NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTSMinnesota Rule 7020.2000, subp. 4NOTICE OF APPLICATIONFORLIVESTOCK FEEDLOT PERMITNotice is hereby given per Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 215, that Kevin Kracht, has made application to the County of Rock, for a permit to construct a feedlot with a capacity of 500 animal units or more. The proposed feedlot will be located in the SW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 31 in Clinton Township, Rock County, Minnesota. The proposed facility consists of an 81’x240’ total confinement barn to house 2400 head of swine between 55 and 300 pounds. Using 0.3 animal units per head, total animal units are 720. The building shall have an 81’x240’x8’ poured reinforced concrete pit for manure storage. The total animal unit capacity will be 720.This publication shall constitute as notice to each resident and each owner of real property within 5,000 feet of the perimeter of the proposed feedlot as required by Minnesota State Law. (3-31)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGAn open meeting will be held to discuss the road and bridge replacement program for the transportation system of Rock County. The meeting will be at the Rock County Community Library at 201 West Main Street, in Luverne, MN Tuesday, April 5th, 2005 beginning at 2:30 p.m.This public informational meeting will be held at the Rock County Community Library. Any individual, group or agency wishing information is urged to attend and participate in this meeting. The meeting is to provide information on the planning, programming and schedule of work on the County Highway system.Mark R. SehrRock County Highway Engineer(3-31)

05-308928483840990NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALETHE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage:DATE OF MORTGAGE: December 7, 1999ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $52,913.00MORTGAGOR(S): Bryce A. Schomacker, SingleMORTGAGEE: North American Mortgage CompanyDATE AND PLACE OF FILING: Filing: Filed December 9, 1999, Rock County Recorder, Document No. 146908ASSIGNMENT OF MORTGAGE: Assigned to: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Date: September 6, 2002, filed: March 10, 2003, Document No. 155190.LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY:That certain Tract of Land located in the Southeast corner of Outlots 20 & 21 in County Auditor’s Plat of Luverne Outlots in Section 10, Township 102 North, of Range 45 West, of the 5th P.M., more particularly described as follows; Beginning at the Southeast Corner of said County Auditor’s Outlot 21, thence running 130 Feet West on the South Line of said Section to the place of beginning; thence Northerly 175 Feet Parallel with the Center Line of Donaldson Street; thence Westerly 46 Feet parallel with the South line of said Section; thence Southerly and Parallel with the Center Line of Donaldson Street for 175 Feet; thence Easterly on the South Line of said Section for 46 Feet to the place of beginning. COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: RockTHE AMOUNT CLAIMED TO BE DUE ON The MORTGAGE ON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE: $52,607.31THAT all pre-foreclosure requirements have been complied with; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;PURSUANT, to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: May 24, 2005, 10:00 AMPLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Main Office, West Side Sheriff Dept., Front Step, Luverne, MN to pay the debt secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys fees allowed by law, subject to redemption within 6 months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s) his personal representatives or assigns. "THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 582.032 DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN 5 UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.Dated: March 25, 2005Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, IncAssignee of MortgageeSHAPIRO & NORDMEYER L.L.P.BY /s/ Nancy A. NordmeyerLawrence P. ZielkeCraig M. BarbeeAttorneys for Mortgagee7300 Metro Blvd., Suite 390Edina, MN 55439-2306 #(952) 831-4060THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. (3-31, 4-7, 4-14, 4-21, 4-28, 5-5)

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR SALE OF REAL ESTATEThe County of Rock will be receiving sealed bids for the purchase of the following tracts of real estate located in the City of Luverne and described as follows: Lot One (1), of Subdivision of Outlot Three (3), Sioux Valley Addition to the City of Luverne, Minnesota;andLot Four (4), of Subdivision of Outlot Three (3), Sioux Valley Addition to the City of Luverne, Minnesota;Bids shall be received by the Rock County Administrator at his office at 204 East Brown, Rock County Courthouse, Luverne, Minnesota 56156 until Friday, April 22, 2005 at 5:00 o’clock p.m.All bids must be accompanied by a check in the amount of 10% of the purchase price with the balance of the purchase price to be paid within thirty (30) days of notice of award of bid. All purchases shall be subject to the terms of existing leases affecting the described premises. All mineral rights will be reserved by the County. The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids. County of RockBy /s/ Kyle J. OldreKyle J. Oldre, County Administrator(3-31, 4-7, 4-14)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF TAX-FORFEITED LANDSNOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the parcels of land described in List of Tax-Forfeited Land that is contained herein shall be sold to the highest bidder at public sale. The sale will be governed by the provisions of M.S. 282.01 and by the resolution of the Rock County Board of Commissioners authorizing the sale. The resolution reads as follows:BE IT RESOLVED, That all parcels of tax-forfeited land on List of Tax-Forfeited Land be classified as nonconservation land; that the basic sale price of each parcel on List of Tax-Forfeited Land, that is on file with the Clerk of the County Board, be approved and authorization for a public sale of this land be granted, pursuant to M.S. 282.01; that the sale will be held at 10:00 A.M., Monday, April 18, 2005, by the Rock County Auditor-Treasurer at the Rock County Courthouse, for not less than the basic sale price; and that all sales shall be full payment or on the terms set forth on List of Tax-Forfeited Land. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the conditions and terms of the public sale shall be as described in the list contained herein and approved by the Rock County Board of Commissioners. Information about the sale of tax-forfeited land in Rock County can be obtained at the office of the County Auditor-Treasurer, Rock County Courthouse, 204 East Brown Street, Luverne, Minnesota 56156. Telephone: (507) 283-5060.Given under my hand and official seal at Luverne, Minnesota, this 22nd day of March, 2005./s/ Gloria F. RolfsGloria F. RolfsRock County Auditor-TreasurerLIST OF TAX FORFEITED LAND FOR PUBLIC SALEASSESSMENTSMUNICIPALITY/ BEFOREADDRESS PID VALUE FORFEITURETOWN OF BATTLE PLAINThe North 580.08 feet of 01-0124-100 $5,100.00 NONEthe South 2112.08 feet of the East 875 feet of theSoutheast Quarter (SE1/4)of Section Twenty-six (26),Township One HundredFour (104) North, RangeForty-four (44) West of the5th P.M.A deed restriction shall be apart of the sale that prevents any tillage or building construction on the propertyand grazing shall be limitedto stocking rates approved by the USDA Natural Resources ConservationService.Specials After Forfeiture + 450.00Basic Sale Price: $5,550.00(3-31, 4-7)

Will you sponsor a chair?Dale Nelson, Luverne’s senior band director, is looking for some sponsors.The goal is to raise enough money to purchase 100 musician chairs.The special posture chairs enable the band members to "sit in a standing position".It sounds a little bit like an oxymoron, but according to Nelson it enhances their ability to perform. Luverne is one of the few schools in the area that does not have the special chairs.The goal of the fund-raiser is to get 100 sponsors to purchase 100 chairs at $68 per chair. He hopes to raise enough money to outfit the band room by the end of the year.If you would like to know more about the sponsorships, you can contact Dale Nelson at 283-4491 or 283-4803.If you would like to make a contribution, you can make your check out to the Music Boosters and send it to their treasurer, Dan Nath, 510 Brandenburg Street, Luverne.Minnesota ranks No.1 in high school graduationMinnesota received some much appreciated attention this week when the United States Census Bureau announced that Minnesota is now the No. 1 state in the nation with the highest percentage of residents with high school diplomas.The magic number was 92.3 percent.Neighboring states, Iowa and South Dakota, came in 9th at 89.9 percent and 23rd at 87.5 percent respectively.Although we weren’t number one in the college graduation ranking, Minnesota fared well in 9th place. 32.5 percent of Minnesotans have college degrees.Our neighbors in South Dakota came in 27th with 25.5 percent. Iowa was ranked 37th with 24.3 percent.Spring weight restrictions are now in effectIt’s that time of the year when the frost is out of the ground and the roads are soft.So it’s time for County Engineer Mark Sehr to put spring weight road restrictions in place.The restrictions are based on the weather and roadway strength.The exact date for the removal of all restrictions is a judgment call, so when the county engineer lifts them, we will let you know.If you purchased daffodils …You were part of a group of Minnesotans that purchased more than 89,000 bunches of the flowers and raised more that 1.1 million in Minnesota for the American Cancer Society.That campaign, which ran from March 7-11, also delivered "Gifts of Hope" anonymous daffodil bouquets to 6,200 cancer patients.In Minnesota, 14 researchers are currently receiving grants from the American Cancer Society, along with nearly 800 American Cancer Society-funded scientists across the nation.The American Cancer Society has also been advocating for public policy changes to reduce cancer in our society.In Minnesota, American Cancer Society volunteers and a wide range of partners worked to help pass county smoke-free ordinances.Effective March 31, 2005, more than one-third of the state’s population will live in areas governed by smoke-free ordinances.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

The Luverne Country Club is a semi-private golf course and is one of the most spectacular nine-hole courses in the region.Beautiful trees, sand and water make the Luverne Country Club a delightful challenge to any golfer.The course was founded in 1939 and recently redesigned by Joel Goldstrand.The LCC is located two miles east and one mile south of Luverne, and visitors are welcome.Monday through Friday green fees are $13 for nine holes and $18 for 18 holes. Weekend and holiday rates are $19 for nine holes and $26 for 18 holes. Motor carts are available for rent in the clubhouse.The course is closed after 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for league play.Our driving range is open daily to the public.The LCC offers many different membership packages and leagues designed to appeal to golfers of any skill level and ability.The LCC hosts tournaments that are open to the public, starting with our Two-Man Scrambler on May 7.We can boast about our popular Britz Open on July 23. Former touring professional and U.S. Open champion Jerilyn Britz founded the tournament. Highlighting the Open this year will be a Hole-In-One Shootout, which will serve as a fundraiser for the Good Samaritan Communities of Luverne. The Shootout will give the golfers a chance to win a $250,000 grand prize.Look for other tournaments and LCC events throughout the season.Call for tee times at least 24 hours in advance.Call (507) 283-4383 for tee times or directions to the course.Note: Weather permitting, the Luverne Country Club will be open for play on Saturday.

I’ll start off this week’s venture with a thanks to Jerry Purvis, a friend and colleague from a Nebraska newspaper who wrote about some of our exchanges in one of his latest columns.He’s been a distant fan of the Rock County Star Herald ever since he stumbled upon our Web site while looking for another Star Herald — which, eerily enough, has a Roger Tollefson on staff.Jerry covers city and county government, as I do, so we run into the same issues on the job. He just happened to have put it into better words than I can today.He said, "In metropolitan areas, public officials are often faceless. But in small towns, journalists come in contact with them on a daily basis. It might be in the supermarket, downtown, or at church. But it happens. And the journalist who writes about these people needs to be able to face them with a clear conscience."That makes sense to me. But I wonder if neophyte journalists, in order to avoid community rancor, will overlook legitimate concerns just to maintain smiley face coverage."After all, the journalist who criticizes a community leader’s boorish behavior might have that leader screaming into the phone at him or her. Or said leader might gripe to newspaper headquarters, demanding the insolent jerk’s immediate execution."Jerry says it can sometimes force us to consider a less stressful line of work, "Like bomb disposal."It’s funny that while I was enjoying Jerry’s comments, I was also enjoying an earful from a good number of city of Luverne staff based on our editorial in last week’s paper. The editorial suggested slowing spending on new projects. A letter to the editor this week points out that the City Council had justification for spending that money, but the Star Herald said it should have held off.The letter implies that we didn’t talk to sources or adequately cover the development issue, but anyone who read the news article last week could see quotes from elected people and city and county staff involved in the decision. Those weren’t made up. Facts and truth have sold issues of this paper since 1873. In all those years, now, and beyond 2005, we will fairly cover news and offer opinionated takes on that news within the appropriately designated "opinion" page. That’s the way it works. To say we don’t report positively on city happenings isn’t true: just two issues ago we had a column, pictures and a story on the wastewater treatment facility.I guess my Nebraskan friend, Jerry, says it wisely: "Taking a stand is hard to do in small towns. In one way or another, everyone deals with everyone else."Jerry and I also agree on this: we will continue our obligation to smiley face coverage … along with the harder stuff, too, that is.

Village School Reports from 1888The following appeared in the Rock County Herald April 16, 1888:The Village CouncilA special meeting of the village council was held at the recorder’s office April 9th, 1888, at 7:30 o’clock p.m. Present, Wm. Jacobsen, president; J.W. Gerber, G.W. Snook, and P. Hawes, trustee; and M. Webber, recorder. Council began to discuss different propositions with a view of selecting a site for the town hall, and after considering the different locations proposed, it was moved and seconded that the proposition of Geo. C. Huntington to sell to the village the south fifty feet of lots Nos. 19—20—21 and 22, block 9, village of Luverne for the sum of five hundred and fifty dollars, be accepted and the village attorney and recorder be instructed to procure title of the same, and that said town hall be located on said described premises. Motion carried. Motion made and seconded that the recorder be instructed to draw an order on the treasurer in favor of Geo. C. Huntington for $550.00 in payment for said land. Motion carried. Motion made and seconded that the president and recorder be instructed to advertise for bids for the erection of a town hall in said village. Motion carried. On motion council adjourned. M. Webber, Recorder.The Luverne SchoolsFollowing is the report of the Luverne schools for the month ending March 30, 1888: High school: total enrollment 19; number cases of tardiness 2; time lost by tardiness, 38 minutes; number neither absent nor tardy 8. Highest average scholarship; A class, Arthur Huntington, 97 per cent; B class, Lucius Headley, 85; C class, Emily Brown, 95; D class, Thos. H. McDermott, 87, Jennie Fox, 87. Grammar school: Total enrollment 58; number cases of tardiness 30; time lost by tardiness 5 hrs. 36 min.; number neither absent nor tardy 15. Second Intermediate: Total enrollment 41; number cases of tardiness —; time lost by tardiness 1 hr. 10 min.; number neither absent nor tardy 11; highest average scholarship, A class, Clara Oestern 95 per cent.; B class, Lillie Wold 99 per cent. First Intermediate: Total enrollment 42; number cases of tardiness 4; time lost by tardiness 40 min.; number neither absent nor tardy 16. Highest average scholarship: A class, Nellie Hodgson, 96 per cent; B class, Clifton Glass, 93 per cent. Second Primary: Total enrollment, 40; number neither absent nor tardy, 12; number cases of tardiness. 6; time lost by tardiness 1 hour, highest average scholarship, A class, Charlie Thomte; B class, Courtney Glass. First Primary: Total enrollment 50; number neither absent nor tardy 21; time lost by tardiness, 1 hour, 15 min.; number of cases of tardiness 4; Highest average scholarship: A class, Myrtle Woodle; B class, Peter Larson, C class, Leonard Jacobsen. I am glad to notice that the reports show in all rooms except one, a decided tendency toward diminishing the amount of time lost by absence and tardiness.ZENAS N. VAUGHN, PrincipalDonations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.