest amount during the last five years.
Collected fees are used by the licensing center for office operations, mainly staff time.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, the licensing center was closed from March 29, 2020, through May 15, 2020. Since then, the license center has operated by online appointment only.
Kurtz said during the same seven-week period in 2019, the center collected fees of $18,026. Factored into 2020, the extra seven weeks could have put the 2020 fee revenues at $116,700.
Fees are only collected by the local center for licensing transactions completed at the courthouse. The local center doesn’t receive any fees if licensing transactions are completed online directly with the state or at different licensing center.
Centers receive $6 to $10 per transaction for motor vehicles and $8 for each driver’s license.
Rock County in 2020 received $77,665 for motor vehicle transactions, $19,010 for licenses and $2,000 for sporting, low-power and unconventional vehicle licenses combined.
Wheelage tax, however, is not dependent on where the licensee completes the transaction. The $10 wheelage tax is automatically distributed to the licensee’s home county for use for road and bridge repairs.
In 2020 Rock County received $105,174 that is used for road and bridge repairs. That amount was $113,819 in 2019.

Virtual driver education offered
Luverne Community Education will offer a virtual driver education class after school hours for 15 days beginning Feb. 1.
Students in grades 8 and older can attend class while at home with no travel or quarantine concerns.  
After Jan. 15, out-of-district students may register.
Fee is $340 and covers classroom and behind the wheel instruction.
For more information contact Luverne Community Education at 508-283-4724.
 
United Methodist Church free meal Jan. 27
United Methodist Church free community meal is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27.  There will be a pickup option available.
 
Dental clinic in Luverne Jan. 28
The next dental clinic for adults and children of all ages will be Thursday, Jan. 28, at Rock County Health and Human Services. Call 612-746-1530 to schedule an appointment or stop by Rock County Health and Human Services for assistance in scheduling.
General exams and services will be provided. All forms of insurance accepted. The service is organized by #Luv1LuvAll's Rock County Oral Health Task Force.
 
School of Fish Feb. 6
School of Fish with Mike Frisch, TV show host and pro angler, will be Feb. 6 for students grades 3 through high school. Participants get a rod and reel, tackle box with tackle, gift card, snack pack and workbook. Each participant may bring an adult fishing buddy. Fee is $30. Dress for the weather.
The event takes place at The Lake. Participants will be ready to compete in Luverne’s Ice Fishing Derby on Feb. 20.
Call the Luverne Community Education office, 507-283-4724, for registration information.
 
Rock County Library news
•Register now at the library to participate in the Rock County Library 2021 Winter Reading Program, which began Jan. 1.
Patrons who read at least 12 books from now until March 31 will win a prize for their efforts — and enjoy some good books.
•The library is offering take-and-make projects for all ages this winter. January’s project is to make sheet music coasters.
Call the library at 507-449-5040 or email the library at rocklibrarystaff@gmail.com to reserve your kit. Send in a picture of your completed craft to be entered to win a prize.
•Check with the library to participate in Virtual Trivia. Receive weekday trivia to break up our quarantine schedules (until Trivia Nights in person can continue again.)
 
Community Ed offers activities
Call the Luverne Community Education office, 507-283-4724, for registration information.
Defensive Driving 4-hour refresher classes is scheduled for Feb. 11.
Distance Learning with Clay – for all ages (1-101). Pick up a chunk of clay the week of Jan. 25 and in your own home, with instructions from Jerry Deuschle, build your creation. To then apply paint and for drying and firing, make appointment at the studio. Fee is $20.
Register for Student Driver Education. Luverne school students grade 8 and older may register for February or June session for $340, which includes 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction.
The February option begins on Feb. 1 and will be virtual, so list your child’s school gmail address when you register.
How to play chess for students grades K-8 after school; three sessions Feb. 2, 9 and 16. Fee is $15.
For adults, 55 years and older, a 10-week health and wellness Aging Mastery Program developed by the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging. Class is virtual through Zoom on your computer or iPad. On Feb. 4 they will teach you how to use Zoom if you have not done it before! Class begins on Feb. 11. Fee is $5.
Register by Feb. 6 for the ACT Prep Class that will begin Feb. 22 virtually. Fee is $125 and includes taking a practice test and an individual conference with the teacher to review the test and tips for taking the actual test. Fee is $125.
 
‘Read with McKenzie’ by Zoom
A work-study student is available to help individual students with reading skills in 10-minute sessions on Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. The literacy program is called “Read with McKenzie.”
Contact the Rock County Library, 507-449-5040. The Zoom link is on the library facebook page.
 
History Center open regular hours
The Rock County History Center and Christmas Haus store is now open with its regular hours — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The phone number is 507-283-2122.
 
Food Shelf cold weather procedures
The Rock County Food shelf has changed its curbside process for winter. Wait in line to park in one of the two parking spaces closest to the building.
One at a time, enter the building (masks and distancing required) to register and pick up vouchers. Be prepared for volunteers to put pre-boxed groceries in the car. As the parking spaces empty, the next cars can pull in.
The process will require patience. See the Rock County Food Shelf Facebook page for updates. Thanksgiving week schedule will be 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25.
 
Help write 9/11 history
The Minnesota Military Museum is seeking stories for a statewide initiative to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The goal of the project is to look at the impact of the horrific events of that day through a Minnesota lens, and researchers are inviting stories from Rock County.
For example: How did your county respond to the attacks immediately afterward? Have local residents served in the resulting Global War on Terror? What are their stories? Have there been events to remember 9-11 over the years since? Stories can be shared directly at www.mnmilitarymuseum.org. Click on “exhibits, test-gallery and share-your-story.”

Winter finally looks like it has arrived. So far, the wildlife of Minnesota has had a pretty easy go of it due to unseasonably warm temperatures and not a lot of snow. Mild winters can benefit a whole host of different animals, but not all animals see those same benefits. What benefits some wildlife will negatively impact others.
I have often wondered how different species survive deep snow and sub-zero temperatures. There is one creature that seems to thrive during a terrible winter. These are the little birds that group in pretty large numbers and can be seen along different roadways and even highways in winter in Minnesota.
I called them snow birds but decided to find out exactly what kind of birds they actually were. After a call to the non-game specialist at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and some Google activity, I came up with their proper name. They are called snow buntings.
Interesting creatures they are. I only see them in the wintertime in Minnesota, and this is because they are only here in the winter. They breed in the frigid Arctic tundra and migrate south to warmer temperatures all the way to what I think of as frigid Minnesota. They are a very hardy little bird.
The males show up in the Arctic when temperatures can still reach to 30 below zero. They stake out their territory and the females show up about 4-6 weeks later.
The males fly high into the air and then glide down singing their best rendition of “I am the guy for you.” The males and females look a lot alike, but just before the breeding season starts, the males will drag snow over their feathers and wings, and this effort exposes their bright black and beautiful breeding plumage.
They nest in cracks and crevices like those in a cliff face to protect their young from predators. Here is an interesting factoid. The female needs to sit on the nest all the time in order to keep the eggs and young from freezing. This requires the male to forage for food not only for himself but for his partner and the little ones.
I imagine this is quite an effort. They feed on seeds, grains, and depending on their location, they can eat ocean crustaceans. They can form large foraging flocks, and these are the groups I think I see on the shoulders of the roads in our area.
These birds spend little if any time in areas with high human populations and yet their populations have declined by over 64 percent in the past 40 years. Warmer temperatures can result in earlier insect hatches and put them out of sync with peak food availability during nesting season. The warmer temperatures credited to climate change can also allow other bird species to expand their ranges or increase their populations thus competing with the snow bunting.
Another threat to this thriver of cold is pesticide use. A chemical in treated seeds called neoicotinoids are of special concern. These birds feed on waste grain during winter months in agricultural areas. They can ingest these chemicals. Because these birds migrate at night, collisions with wind towers and other tall radio towers and similar structures can impact them in a negative way.
It really does not matter what kind of wildlife it is, there are risks and dangers around just about every corner. Snow buntings that have very little contact with what would normally be human interference still seem to be in the crosshairs.
Songbirds of almost every species are in dramatic decline. I will cover the root causes that are well known for many of these declines in a future column.
The next time you are driving down the road, many times even during a ground blizzard, take a minute and appreciate the wonders of nature and how God’s creatures were given the characteristics and skills to live and survive effortlessly where we would most likely perish in only a few hours.
The more you understand wildlife and their needs, the greater appreciation you will have for all things wild.
 
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.

The city of Luverne has declined to participate with Rock County Rural Water on a grant application for a connection on the northwest side of the city.
The nearly $2.9 million project would provide an emergency source of water for the city and would also support construction of a third tower for Rock County Rural Water.
The grant, through the federal Economic Development Administration, requires a 20 percent match from each applicant, which comes to $500,000 each.
That’s more than the city is interested in spending on only a partial connection, according to Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian.
“Since it would be only an emergency cross connection and only a partial supply to them or from them to us, it was decided to instead look at another full connection,” Baustian said.
Instead of connecting on the west side of Luverne through RCRW, the city has indicated a better plan may be to connect directly to the main line of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System (LCRWS).
That interconnection would be through the water treatment plant south of Luverne.
“This would give us a full redundant connection to LCRWS instead of only emergency connection to Rock County Rural Water of 400 gallons per minute,” he said.
RCRW proposed constructing an 8-inch pipeline west (along Warren Street near the Maplewood Cemetery) to an existing 8-inch RCRW mainline.
The proposal called for Luverne to construct an additional pump station to access water from RCRW.
In October, Rock County Commissioners supported Rural Water’s application for the federal EDA grant, made available through federal CARES Act dollars.
The tower, located west of Luverne, would have improved water pressure to the northern areas of the RCRW system.
Without Luverne’s participation RCRW couldn’t meet the criteria of economic development and the application process was abandoned.