By John RittenhouseThe Adrian boys basketball team notched a pair of impressive wins on the road since Saturday.The Dragons nipped Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin by four points in Mountain Lake Saturday before securing a 10-point win in Windom Tuesday.The 8-6 Dragons host Westbrook-Walnut Grove Friday before playing at Southwest Christian Tuesday.Adrian 59, Windom 49The Dragons canned 49 percent of their field goals to help dispose of the Eagles by 10 points in Windom Tuesday.Solid shooting from the floor and the ability to handle Windom’s pressure defense proved to be the keys in Adrian’s second straight win."We handled their pressure, we got the ball inside and we made our shots," said AHS coach Chris Rozell.After sporting a 16-15 lead after eight minutes of play, Adrian gained some separation from the Eagles by outscoring the hosts 15-7 in the second period to open a 31-22 halftime cushion. The Dragons led by 12 (45-33) after the third quarter before winning by 10 at game’s end.Casey Knips, who pulled down 19 rebounds and blocked three shots in the game, netted six of his team-high 22 points in the second quarter for AHS. Brett Bock added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists to the winning cause. Nick Weidert scored 10 points and charted five steals.Box scoreBlock 5 1 1-2 14, Knips 9 0 4-8 22, Brake 5 0 0-1 10, Weidert 0 1 2-2 5, Klaassen 1 0 0-0 2, Stover 0 0 0-0 0, Lonneman 3 0 0-0 6.Team statisticsAdrian: 25 of 51 field goals (49 percent), seven of 13 free throws (54 percent), 40 rebounds, 16 turnovers.Windom: 21 of 72 field goals (29 percent), four of nine free throws (44 percent), 31 rebounds, 13 turnovers.Adrian 61, ML-B-O 57A strong start to the game led to a victorious finish when the Dragons traveled to Mountain Lake Saturday to take on the Wolverines.AHS rolled to an 18-6 lead in the first quarter and withstood a late challenge by ML-B-O to secure a four-point conference win.ML-B-O, which trimmed the difference to three points by halftime (28-25), took a one-point lead during the game’s fourth quarter. Adrian, however, played solid ball the rest of the period to prevail by four points at game’s end."We got good shots with every possession down the stretch and we made them," said Dragon coach Rozell. "We answered the challenge defensively, too."Block, who led AHS with 23 points and six assists, scored six points to lead the Dragons to a 12-point lead in the first quarter. Knips played well in the paint by pulling down 22 rebounds, scoring 16 points and blocking six shots. Weidert netted 11 points for the winners.Box scoreBlock 8 2 1-2 23, Knips 7 0 2-6 16, Brake 3 0 1-2 7, Weidert 1 2 3-4 11, Stover 1 0 0-0 2, Lonneman 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsAdrian: 25 of 59 field goals (42 percent), seven of 14 free throws (50 percent), 42 rebounds, 10 turnovers.ML-B-O: 18 of 76 field goals (24 percent), 13 of 20 free throws (65 precent), 21 rebounds, five turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne girls hockey team earned the right to play for a share of the Southwest Conference championship after posting a pair of league wins.The Cardinals rolled to a seven-goal win in Windom Thursday before giving LHS coach Dave Siebenahler his 100th-career victory with a seven-goal home win over Worthington Tuesday.The 14-6-1 Cards host Marshall tonight. A win gives LHS a share of the SWC title. Luverne entertains Morris-Benson Saturday before opening the section playoffs with a home game against a undetermined opponent Tuesday.Luverne 10, Worthington 3The Cardinals delivered Siebenahler his 100th win in convincing fashion by routing the Trojans by seven goals Tuesday in Luverne.With Natalie Domagala and Sadie Dietrich leading the way, Luverne scored seven goals in the first 25:21 of the game to open a commanding lead.Domagala scored five goals and recorded two assists in the contest. Dietrich added four goals and three assists.Domagala opened the scoring 23 seconds into the contest, opening the door for a four-goal first period for LHS. Dietrich scored twice and Natalie Morgan added a goal before Domagala capped the scoring with a power-play tally with five seconds left in the opening stanza.Dietrich netted a power-play goal and Domagala found the net for the third time in the first 8:21 of the second period to make the difference 3-0.Worthington put together a three-goal run as the second period progressed, but Dietrich ended the rally with an unassisted effort at the 3:26 mark of the stanza to make it an 8-3 game.Domagala found the net twice in the third period to cap the scoring.Liz Solma, Katie Dahl, Mikki Fitzer, Paige Olson, Ramona Taubert and Chessa Ossenfort all tallied assists for LHS.Sarah Schneekloth made 19 saves in net for an LHS squad that outshot Worthington 35-22.Luverne 8, Windom 1A five-goal second period carried the Cardinals to a seven-point league win over the Eagles in Windom Thursday.The scored was knotted at one after 17 minutes of play. Luverne, however, assumed control of the contest by scoring five times in the first 9:27 of the second period.Domagala, who twinkled the twine five times in the game, scored the first three goals of the second stanza. Dietrich and Morgan added goals to the second-period run to give the Cards a 6-1 cushion.Abby DeWispeleare and Domagala found the net when Luverne capped the scoring with a two-goal third period.Windom’s Alex Potter opened the scoring at the 14:14 of the mark of the first period before Domagala tied the game with an unassisted effort at 11:57.Schneekloth stopped 33 of 34 shots as the goalie for LHS, which finished the game with 28 shots on goal.

By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth girls recorded a pair of road basketball victories since Saturday.The Panthers secured an 11-point victory over Remsen St. Mary’s in Remsen, Iowa, Saturday before topping Lakeview by six points in overtime Tuesday in Cottonwood.Ellsworth, 9-5 overall and 5-2 in the Camden Conference, hosts Canby tonight and Westbrook-Walnut Grove Monday before playing in Dawson Tuesday.Ellsworth 58, Lakeview 52A stunning comeback for the Panthers led to a six-point overtime victory over the Lakers in Cottonwood Tuesday.Trailing by 14 points with 2:01 left in regulation play, EHS shocked Lakeview by trimming the difference to three points before Laurel Drenth banked home a three-point shot with four seconds remaining to knot the score at 46, sending the game to overtime.Rosie Lewis scored six points when the Panthers outscored the Lakers 12-6 in overtime to win the game by six."This was the most satisfying come-from-behind victory for the Lady Panthers in my five years as head coach," said EHS mentor Dean Schnaible. "The girls just wouldn’t give up."Drenth recorded a triple-double for EHS by scoring 11 points, nabbing 12 rebounds and passing for 10 assists.Rachel Kvaale netted 15 points for the Panthers. Amy Tiesler and Brittney Kramer collected nine and eight rebounds respectively.Box scoreTiesler 3 0 3-5 9, Kvaale 5 1 2-4 15, Ly.Drenth 0 0 0-0 0, Lr.Drenth 3 1 2-6 11, Lewis 2 0 5-6 9, Groen 1 1 1-2 6, Kramer 0 0 1-4 1, Timmer 3 0 1-2 7.Team statisticsEllsworth: 20 of 52 field goals (39 percent), 15 of 30 free throws (50 percent), 41 rebounds, nine turnovers.Lakeview: 18 of 39 field goals (46 percent), 13 of 27 free throws (48 percent), 29 rebounds, nine turnovers.Ellsworth 54, RSM 43Outstanding individual efforts by Marla Groen and Amy Timmer lifted the Panthers to an 11-point victory in Remsen, Iowa, Saturday.Groen set an EHS record by canning five three-point shots during the game and Timmer turned in what Panther coach Schnaible said was her best floor game of the season. Groen netted a team-high 21 points, scoring 15 of her counters during a second-half comeback that helped erase a two-point (19-17) halftime deficit. Timmer scored 11 points and collected five rebounds for the winners."The play of Timmer and Groen were two main reasons why we were able to come from behind and win," Schnaible said.After a sluggish first half, Ellsworth converted nine of 23 field goals in the second half to outscore RSM 36-24 and win by nine.Laurel Drenth scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and passed for five assists for EHS. Kramer collected six rebounds, three steals and three deflections. Tiesler added five rebounds and Groen three assists to the cause.Box scoreTiesler 3 0 0-0 6, Kvaale 1 0 2-2 4, Ly.Drenth 0 0 0-0 0, Lr.Drenth 3 0 4-6 10, Lewis 1 0 0-0 2, Groen 3 5 0-0 21, Kramer 0 0 0-1 0, Timmer 5 0 1-2 11.Team statisticsEllsworth: 21 of 63 field goals (33 percent), seven of 11 free throws (64 percent), 25 rebounds, 13 turnovers.RSM: 16 of 44 field goals (36 percent), six of six free throws (100 percent), 33 rebounds, 32 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek boys remained perfect in Red Rock Conference play after registering three league wins since last Thursday.The Patriots posted a 19-point home win over Fulda Thursday before notching an 11-point victory against Red Rock Central in Lamberton Saturday. H-BC bested Westbrook-Walnut Grove by 16 points in Hills Tuesday, leaving H-BC with a 10-0 league mark.H-BC plays Southwest Star Concept in Okabena Friday.H-BC 75, W-WG 59A strong performance in the second quarter carried the Patriots to a 16-point home win over the Chargers Tuesday.The teams played to a draw at 16 in the first period, but H-BC went on a 28-11 run in the second period to open a 17-point (44-27) halftime lead it would never relinquish."We just got more aggressive and started moving better in the second quarter," said H-BC coach Steve Wiertzema. "We were just standing around in the first quarter. When we move and pass the ball around, we’re a better team."Kale Wiertzema, who scored 19 points in the decisive second quarter, nearly charted a triple-double for H-BC. Wiertzema finished the game with 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.Zach Wysong netted 13 points and led the Patriots with five steals. Tyler Bush added 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds to the cause.Box scoreWysong 4 1 2-4 13, Rozeboom 0 0 2-6 2, Bush 4 0 2-3 10, Sandbulte 0 0 2-2 2, Wiertzema 7 4 7-10 33, Baker 3 0 1-1 7, Broesder 0 0 0-0 0, Hup 1 0 0-0 2, LeBoutillier 2 0 2-4 6.Team statisticsH-BC: 26 of 65field goals (40 percent), 18 of 30 free throws (60 percent), 39 rebounds, 10 turnovers.W-WG: 23 of 51 field goals (45 percent), eight of 18 free throws (44 percent), 26 rebounds, 15 turnovers.H-BC 69, RRC 58The Patriots opened a two-game lead over the Falcons in the conference standings by besting RRC by 11 points in Lamberton Saturday.H-BC opened an eight-point lead (21-13) in the first quarter and managed to protect the cushion the rest of the night.RRC trimmed the difference to six points (40-34) by halftime, but H-BC put the game away by outscoring the Falcons 17-10 in the third quarter.Kale Wiertzema turned in an 18-point, nine-assist, eight rebound, four-steal performance for the Patriots. Bush scored 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists. Wysong chipped in 11 points.Box scoreWysong 2 2 1-2 11, Bush 4 1 8-8 19, Wiertzema 3 2 6-10 18, Baker 1 0 1-2 3, Broesder 1 2 0-0 8, LeBoutillier 4 0 0-0 8, Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsH-BC: 23 of 51 field goals (45 percent), 16 of 22 free throws (73 percent), 31 rebounds, 12 turnovers.RRC: 19 of 49 field goals (39 percent), 15 of 19 free throws (79 percent), 31 rebounds, 20 turnovers.H-BC 76, Fulda 57Strong finishes to the second and fourth quarters spurred the Patriots to a 19-point home win over the Raiders Thursday.Fulda kept the game close most of the night, but surges late in the second and fourth periods locked up H-BC’s eighth conference win of the season.The score was tied at 19 in the second period when H-BC put together a 15-4 run capped by Wysong’s half-court, three-point shot at the buzzer that gave the Patriots a 34-23 halftime lead.Fulda trimmed the difference to seven points twice in the third quarter and trailed 52-45 at the 7:03 mark of the final stanza. H-BC, however, outscored the Raiders 24-12 the rest of the night to win handily.Wiertzema pumped in 28 points (11 in the fourth quarter) and snared five rebounds for the winners. Bush, who led H-BC with 11 assists and eight rebounds, netted 15 points. Wysong added 14 points, Tom LeBoutillier five rebounds and Cody Rozeboom three steals to the winning cause.Box scoreWysong 4 2 0-0 14, Rozeboom 4 0 1-3 9, Bush 5 0 5-5 15, Wiertzema 6 2 10-19 28, Baker 0 0 1-2 1, Broesder 1 1 2-2 7, LeBoutillier 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsH-BC: 26 of 55 field goals (47 percent), 19 of 31 free throws (61 percent), 28 rebounds, 10 turnovers.Fulda: 22 of 46 field goals (48 percent), seven of 13 free throws (54 percent), 28 rebounds, 12 turnovers.

In regard to the letter in the Star Herald on Jan. 20 from Mr. Gronholz:I don't think you need to dump all the problems we are having on Pres. Bush and the Republican Party. Enlistments may be down in the Marines and the Navy, but they have to force people out of the Air Force. No person in this world wants war, but we must play the hand we're dealt with. About joining the military, many family members try to persuade the young adults not to join, because once you're in it's not the individual that's in the military, it's the whole family that now has ties, which may include both political parties. Everyone has their own thought process but the article really steps on a lot of people's toes.You don't need to be for the war to have a yellow ribbon. It says "Support our Troops." What I get from this is that they support the military for what they are doing and sacrificing. I don't think there is one American that wants to volunteer to be put in harm’s way, but if it means keeping his or her family safe I think most anyone will do what it takes. We definitely don't do it for the money. Taxes have never been a good subject for anyone. Rich get richer, poor get poorer. Maybe we should just cut taxes altogether, cut the military and worry every time you leave the house if something bad may happen in our country.We need to look at the big picture. We as Americans want to feel safe. We want freedom and not worry about being in danger. We no longer have that feeling, but are trying to take the proper steps to get it back. It's just too bad reading your forwarded article and having all the family, friends and loved ones of military members having to feel empty about the indecisiveness you chose to send as a reprint.Words of encouragement always go a long way and may be a better approach for future letters in times like these our Nation is having.Justin RustUSAFJacksonville, Ark.

In the Jan. 6 Star Herald reporting County Commission action, there was brief mention about Rock County Family Service Agency collecting more than a million dollars in child support. This is a huge accomplishment for a small Minnesota county human service agency child support unit. It is testimony to a county department that prides itself on customer service where employees are dedicated to providing the best services to the citizens. This unit is responsible to locate absent parents, establish paternity, establish child support orders, and modify and enforce existing court orders. Each year the Child Support Unit sets goals and strives to the best of their abilities to meet and exceed those goals. This is the first time in the Agency’s history since 1975 when Rock County Family Service Agency began offering child support services where collections have been disbursed in an amount more than $1 million dollars in one given year to families. This service has a major impact on a local economy as these funds are turned over in the form of rent payments, house payments, utilities, groceries, clothing and other maintenance needs for parents and children.Congratulations to the Child Support Unit at Rock County Family Service Agency and to their co-workers, since most great accomplishments are a result of team effort by the whole agency. Cooperation between the Child Support Unit, Income Maintenance Unit, Social Service Unit and Fiscal Unit in this exceptional County Human Service Agency has also been the benchmark by which they operate day after day. Pam NelsonSioux Falls, S.D.

Rural landowners are encouraged to participate in living fencesFarmers are being urged to help save lives and money through the use of living snow fences.A living snow fence is a row or rows of trees planted along a roadway to help combat against blowing and drifting snow, according to this month’s issue of Rock County Ag News.The planting of a living fence to hold the snow away from the roads creates several benefits including:
Reducing snow removal costs by half.
Improving driver visibility and safety, thus reducing accidents.
Preventing drifts on farmyards and in communities.
Reducing energy costs for heating and feeding costs for livestock.
Increasing crop yields for crops growing in areas protected from the wind.
Reducing pavement maintenance costs.If you are eligible for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP), you can sign up for 10 to 15 years with the landowners/operators to receive a weighted annual average rental rate based on soil type.If your land is along a state road, you will also be eligible for additional incentives.MN/DOT will pay an annual per acre rate for the drift area and downwind side of the snow fence for the inconvenience of farming around the shelterbelt.In some cases, land along county roads also qualifies for additional incentives.Who will be the next Dairy Princess?The American Dairy Association of Rock County is searching for candidates for this year’s Dairy Princess program.The primary duty of the princess is to serve as a goodwill ambassador for the dairy industry by appearing at promotional events, participating in parades and discussing dairy-related issues with consumers and the media.To qualify, you must be 16 years old but not yet 24 by July1, 2005.To participate in the regional competition, the candidate must be a high school graduate by July 1, 2005.The candidate’s parents or legal guardians must be actively engaged in the production of milk for sale to a licensed plant during the current year.Candidates also qualify if their parents are employed on a dairy farm in a dairy- related capacity.If you have any questions concerning the princess program, contact Philip or Theresa Raak, by Feb. 10 at 507-348-4850.Cut health care costs, or raise tobacco taxesShould we be looking at cuts in health and long-term care?Based on a recent survey conducted by AARP, the answer is no.The survey showed an amazing 79 percent of those surveyed favored a $1.00 per pack increase in tobacco taxes to avoid cuts in services for low-income families, older persons and people with disabilities.The number of people in favor of the tobacco tax increased by three percent in the past year.The additional $1.00 in tobacco tax would raise an additional$260 million per year for the state.Other ways the group approved of raising additional funds included:oincreasing the tax on beer and wine (81percent)oadding a temporary surcharge on the income tax for households with annual incomes above $200,000 (78 percent)oclosing business loopholes and exemptions (71percent)The telephone survey was conducted of 1,016 randomly selected Minnesota adults 18 years of age and older who identified themselves as registered voters.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Follow Herman and Tillie’s advice for a happily ever afterWhile working on the 2005 Bridal Review (see the insert in this week’s paper) I came across a feature story I wrote five years ago on Luverne’s Herman and Tillie Bork who were observing their 60th wedding anniversary at the time. Sixty years!The word that came to mind five years ago was "inspiring." Herm and Tillie epitomized — in my eyes anyway — what good old-fashioned Midwestern romance is all about.When asked to recall what brought them together 60 years ago, straight answers were few and far between the light-hearted ribbing."I felt sorry for him," Tillie said with a wink and a shrug. "And there were seven girls and two boys in my family and I think Dad was anxious to get rid of one."Herman was an only child whose parents died when he was 19. That was after he bore the adult responsibility of caring for them as a mere teenager.Tillie had the luxury of family support, but she lost her mother at the tender age of 14 and learned early on that good things in life come with a price.The two met through the Christian Reformed Church youth group in Doon, Iowa, and with little ado, tied the knot on Jan. 25, 1940. Herman was 23 and Tillie was 20.The ceremony took place in her family's large home on their farm near Rock Rapids. They recall it being a pleasant affair, but it was bitterly cold that day, with temperatures plunging 17 degrees below zero."That's why we didn't honeymoon," Herman joked. "It was too cold … unless you had enough money go to all the way south."After the wedding, he drove off with his bride in his black 1934 Ford Coupe with a V8 engine. Tillie must have loved him, because she left the modern conveniences of her Rock Rapids home to spend what would have been their honeymoon cleaning and fixing their farm house near Holland. "It didn't even have electricity," she said. "I was so homesick."What advice would they give to couples taking the plunge today? "Be true to your vows," Herman said. Someone must have been paying attention to that advice in the Bork household, because their four boys are well on their way to high-numbered anniversaries of their own.Orv and Barb Bork, Luverne, have been married 45 years. Wally and Linda Bork, Rapid City, S.D., have been married 40 years. Harley and Linda Bork, Jasper, are on 36 years and Don and Marcia Bork, Beaver Creek are at 32.Again, the word that comes to mind is "inspiring." Here’s a couple that lived happily ever after without a $5,000 gown, designer cake and honeymoon cruise. So what did they have that nearly 50 percent of failed marriages today don’t? A little bit of good fortune and whole lot of common sense."Don't worry about every little thing," Tillie said. "If you can't have exactly what you want, be thankful for what you have."Herman and Tillie observed their 65th wedding anniversary Tuesday. Congratulations, and thanks for the inspiration.

Happy Day! The Federal and State tax forms are in — at least most them. We are at the mercy of governmental time frame on this. However, almost all tax forms, publications, instructions, etc. are available on the Internet at the IRS Web site (www.irs.gov). Click on "Forms and Publications" When that page opens, click on "Form and Instruction Number." You can also find a link to state forms on this page. If you can’t get it, call me at the library, 449-5040. We can print them off for you for a fee of 15¢ per page plus tax. Enough about taxes; now on to the real important matters of life, new books. It’s a new year with a new book budget and that means happy library patrons. Out on the shelf this week is "The Broker," by John Grisham. In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system. Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. After he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive, there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him? Also new on the fiction shelf is Richard North Patterson’s "Conviction." Fifty-nine days. That’s how long Rennell Price has to live after spending 15 years on death row for the assault and murder of a girl whose body was found floating in San Francisco Bay. But attorney Terri Paget has dedicated her life to fighting for people like Rennell Price. This time, Terri has a client she believes may actually be innocent."I didn’t hurt that little girl" is all Rennell Price has ever said in his own defense. In a trial, Rennell, along with his older brother, Payton, was found guilty of the heinous crime, and the conviction has been upheld through one appeal after another. As Terri spends time with Rennell and re-creates the events that put him on death row, she starts to understand the forces that shaped Rennell and the reason he has never been able to defend himself adequately.As Terri prepares for a last appeal, she gets a new weapon for her battle-fresh evidence suggesting that another man, not Rennell, helped Payton commit the atrocity. But the grim machinery of capital punishment is already in motion. As Terri’s last-ditch battle unfolds, this much is clear: Rennell’s innocence may not be enough to save him. New on the non-fiction shelf is "A Brother’s Journey" by Richard Pelzer. He is the brother of Dave Pelzer, who authored "A Child called It." Once David, the elder of the two, was removed from the household, the author became the target of their mother's alcohol-induced rage. As Pelzer details his outward struggle to survive, he assaults readers with the graphic facts about being beaten for falling asleep, and being forbidden to bathe and forced to eat scraps from a dog bowl. By looking back at the skinny, red-haired boy who wanted nothing more than his mother's love, Pelzer discovers his true spirit, which he shares with us in hopes of healing himself.