By Sara StrongThe Luverne City Council is starting to finalize plans for its part of the new Sioux Valley Hospital and Clinic project north of the Veterans Addition.It accepted bids Tuesday for two of its contributions: $135,000 for the painting of the new water tower, and $533,900 for the new water tower/elevated water storage tank.The city and Sioux Valley are still working on arrangements for logos to be painted on the tower. Both Sioux Valley and the city want to have prominent placement on the tower.Sioux Valley will pay for its portion of the paintwork, no matter how large it’s logo is.Because the new hospital and clinic project is spurring other city work, residents won’t be assessed portions of the cost for sewer and curb work on Oakley Street.The final cost for the large project isn’t in yet, but property owners in the past have been assessed that kind of work.Since the work is needed because of the new hospital and clinic, though, the city is making this the exception.Last year’s work on Freeman, Estey, Bishop, Crawford and Brown streets and five alleys cost was split between property owners and residents. Property owners protested the high cost of assessments in public meetings.Oakley Street will be affected by the work from Warren Street to Veterans Drive. Airport plansThe city is being asked to come up with more plans before it can proceed with runway expansion efforts.The airport needs a master plan, more detailed than the airport layout plan, which has been completed.State and federal agencies have to approve the master plan too. Part of the master plan includes estimated flight traffic and screening up to three alternative site locations.City Administrator Greg LaFond said it was important for the city to continue pursuing the new runway. He said, "It really enhances our ability to attract businesses."This week, Economic Development Director Dan Statema got an inquiry about the runway’s length from a large business.In other airport news, State Representative Doug Magnus (R-Slayton) has co-authored legislation that would assist communities that are considering renovations to airports. The bill would decrease the minimum local contribution for federally funded airport projects from 10percent to 5 percent.Currently, Luverne has proposed a $2.5 million expansion and renovation project at the Luverne Municipal Airport — Quentin Aanenson Field.The federal match was increased from 90 percent to 95 percent on eligible projects at most airports during the next four years.The state portion of the airport funding change hasn’t been approved.

10 years ago (1994)"Luverne and Magnolia school districts are on target to meet the April 1 deadline for Cooperation and Combination plans. The two school boards met Thursday to hear reports from the four committees set up to smooth the path toward combining the school districts.… The committee recommended one superintendent be selected before combination in 1996. Two high school principals would serve Luverne’s grades five through 12, one elementary principal would serve grades K through four in Luverne, and Magnolia would have a half-time principal for grades K-6."25 years ago (1979)"Alcohol, manufactured from grain and other products grown on Minnesota farms, may be a vital source of motor fuel some day if the petroleum situation worsens.Gasahol, a blend of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent alcohol (ethanol), is already in use and gaining in popularity, according to reports. As supplies become shorter (Iran supplies have now been cut off) and as prices of imported petroleum go up (OPEC announced increases in excess of seven percent last week), alcohol could well become more important to the fuel industry."50 years ago (1954)"Two new directors were elected Tuesday by the stockholders of the Luverne Cooperative Creamery Association. They are Vernon Ver Steeg, Kenneth, and Leo Mulvihill, Luverne. They will succeed W.G. Perkins and Chris Kopp, Luverne."75 years ago (1929)"About seventy gallons of alcohol, cached away in the snow banks on the southeast, center and northeast edges of the junction of state aid road No. 8 with trunk highway No. 6, two miles north of this city, were uncovered shortly before noon Wednesday. The uncovering was done by Rock County’s new snow plow as it dug into the snow banks, the immense supply of booze being located within the first few feet of highway that the snow plow was put to work on. … Almost before those in charge of the snow plow realized what had happened in the uncovering of the first supply, a considerable number of spectators who had assembled to watch the snow plow work, pounced upon the booze and proceeded to carry it away; one, two and three cans to a person."100 years ago (1904)"Four of Rock County’s prosperous farmers went to Little Rock the latter part of last week to visit with an old friend whom they had known in the old country or in Plymouth county, Iowa. They were Wm. Mann, Albert Ahrendt, Fred Hamann and Chris Jauert. Their friend’s birthday fell on the date of the birth of the ‘Father of His Country’ and the celebration was of a dual character."

Political parties gather for caucusesRock County Republicans and Democrats will be gathering next Tuesday for their respective caucuses.Members of the Democratic-Farmers Labor Party, as the Democrats are known in Minnesota, will be meeting at the Elementary Commons at the Luverne Elementary School.The Republicans will meet at the Blue Mound Banquet and Meeting Center on West Hatting.Those attending the DFL caucus will have four candidates to choose from, however, John Edwards and John Kerry are considered the only two left with a chance at the nomination.Although there is little or no opposition to President Bush on the Republican side, both parties will have platform issues to address.Both meetings start at 7 p.m. on March 2. If you have any questions about the caucuses, contact Ben VanderKooi for information on the DFL gathering at 283-9546, or for the Republican Caucus, contact Bill Weber at 283-2391.‘The Passion of The Christ’ will play at the PalaceIf you’re hoping to see Mel Gibson’s new movie, "The Passion of The Christ," you won’t have to go to Sioux Falls to see it.The movie will show at the Palace in Luverne the first week in April and will run the entire week.If attendance is strong, a second week could be added.The Internet Movie Data Base summarization of the movie said:"The Passion of The Christ focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after sitting at the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death."The movie has been very controversial since the filming was announced.Some have accused Mel Gibson, the writer, director and producer, of creating a film that could fan the flames of anti- Semitism.While others simply feel it depicts the historically accurate and brutal death of Jesus Christ.You might want to consider the appropriate age that children should be be allowed to go. The violence and torture, of which there is a considerable amount, is very graphic and probably not appropriate for children under the age of 12, according to many sources.Across the country, many church groups have rented out entire theater complexes for their parishioners.In Plano, Texas, a 20-screen movie complex was showing the movie on all 20 screens, and sold out the entire 8 p.m. showing.Advance tickets will be sold prior to showing. Where and when the advance tickets will be sold will be announced later.Spring weight restrictions take effect FridayWith the onset of warmer temperatures, spring weight road restrictions will go into effect Friday on Rock County roads.Maps indicating the weight-restricted roads are available at the Rock County Highway Department.If you have any questions, contact Mark Sehr at 283-5010.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

We should all live as if we are about to move, or at least with the fear that someone will look in our closets, files and basement corners.This new philosophy is partly inspired by TLC's Clean Sweep, and partly by the fact that my little sister is considering a move to our spare bedroom.Clean Sweep is a show that has homeowners open their doors to all their dirty secrets. Literally. Their secrets are that they can't enjoy their homes because of the clutter and filth. Some haven't sat on their sofa since Friends premiered. The shag carpet in their bedrooms doesn't need replacing because they never walked on it without a shield of unfolded laundry, preventing wear, and it's now back in style.Fearing that we'd have to call in the show's experts for emergency help once we got an extra person under our roof, my sister is thinning her possessions.She's going through all her stuff, deciding what to keep, what to throw and what to put in some other relative's care.Unfortunately, I will not be allowed to do the same. At least not openly.I would love to purge half the things in my basement, for example. Our utility room looks more like a nightmarish garage sale than a place for appliances and seasonal storage.I just happen to be married to a very sentimental man who thinks scribbles on scrap paper, movie stubs and 5-year-old health insurance manuals are valuable. His theory that boxing up this "material" keeps things tidy doesn't work when we're slowly adding to our collection of stacked boxes.He gets attached to inanimate objects, in other words. For me, it can all go in the trash. Maybe I'm cold. Maybe I'm irreverent. But then again, maybe a t-shirt from a concert in 1990 is precious. Maybe a newsletter that was wrongly delivered to our home is worth reading. I guess I better get that stuffed animal he won at a carnival out of the garbage.If I haven't learned anything from watching Clean Sweep, at least I can enjoy the fact that others have much more to hide than we do.

By Jolene FarleyMarlys Rauk, Beaver Creek, has joined the Exchange State Bank of Hills, bringing with her 30 years of banking experience. In January, Rauk left the former First National Bank, now Minnwest Bank, Luverne, hoping "to get back to the small town bank atmosphere." Rauk began her career in 1974 and she remained at the same institution through several ownership changes.She said the Exchange State Bank is "hands on and very customer orientated." She said she likes knowing most of her customers and wanted to get away from corporate control. "It’s a bank you never hear anything negative about," she said, "and now that I work here, I understand why."Rauk, who works full-time as a teller, backs up the computer system and works in check processing at the Exchange State Bank. She was an administrative assistant and loan secretary at her previous job.Through the years, Rauk has taken the many changes in the banking industry in stride."Technology has changed so much. They have debit cards now, Internet banking and phone banking," she said. "It’s easier for the customers to access their banking information. They don’t have to visit the bank, with direct deposit, ATMs and debit cards. … But we like to have the customer come in."Rauk’s goal is to service customers and assist in the new direction the bank is taking with the purchase of the Ellsworth State Bank.She is acquainted with many Exchange State Bank customers through her work at Rauk’s Hilltop Stop and through different activities at the Hills-Beaver Creek School. Rauk said she’s happy with her new position. "It was a good move for me," she said. "Hopefully, I’m here until I retire."

By Jolene FarleyAt a Monday meeting, the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board agreed to abide by third-party mediation concerning disputed special education bills with the Luverne School District.The bills stem from H-BC students that open enrolled to the Luverne district. The student’s home district is required to reimburse the district where the student open enrolls for special education and other costs. At an October meeting, the board agreed to pay $83,799, in addition to a $20,000 payment the district had already made to Luverne, to clear up the 2001-02 and 2002-03 school years. But the board continued to dispute bills totaling $55,864 from the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 school year.The billing system for the disputed years was different than for the undisputed years.Deragisch was instructed to offer the Luverne district a payment of $30,000 for the disputed bills. The Luverne district refused the offer and asked for the full amount.At Monday’s meeting, Deragisch recommended allowing a third party to step in and mediate. A third party from the Pipestone Special Education Cooperative would review the documentation on the charges for discrepancies. If everything looked legitimate, the Hills-Beaver Creek school district would pay the amount in full."I am willing to take the lumps, whatever they may be, and then we will be debt-free," Deragisch said.Although listed on the agenda as a non-action item, the board decided to vote, and the motion passed unanimously. In personnel changes…The board approved maternity leave for Nicole Fey and Michele Baker. They will return to their jobs as elementary teachers next fall. The board accepted — with regrets — the resignation at the end of the school year of oMichele Baker as Early Childhood Family Education Coordinator,oGreg Ebert as art and industrial arts teacher, and oRoger Jackson as math and technology teacher.Enrollment projectionsDeragisch shared enrollment projections for the 2004-05 school year with the board."You have to have some good news when you’re looking at black clouds all the time," he said.Deragisch anticipates the district will have six more students next year with an enrollment of 307 students or 153 elementary students and 154 in grades 7-12. The 2003-04 enrollment was 301 students, 152 students at the elementary school and 149 in grades 7-12.This year kindergarten started with 19 students and numbers increased to 23 during the year."Our ability to stay steady is really unique for a lot of schools our size," said board member Gary Esselink.Shut the gatesThe Beaver Creek city council has agreed to allow the school to install gates to block the traffic flow on both ends of East Fifth Ave, according to Elementary Principal Todd Holthous. The road runs through the playground by the elementary school. Showing appreciationDeragisch presented the board members with certificates of recognition for their service. He also treated everyone in the room to apple pie and ice cream. "I think our school is the way it is because of your work and dedication," he told the board. Esselink said that when he joined the board he was advised that when it comes to a decision, if it’s the best thing for the kids, it’s probably the right decision.

By Jolene FarleyBrad Bosch, Steen, doctored for years before finding out all the symptoms he complained of could be traced back to one thing: gluten intolerance.Bosch suffered from abdominal discomfort every time he ate, forcing him to make frequent trips to the bathroom. Doctor’s removed his gall bladder but his symptoms continued. "When they took it out they said the gall bladder looked perfect," Bosch said.Bosch consulted Dr. Larry Lyon at Luverne Medical Center, and Lyon suggested Bosch be tested for gluten intolerance. Lyon was familiar with celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, because his wife, Linda, has the condition.Bosch was given a blood test for the disorder that came back negative. The blood test isn’t always accurate, according to Bosch. Since Bosch’s discomfort continued, Lyon suggested that Bosch try staying away from products that contain gluten."He said just try staying away from wheat products," Bosch said. "I didn’t really realize what all had wheat in it."Dr. Lyon’s suspicions of celiac disease were soon confirmed by a biopsy of Bosch’s small intestine. That diagnosis began a totally different way of eating for Bosch. He is now symptom- free if he stays completely away from gluten products. Eating out is difficult. Bosch said fast food is impossible. Chicken is often breaded with gluten products, pasta and noodles are made from gluten products, gravy is thickened with wheat flour.Bosch said sometimes if he does go out to eat, he orders a hamburger with no bun. Many cream soups use gluten as thickener and ketchup contains the offending ingredient."There aren’t too many choices of cereals that you can have that don’t use some type of wheat product," Bosch said.His meals typically consist of meat, potatoes, vegetables and fruits. He used to like a salad with dinner but the dressings he prefers use wheat as thickeners. "I used to love eating bread— that is probably one of the biggest things that I miss," he said.Bosch said he also has to be cautious when taking medication, because some pills are shaped using wheat products. He said he usually knows almost immediately when he has consumed a gluten product. His eyes get sore, itchy and watery, and he breaks out in a rash. "A lot of times I can tell if I’ve eaten something I shouldn’t," he said.Bosch suspects he has been gluten intolerant since he was young. He can recall having symptoms, but never knew what was causing them.He said the condition can occur at any age, some develop symptoms at a young age, others develop the condition when they are older. Bosch said that some patients find that after they stay away from gluten for a period, if they eat something with the ingredient their symptoms become more severe. "The more you stay away from all of the wheat products, if you do come back into contact with them, your symptoms will be a little bit more severe," he said. The Celiac Sprue, Herpetiformis Dermatitis Support Group in Luverne has been helpful.The group provides information and support to its members. Bosch receives newsletters with information on different gluten-free products and recipes. Bosch and his wife, Linda, meet with the group to mix flour.Reading food labels and thinking about every bite of food he puts in his mouth, has become a necessary part of life for Bosch.

By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth girls’ basketball team completed a 10-13 regular season by dropping a pair of road games since last Thursday.Russell-Tyler-Ruthton topped the Panthers by 10 points in Tyler Thursday. When the Panthers lost a three-point decision to Southwest Christian in Edgerton Monday, they finished a regular season below the .500 mark for the first time in the four-year tenure of EHS head coach Dean Schnaible.Ellsworth will attempt to snap a five-game losing skid when it hosts Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster in a preliminary-round game of the South Section 3A Tournament tonight. The seventh-seeded Panthers and 10th-seeded Raiders will play at 7:30 p.m.SWC 46, Ellsworth 43The Panthers were unable to snap what stands as a five-game losing skid when they fell by three points to Southwest Christian in Edgerton Monday.Ellsworth had some chances to force overtime late in the game, but the Panthers didn’t cash in on the opportunities."We had two opportunities to tie the game with threes late in the fourth quarter, but we missed them both," Schnaible said.The teams battled to a draw at 15 in the first quarter before SWC moved in front 24-23 at halftime.The E-Gals extended their lead to six points (34-28) by the end of the third quarter before hanging on to win by three in the end.Making five three-point shots and securing some important rebounds late in the game were the keys to victory for SWC."It was a fairly well-played game," Schnaible said. "We just did not do a good job of boxing out under the basket, and we didn’t put a lot of pressure on their three-point shooters."Laurel Drenth scored 15 points and collected 10 rebounds for EHS, while Amy Timmer came off the bench to score 12 points and snare five rebounds. Amy Tiesler hauled in five rebounds. Marla Groen recorded three steals.Box scoreTiesler 3 0 2-2 8, Leuthold 1 0 0-0 2, Ly.Drenth 0 0 0-0 0, Lr.Drenth 5 0 5-8 15, Groen 0 0 3-4 3, Kramer 1 0 1-2 3, Timmer 4 0 4-4 12.Team statisticsEllsworth: 14 of 31 field goals (45 percent), 15 of 20 free throws (75 percent), 30 rebounds, 17 turnovers.SWC: 18 of 44 field goals (41 percent), five of 16 free throws (31 percent), 21 rebounds, 11 turnovers.R-T-R 63, Ellsworth 53The Panthers completed a 6-8 Camden Conference season by dropping a 10-point decision to the Knights in Tyler Thursday.R-T-R opened a 14-7 lead in the first quarter and never lost control of the game the rest of the night."They beat us with fast-breaks and offensive put-backs," said Panther coach Schnaible. "We didn’t box out under the basket."The Knights extended their lead to 10 points (34-24) at halftime before Ellsworth trimmed the difference to eight points (51-43) in the third quarter. R-T-R used a 12-10 scoring edge in the fourth quarter to win by 10.Laurel Drenth played a solid game for Ellsworth by scoring 26 points, collecting nine rebounds and passing for four assists.Missy Leuthold led EHS with six assists. Tiesler grabbed five rebounds.Box scoreTiesler 2 1 0-0 7, Leuthold 2 0 0-0 4, Kvaale 0 0 0-0 0, Ly.Drenth 0 0 0-0 0, Lr.Drenth 11 0 4-6 26, Groen 1 1 2-2 7, Kramer 1 0 1-3 3, Timmer 3 0 0-0 6.Team statisticsEllsworth: 22 of 52 field goals (42 percent), seven of 12 free throws (58 percent), 27 rebounds, 20 turnovers.R-T-R: 25 of 58 field goals (43 percent), 12 of 17 free throws (71 percent), 27 rebounds, 13 turnovers.

Luverne guard Dusty Antoine fouls Marshall’s Ben Olsem as the Tiger tries to put up a shot late in Saturday’s Southwest Conference basketball game in Luverne. Antoine scored six points during a 68-48 loss to the Tigers.By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys’ basketball team slipped to 10-13 for the season aftergoing 1-2 in games played since last Thursday.The Cardinals posted a 13-point win in Jackson Thursday before Marshall toppled them by 20 points in Luverne Saturday. The Cards fell by 16 points to Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in Tyler Tuesday.Luverne ends the regular season by hosting Lincoln HI Friday.R-T-R 62, Luverne 46The Cardinals turned in a solid performance before falling by 16 points to the Knights in Tyler Tuesday.Luverne played with the hosts for the better part of three quarters, but R-T-R outscored the Cards 22-10 in the game’s final nine minutes to win handily."We played a pretty good game even though the score doesn’t indicate it," said LHS coach Tom Rops. "We had to scramble in the fourth quarter, and they hit their free throws."R-T-R, which led 22-20 at halftime, sported a 40-36 cushion before scoring a pair of easy field goals in the final minute of the third quarter to take a 44-36 advantage into the fourth quarter.The Knights drained eight of 10 free throws during the final period to help outscore LHS 18-10 and win by 16.Luverne, which led 13-8 after eight minutes of play, received 11 points from Nick Heronimus. Jared Pick snared seven rebounds and distributed four assists. Andy Stegemann added four assists.Box scorePick 2 0 5-9 9, Tofteland 1 0 0-0 2, Herman 2 0 0-0 4, Deragisch 3 1 0-0 9, Stegemann 2 1 0-0 7, S.Boelman 1 0 0-0 2, Heronimus 1 2 3-5 11, Lange 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsLuverne: 17 of 38 field goals (45 percent), eight of 14 free throws (57 percent), 21 rebounds, 11 turnovers.R-T-R: 21 of 44 field goals (48 percent), 15 of 19 free throws (79 percent), 15 rebounds, 12 turnovers.Marshall 68,Luverne 48The visiting Tigers took control of the game early and never let the Cardinals back in the contest during Saturday’s SWC clash in Luverne.Marshall raced to a 26-8 lead in the first quarter and never looked back while disposing of LHS by 20 points.The game was tied at two when Marshall took the lead for keeps at 8-2 at the end of a 6-0 surge during the first quarter.Luverne’s John Tofteland converted a three-point play to make it a 8-5 game moments later, but the Tigers outscored the Cards 16-3 the rest of the period to open a 26-8 lead.The Cardinals outscored Marshall 12-6 in the first 4:49 of the second period and trailed 32-20 when Brad Herman drained a pair of free throws at the 3:11 mark of the stanza.Marshall, however, ended the first half with a 7-0 run to lead 39-20 at the intermission.Luverne trimmed the difference to 17 points twice early in the third quarter before falling behind by 34 points (62-28) by period’s end. The Cardinals outscored Marshall 20-6 in the fourth quarter to make it a 20-point difference in the end.Pick, who charted two assists along with Dusty Antoine, led the Cards in scoring with eight points. Herman grabbed five rebounds. Tofteland and Heronimus recorded two steals each.Box scorePick 2 0 4-6 8, Tofteland 2 0 1-1 5, Graphenteen 0 0 0-0 0, Herman 0 0 2-2 2, Deragisch 0 1 0-1 3, Hendricks 1 1 0-0 5, Antoine 0 2 0-1 6, Stegemann 0 1 0-0 3, Willers 2 0 0-1 4, S.Boelman 1 0 3-4 5, M.Boelman 0 0 0-1 0, Heronimus 1 0 5-7 7, Lange 0 0 0-0 0.Team statisticsLuverne: 14 of 43 field goals (33 percent), 15 of 24 free throws (63 percent), 28 rebounds, 24 turnovers.Marshall: 23 of 47 field goals (49 percent), 13 of 25 free throws (32 percent), 17 rebounds, six turnovers.Luverne 51, JCC 38The Cardinals swept their annual season series with the Huskies by securing a 13-point win in Jackson Thursday.Luverne outscored JCC in every quarter of the game, and the key to success was taking care of the basketball."We did a nice job of not turning the ball over," said LHS coach Rops, who revealed that the Cards had five turnovers in the contest. "Whenever you protect the ball, you have a better chance of winning the game."Luverne led 16-14 after eight minutes of play and extended the difference to seven points (28-21) after outscoring the Huskies 12-7 in the second period.The Cardinals outscored JCC by three points in each of the final two periods, making it a 13-point difference in the end."Any time you can win on the road is a good victory," Rops added.Pick led the Cards in scoring with 14 points. Scott Boelman netted 13 points and tied Heronimus for the team lead in rebounding with five. Brandon Deragisch contributed seven assists and three steals to the winning effort.Box scorePick 4 0 6-8 14, Herman 1 0 0-0 2, Stegemann 1 0 0-0 2, S.Boelman 6 0 1-2 13, Heronimus 3 0 3-8 9, Lange 2 0 0-0 4, Tofteland 0 2 0-0 6, Deragisch 0 0 0-2 0, M.Boelman 0 0 1-2 1.Team statisticsLuverne: 19 of 47 field goals (40 percent), 10 of 20 free throws (50 percent), 27 rebounds, five turnovers.JCC: 12 of 41 field goals (29 percent), 10 of 14 free throws (71 percent), 23 rebounds, eight turnovers.