By Lori EhdeThe Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Adrian Police Department are investigating a child abuse and/or assault case involving an Adrian infant.According to information from the Nobles County Attorney’s Office, a three-month-old baby was airlifted from Worthington Regional Hospital to Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls, in the early morning hours Friday.Doctors found the child to have life-threatening injuries from what appeared to be the result of child abuse and/or an assault.Since that time the BCA and Adrian police, with assistance from the Sioux Falls Police Department, Nobles County Sheriff’s Department and Worthington Police Department, have been collecting evidence for the case.As of Wednesday afternoon the baby was reported to be "alive but in very critical condition," according to Nobles County Attorney Gordon Moore."It’s a very sad situation," Moore said. "There’s no way I can minimize that."Details about where the baby was found, who the parents are, how the baby got to the hospital and even the gender of the child are not being disclosed, since investigators have no suspects in custody.The baby is in intensive care at Sioux Valley. Anyone with information regarding the case is encouraged to call the Adrian Police Department at 372-2136.

By Lori EhdeIt’s been nearly three months since Sgt. Amy Althoff completed her deployment in Iraq, but she’s still recovering from her combat experiences."It was very stressful," she said in a telephone interview with the Star Herald Tuesday. "I saw a lot of things I never thought I’d see in my entire life, and I saw things I wish I had never seen."Althoff, a 2001 Luverne High School graduate, worked four months as an army medic in the 801st combat support hospital in the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. Her patients were primarily Iraqi detainees, but she also treated American soldiers and civilian contractors."On my first day in Iraq, we were hit with 25 mortar rounds within an hour. We saw 125 patients in only a few hours, and 20 of them died," Althoff said."I saw a lot of injuries I didn’t think could happen. There was a lot of suffering. … It was the longest day of my life."She ended up in Iraq after serving a year in Kuwait. "Three hours before I was supposed to fly home we were sent to Iraq," she said.Despite the trauma, Althoff describes her work in Iraq as the best experience she’s ever had."I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything," she said. "I feel like I’ve grown up so fast. I feel like I know how precious life is."She said her military medic work taught her not to take life for granted."I’ve learned to be thankful and not to be so selfish," she said. "There are a lot of things going on in the world that people don’t realize. I look at life from a completely different perspective than before I left. Little things are more important to me now."Abu Ghraib scandal overplayed in mediaAlthoff worked in the Abu Ghraib prison hospital where the scandal over the abused Iraqi detainees made headlines.She wasn’t there at the time the abuses occurred last November, but she said it was an isolated incident and that the military has taken many steps to prevent it from happening again."I never once witnessed abuse take place," Althoff said. "In fact, those Iraqi detainees were treated better than many of our military that was over there fighting. They had better living conditions, better food, etc."She said medical care in itself was a luxury for many Iraqi prisoners."Some Iraqis had never seen a doctor before. The Iraqi detainees were so grateful for everything that we did for them," she said. "The media tends to take the bad and dwell on that, and no one seems to want to report the good that has taken place in Iraq … the differences that we have made in so many people's lives."For example, she said Iraqi detainees had air conditioning in their tents, they had coolers to put bottles of water in to keep them cold, and they watched movies on a TV."We went out into the Iraqi community and bought clothes and shoes from the Iraqis for the detainees, we were getting glasses for those who couldn't see, and detainees who had amputated limbs — whether it was caused by us or not — were fitted for prosthetics."All these things, Althoff said, made big differences in the lives of Iraqi people they encountered."Millions and millions of dollars are being spent on the Iraqi people to ensure that they are being treated humanly and justly," she said. "I just wish that the American people could see that."‘I feel nowhere near back to normal’Althoff, daughter of Luverne’s Terry and Deb Althoff, hasn’t lived at home in Luverne since she left for basic training in the summer of 2001, and she doesn’t intend to move back."I’m ready to move on," she said.She’s living in Cleveland, Tenn., with fellow Army medic and good friend Lauren McCord about 20 miles north of Chattanooga."I love it here," she said. "It’s beautiful. The weather’s so mild and the people are so nice."Althoff has plenty of minutes on her cell phone plan, however. "I miss my parents to death," she said. "I talk to them all the time on the phone."Deb Althoff said she’s glad to have her daughter back in the United States, even if she’s not home. "She’s always been very independent and feisty, but I never would have thought when she joined the Army that she’d have to go and fight in a war," Deb said. "That little stinker lied to us a lot when she was over there. She told us she was in a safe place, and I didn’t really know until she got home how much danger she was in. Apparently they got mortared quite often."A good share of their phone time is spent helping Amy adjust to civilian life again."I feel nowhere near back to normal," Amy said, when asked if she’s recovered from her medic experiences. "I have to call my dad all the time about things like car insurance and other details I haven’t had to think about until now."Althoff is returning to school for a degree in crime scene investigation, rather than continue to work in civilian medicine. "I wouldn’t feel like I was doing as much of a good thing on the civilian side," she said. "Over there, I felt like I was serving my country. … I felt like I was there for a reason."Meanwhile, she’s renewing her EMT certification. "I’m pretty sure I’ll be over there again before the war is over," she said. "And I’m ready. If I have to go back I’m more than willing to go."

By Sara QuamNew technology at the airport will put Luverne on the map — the weather map, anyway.Luverne Municipal Airport just received an Automated Weather Observation System from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.Airport Board member Pat Baustian said, "When planes come to land, they want to see moisture conditions and cross winds. They worry about ice on the wings. There are all kinds of things to check and they want to know the conditions in Luverne, not Pipestone or Sioux Falls."Baustian hopes planes that used other airports for this reason will now land in Luverne because they’ll have adequate information."We’ve had pilots who’ve diverted because of conditions in Luverne that they didn’t know about," Baustian said.He said the detailed weather information isn’t useful only to pilots."People in agriculture will also find the information useful," Baustian said.Humidity, wind and local exact temperatures can be accessed at www.weatherchannel.com. Luverne’s information will be online within a few days.In other airport news, the city is pursuing replacing the hangar that was destroyed in the August wind storm and adding another additional hangar.

By Sara QuamRock County Auditor-Treasurer Gloria Rolfs said she is proud of the county’s 95 percent voter turnout this election.That’s part of what kept her and other election workers at the courthouse until 4 a.m., one of the latest elections in her many years with the county."The turnout was about what we expected, but it’s great," she said. In all, 5,248 voters turned out for the election.Rock County voters favored Republicans in the national and state offices. President George W. Bush got 3,111 votes, compared to John Kerry’s 2000. Various other candidates for president got 80 votes. Bush is the national winner as well.Incumbent U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht got 3,011 votes, and Leigh Pomeroy received 1,630.In Rock County state representative Doug Magnus got 3,090 votes, and challenger Kathryn Ness received 1,997 votes.County offices went unopposed, so Ken Hoime, Ron Boyenga and Jane Wildung will have another term as county commissioners. Luverne city officesIncumbents were rejected at the polls Tuesday.Write-in candidate Esther Frakes started a late campaign, but she got enough votes to overcome Tom Martius. The end tally was 782 to 545 for the North Ward seat.Frakes said, "I felt the campaign had gone well because I had gotten good feedback, and I am gratified at the overwhelming support. I felt I had a good chance, but I also realized a write-in campaign would be a challenge, so I was prepared either way."Martius said he is proud of the work he did during his council term. "I have always believed in a majority rule, so if this is what people want, they should get it," he said.Martius said he had looked forward to another term. "I felt we were getting good things done," he said. "I’m just going to keep upbeat about everything and I don’t have regrets."Maynard Lafrenz challenged David Hauge for the South Ward alderman spot and won. There the votes were 568 and 447.Lafrenz said, "There’s going to be a lot of work to do, and I’ll have to learn as I go. But evidently people wanted a change." Luverne will also have a new mayor, with current Mayor Glen Gust not filing for office again. Both Andy Steensma and Alex Frick were new to run for the office. Steensma earned 1,832 votes, compared to Frick’s 621.Sunday liquorLocal bar and restaurant owners wanted the issue of Sunday liquor on the ballot.Luverne voters turned out against the question that would have allowed the city to permit bars and restaurants to serve liquor on Sundays. The tally was 1,023 to 1,433.Luverne schoolsThere will be a couple of new faces on the Luverne School Board, Laura Herman and Vicki Baartman.Colleen Deutsch will return to her seat on the board with 2,267 votes. Donald Bryan won’t serve another term, however, after getting 1,833.Another newcomer to the race was Tor Boen, who got 974 votes.Herman had 1,985 votes, and Baartman had 2,043.Beaver CreekMayor Al Blank got most of the votes, 141, compared to 19 write-ins.For the Beaver Creek Council, Jamie Dysthe got 133 votes, Carolyn DeBoer got 128, and a write-in got 34.Hills Mayor Jim Jellema got 262 votes and will remain mayor.Council member Dana Dahlquist was the only name on the ballot for the council and got 252 votes. An empty seat will be filled by Ross Metzger, who received the most write-ins, 53.HardwickThere was quite a race for two Hardwick City Council seats. Six ran for the two positions, and one of them will be settled "by lot" to break a tie.Steve Hanson got 47 votes; Virginia Wessels got 39 votes; Bob Heitman also got 39 votes; Greg Staeffler got 31 votes; Lois Kindt got 30 votes, and Lisa Rosin got 24 votes.Auditor-Treasurer Gloria Rolfs said the council may choose to flip a coin or draw straws to break the tie between Wessels and Heitman.The Hardwick mayor will be Bill DeBates, who got 92 votes.Kenneth Kenneth Mayor will again be Delbert Gangestad, who received 36 votes. The Council will have both Nora Halvorson, 29 votes, and David Groen, 40 votes.MagnoliaFabian Deutsch will be Magnolia’s mayor again, receiving 82 votes.Mary Smook, 76 votes, and Marinus Cross, 48 votes, will be council members. Others getting votes for council were Sheila Jones, 13, and some write-ins, 21.Steen Steen Mayor, Melvin Van Batavia, got 82 votes. The council seats will go to Marlin Elbers, 70 votes, and Rodney Scholten, 45 votes. Scott Kessler received 25 votes.

By Lexi MooreLocal election turnout was strong, and long lines were not a deterrant in the process. Voters in Steen, Hills and Beaver Creek didn’t have any problems at the polls.In Steen, City Council incumbents Marlin Elbers and Rodney Scholten received more votes than challenger Scott Kessler and were re-elected.Hills incumbent Mayor Jim Jellema was re-elected. Council member Dana Dahlquist, the only name on the ballot, will remain on the City Council. Hills voters were given the option of writing in a candidate for the remaining open council seat. Residents wrote in 113 names. Ross Metzger received 53 write-in votes and will be asked to serve on the council. He currently holds the seat Arlen Leenderts vacated last summer.In Beaver Creek Al Blank was re-elected for mayor and Carolyn DeBoer was re-elected for City Council.Hills election judge Bonnie Sundem said she was pleased with voter turnout. "We had thirty registered voters within the first thirty minutes," she said.

By Lexi MooreHills-Beaver Creek elementary students voted in a mock presidential election Tuesday. The elementary students began preparing for the mock election with an all-school assembly Monday morning. Fourth-grade students presented, "What does it take to be President of the United States?" to their classmates in kindergarten through sixth grade.They gave examples of what makes a good presidential candidate, and all students were urged to use that information when voting on Tuesday. They were also encouraged to share what they had learned with their parents and relatives.Mock presidential elections have become a tradition at the school, according to Elementary Principal Todd Holthaus."This process benefits our children two-fold," he said. "It brings an awareness to them about the election process. Secondly, it has been shown that by increasing an awareness of voting, students carry this over into adulthood and exercise their right to vote more frequently." The outcome of the mock election usually takes a backseat to the process itself. Teachers stress the importance of voting for honest, good and trustworthy candidates.

By Lexi MooreHills-Beaver Creek school district voters passed the proposed operating levy referendum when they went to the polls Tuesday.The referendum, increases the H-BC operating budget by approximately $199,875 per year for 10 years, passed by 125 votes. The per-pupil operating budget will grow to $855.79, up from $229.73.There were 572 votes cast in favor of the referendum and 447 against.The H-BC school board has a special meeting Thursday at noon to canvass the returns of the election.In most instances the additional taxes caused by the H-BC referendum will qualify residents for Minnesota State tax refunds. Residents are encouraged to fill out state tax form M1-PR to determine their eligibility for either the Minnesota Property Tax Refund or the Targeted Homeowners Property Tax Refund.

10 years ago (1994)"Rock County moved a step closer to improving communications among the various emergency agencies when it accepted bids for Phase 1 of the communications upgrade project. County Board members decided to take on the upgrade project earlier this year when practice drills revealed failing communications among fire, ambulance and law enforcement units at times when they all needed to use the same frequency at once."25 years ago (1979)"Law enforcement, fire protection and ambulance service will be available some day in the future by dialing a three digit emergency number, 911.Dec. 15, 1986 is the date that state law demands that the 911 emergency system must be in operation.Rock County could conceivably have a 911 system in operation two or three years before the deadline."50 years ago (1954)"State and national candidates on the Republican ticket were given a thumping two-to-one lead by Rock County voters in Tuesday’s election.But in the state as a whole, it appeared that the Democratic Farmer Labor candidates would sweep most, if not all the major state offices, except, perhaps, that of state auditor and all incumbent congressional posts but one."75 years ago (1929)"For the second time within less than six months, Manager C.E. Johnson, of the Luverne Co-Operative creamery, was this week awarded first honors and a silver trophy for a jar of butter at a district convention of creamery interests. The latest award was first prize on a jar of butter for the 28th district at a meeting of the Minnesota Creamery Operators and Managers’ Association, held this week at the Ryan hotel in Minneapolis."100 years ago (1904)"J.M. Rustad has added a fine undertaking room to his already large and well equipped establishment. The room is situated over the Luverne Mercantile company’s store, adjoining Mr. Rustad’s rooms. On each side of the room and extending practically its full length is a series of paneled compartments containing caskets, conveniently arranged for exhibition. The room is so arranged that post mortem examinations may be held in it, and is also large enough to hold funeral services there if the occasion should arise."

By John RittenhouseThe Adrian volleyball team bowed out of the South Section 3A Tournament with a loss in Luverne High School Friday.The Dragons met second-seeded Southwest Star Concept in a quarterfinal-round match of the tournament.Seventh-seeded Adrian put up a good fight, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Quasars from advancing into the semifinals with a 3-0 victory."We played well," said Adrian coach Jessica Hogan. "We made some errors at key moments in every game, and we just were not able to overcome them."The loss ends Adrian’s 5-18-2 season.SSC advanced to the tournament’s semifinals in Luverne Monday. The Quasars played No. 6 Fulda, a 3-1 winner over Ellsworth Friday, during the second round of the event.The Dragons did make the Quasars work for their win. Adrian played well enough to score at least 17 points in every game, but the Dragons were unable to garner a game victory.SSC led 18-15 in the opener before going on a late 7-2 run to clinch a 25-17 win.Adrian sported leads early in the second game before falling behind 22-18 as the contest progressed. The Dragons used a 4-1 spurt to trail by one point (23-22) late in the game, but SSC scored the next two points to record a 25-22 victory.SSC opened a 12-8 advantage in the third game before outscoring the Dragons 13-9 the rest of the way to post a match-ending 25-17 win."SSC was able to close out the games when they needed to," Hogan offered. "They made some huge plays at the net, and they served tough when they needed to."Jessica Parsley led the Dragons with 10 kills and 12 blocks during the match.Brittany Bullerman completed 13 of 16 serves, scored seven points and recorded eight kills and four blocks.Kayla Bullerman completed all seven of her serves and scored four points. She led the Dragons with 22 set assists.