By Jolene FarleyThe Rock County Hazardous Materials Team is finalizing plans for a terrorism response drill in Hills, according to Team Director and Luverne Fire Chief Don Deutsch. The drill, scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, is a training exercise for emergency personnel and agencies around the county with 75 to 100 people involved.Last year’s drill was a bomb detonation at the Minnesota Veterans Nursing Home in Luverne.This year, a terrorist act will be staged involving the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad on the west side of Hills and assorted chemicals. Deutsch didn’t elaborate on the specific chemicals, because part of the drill is for emergency personnel to determine what was used and what course of action. Rock County dispatchers will dispatch all entities involved and the drill will be conducted as if it is a real terrorist attack. Depending on the scope of the spill, a civilian evacuation may be simulated, according to Deutsch. Emergency personnel will determine the “hot zone,” and if H-BC High School can be used as a safe haven for residents. The wind and weather conditions on the day of the drill will impact on how far contamination travels. The Rock County Hazardous Materials Team, Rock County Ambulance, Rock County Law Enforcement (dispatch, sheriff, state patrol), Rock County Civil Defense, Luverne Community Hospital, New Vision Co-op, Hills-Beaver Creek School, Rock County Commissioners, affected city councils, and affected township boards are aware of or participating in the drill. Evaluating and fine-tuning inter-department communications will be an important part of the drill, according to Deutsch.“It’s a learning experience,” said Deutsch. “That’s why we do the drill, so that we can figure things out, so if we ever have something (an attack), we are more prepared.” After the drill, emergency personnel will meet for lunch and discuss any needed procedure changes. Local fire departments were encouraged to invite their local city councils or boards to watch the training exercise.A Terrorism Emergency Management Grant, applied for through Rock County, funded this year’s drill, according to Deutsch.

The Rock County Board of Commissioners Tuesday turned down a request to take over a one-mile stretch of a Martin Township road, now known as 41st Street.It’s the east-west road near the former Cargill elevator, which was purchased by New Vision Co-op last spring. It is also owner of Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op.As a part of Cargill’s original purchase agreement, Cargill was required to return the township road to original condition if it left, or sold the property. It paid about $30,000 to do so. New Vision wants to remove that from its arrangement with the township.New Vision was asking the county to assume responsibility for a mile of the road because it doesn’t want to include roadwork as a part of its business, according to Frank McDowell, general manager of New Vision.He said, “We aren’t trying to walk away from additional maintenance on the road.”McDowell said that New Vision already agreed to pay for any additional work the township incurs on the road, beyond what it would do for any other road.Considering the improvements New Vision is making to the property, and the economic and tax impacts, McDowell said the county might look favorably on taking the road off the township’s hands.The county isn’t able to take on more state-aid roads because the state requires two connecting points before approval. Commissioners said the particulars of the negotiations between the township and New Vision aren’t up to them to influence, since it can’t take the road.

By Sara StrongThe Rock County Sheriff?s Office believes its canine unit has paid for itself in the 1 1/2 years since Tarzan has joined the force.Deputy Ken Baker presented an update on the German shepherd?s effect on the department. Tarzan is a 67-pound, all-purpose police dog that helps the department sniff out drugs and criminals.Tarzan also prevents crime by his large, and sometimes loudly barking, presence.?The canine is mostly used for his nose,? Baker said.He said it is rare that a dog is needed for apprehension, but the threat is sometimes enough during a pursuit or resisting arrest.The dog has also been used to find people at accident scenes or others who weren?t crime suspects. Rock County Sheriff Mike Winkels said the dog costs the department about $9,000 a year.Initial purchase and training cost for the dog was about $30,000. That cost was deferred by money from Pipestone veterinarian Gordon Spronk, who pled guilty to making false statements to a federally-insured bank. As part of his plea agreement, he paid $500,000 to area government bodies, and part of Rock County?s portion went toward the dog.Baker said, ?I think he?s worth twice as much as we paid.?Baker is Tarzan?s owner, and partner on the job. He said, ?Wherever I go, people ask how the dog is doing. It?s made our office more approachable.?Baker said he enjoys the public relations work and demonstrations he does with Tarzan because they make him closer to the community and feel good about his work.Part of his continuing training is on civil rights and when Tarzan can search a person or vehicle. Results of Tarzan?s timeBaker and Tarzan have gone out on 120 calls for service during the 1 1/2 years the canine unit has been in Rock County.Those calls have resulted in various arrests, ranging from petty misdemeanors to felonies.When the discussions on getting a dog were started at county and city meetings, the main concern was that a dog help with the drug problem.Baker said Tarzan has resulted in additional drug arrests. For example, the Sheriff?s Office made 12 narcotics finds/arrests in 2002. So far in 2003, the canine unit has been personally responsible for 14 arrests/finds. Not included in those 14 are additional finds or arrests that were made by other members of the department who said a canine unit was available for search. In many of those cases, suspects confessed before Baker and Tarzan were called.They have also assisted in about 90 criminal captures, and have helped with various crowd control situations where Baker said Tarzan had a more significant presence than a couple deputies alone.Baker and Winkels said violence against officers and fleeing suspects are increasing in the county. With Tarzan, they said, officers get some additional needed help.Winkels said, ?If Tarzan helps prevent one Workman?s Comp. claim a year, he?s worth it.?

By Sara StrongHow the city of Luverne handles bad-check prosecutions could change, after a tentative, upcoming meeting between city, county and legal representatives.During a meeting Tuesday night, the Luverne City Council discussed its options.It normally pays the Attorney’s Office (the prosecutor) $95 to prosecute non-sufficient fund cases.City Administrator Greg LaFond said, “It does not seem to be a good use of city or court resources.”Actual costs for the city to prosecute the non-sufficient funds is complex.The city pays the City Attorney $95 to prosecute and gets $93 back from the state. The money it gets back goes to the county in the form of the joint law fund.If the city saves money by avoiding the placement of $93 into the joint law fund, the county will probably raise the city’s contract fee to make up the difference.Assistant County Attorney Terry Vajgrt said that the system is more complicated than the council realizes. He uses his discretion in prosecuting people who write bad checks, and gives them opportunities to pay the money they owe before taking it through the court system.Mayor Glen Gust said that, as a business owner, he knows the current system does work because cases that he turns over to the attorney get returns.City Attorney Don Klosterbuer previously said that his office has an obligation to prosecute the cases. However, some cities in Minnesota set a minimum dollar amount to collect, or use private collection businesses instead of prosecutors to collect the money.Vajgrt said, “I don’t think it’s good policy to dictate a threshold of dollar value to prosecute.”In his decisions to prosecute, he said he takes into consideration victims and their wishes, as well as the circumstances of the crimes.Vajgrt has worked in a prosecuting capacity since 1990, and said he is frustrated with the attempt to change the system without his input from the start.“I’m in the best position to know. … I think the lack of respect for our office is troubling,” Vajgrt said.The council made it clear that Vajgrt is invited to explain current procedures and that he’ll be included in future meetings.The council also said it would like to involve the business community in any future talks on the bad check issue.Renken trailer parkThe Donald Renken property near the Verne Drive-In was mostly condemned 1 1/2 years ago, and a court order to bring the property up to code was in place.Since then, much of the property has been cleared, but the city isn’t happy with the progress.Renken’s files go back 10 years at City Hall, with numerous attempts to get cooperation from the owner. Just two of the trailers are lived in now, and three of the original 13 condemned are still standing.Tuesday night, the Luverne City Council discussed paying a contractor to remove the remaining unoccupied buildings and assessing the costs back to Renken’s property taxes.LaFond said, “If we don’t enforce a court order, what message does that send?”Councilman David Hauge said he didn’t want the city to appear like a “toothless tiger” after so many years of warnings and accommodations on the part of the city.Councilman Tom Martius suggested getting contractor estimates and sending Renken a letter, telling him that that much will be assessed to his property tax bill. Then, after a few days deadline to complete the final clean-up, the city could hire a contractor. City Zoning Administrator Dan Delgehausen will bring the contractor estimates and any update on the Renken property to the council in the future.

By Lori EhdeQuick-thinking Pamida employees played a key role in the arrest Thursday of two suspects now facing drug charges.Gregory Stout, 41, Hollandale, and 19-year-old Adam Vanderstoep, Northwood, Iowa, appeared Monday in Rock County District Court.They were arrested Thursday after they and three others attempted to purchase suspicious amounts of cold medicine at Pamida Thursday.Local merchants had been trained in recent years to recognize that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are key ingredients in the manufacture of methamphetamine.Two of the individuals in Stout’s white minivan entered the store around 11 a.m. and each purchased two boxes of cold medicine. According to the complaint filed in Rock County District Court, the customers were acting suspicious, and a cashier alerted her supervisor.Diane Stearns followed them out to the parking lot and recorded the license plate number and vehicle description and called law enforcement.Two others from the van were on their way into the store, but turned around when they saw Stearns. Stout immediately drove out of the parking lot.The van was about to approach Highway 75 when it met Deputy Nick Schafer pulling off the highway. Stout then veered the van into the Magnolia Steak House parking lot and started walking toward Vern’s Meat Market.According to the complaint, Schafer engaged his squad car lights and told Stout to get back in the vehicle.At that time, he noted three others in the van, Melissa Girvin, 20, James VanRyswyk, 26, and Vanderstoep. Temporarily left behind in Pamida, but also traveling with the group was 29-year-old Jayne Manuel. All are from communities in the Albert Lea area.While waiting for backup, Schafer noticed the individuals attempting to hide things, and the activity caused the van to rock back and forth. When he asked Stout to get out of the vehicle, he appeared “nervous and fidgety,” according to the report.Stout, whose driving privileges had been revoked, told Schaefer he stopped at Pamida for cold medicine “because he had not been feeling well.”Meanwhile Schaefer noticed, in plain view, two four-packs of lithium batteries (lithium is often used in the process of manufacturing meth). Also found were 246 cold tablets and 170 empty blister packets from cold medicine.Deputy Ken Baker and the canine unit assisted in searching the vehicle, and the dog turned up a black film canister containing a white residue that appeared to be meth under the driver’s seat.When questioned, deputies found out that the group had been traveling along I-90 from Yankton to Albert Lea purchasing cold tablets with the intent to make meth. They told investigators that was more or less the point of their trip, and it was their goal to purchase 1,000 pills by the time they reached Albert Lea. They also admitted to using meth along the way, putting it in capsules and swallowing it, and consuming it mixed with Kool-Aid.Stout was charged Monday with fourth-degree controlled substance crime for possessing meth, attempt to manufacture meth and driving after revocation.Vanderstoep was charged with attempt to manufacture meth.Investigator Jeff Wieneke commended the Pamida employees for their role in Thursday’s arrest.“They did a good job of picking up what was going on,” he said.Assistant County Attorney Terry Vajgrt said he’s prosecuting the case under a new law that went into effect Aug. 1.The law makes it a felony to possess ephedrine or pseudoephedrine with the intent to use it in the manufacture of meth. “The state is required to show that they purchased the cold medicine with the intent to make meth. Before, we had to show they were taking a substantial step toward manufacturing meth,” Vajgrt said.“Young people are getting hooked up with people who are making meth, and they are going out and buying cold medicine. … It’s a new law, and people should know it’s a felony to possess these cold products with the intent to manufacture meth. The consequences are serious.”He said in the case of Stout and Vanderstoep, there was clearly enough evidence to connect the possession of cold medicine with the intent to produce meth.Stout remains in custody of the Prairie Justice Center, Worthington, and Vanderstoep posted bond Monday.

By Sara StrongRepresentatives of the city of Luverne and Rock County met with Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System Monday to discuss a possible contract for management services at the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center.The preliminary proposal isn?t public, but all agreed that pursuing a management contract was in everyone?s best interest.The Rock County Pool Commission will meet again Tuesday to further discuss the issue.Rock County Commissioner Ken Hoime was a part of the preliminary meeting with Sioux Valley. He said, "It looks so favorable to me."Sioux Valley?s preliminary ideas about the facility indicate it would take care of marketing, with a goal of increasing membership and changing the focus of programs to total health and wellness, not just physical fitness.If the management proposal is accepted, it would be for five years, with the city and county paying Sioux Valley. The Pool Commission will send a recommendation to the Rock County Board of Commissioners and the Luverne City Council for final approval.Effect on ratesThe Pool Commission is also considering a rate change. Along with any adjustments in price, would be additional possible categories for memberships. City Administrator Greg LaFond said new categories, such as possible student and corporate memberships, may be a way to draw more business.The Pool Commission is waiting to adjust its prices until any agreement with Sioux Valley is finalized.

By Sara StrongThe Rock County Board of Commissioners Tuesday turned down a request to take over a one-mile stretch of a Martin Township road, now known as 41st Street.It’s the east-west road near the former Cargill elevator, which was purchased by New Vision Co-op last spring. It is also owner of Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op.As a part of Cargill’s original purchase agreement, Cargill was required to return the township road to original condition if it left, or sold the property. It paid about $30,000 to do so. New Vision wants to remove that from its arrangement with the township.New Vision was asking the county to assume responsibility for a mile of the road because it doesn’t want to include roadwork as a part of its business, according to Frank McDowell, general manager of New Vision.He said, “We aren’t trying to walk away from additional maintenance on the road.”McDowell said that New Vision already agreed to pay for any additional work the township incurs on the road, beyond what it would do for any other road.Considering the improvements New Vision is making to the property, and the economic and tax impacts, McDowell said the county might look favorably on taking the road off the township’s hands.The county isn’t able to take on more state-aid roads because the state requires two connecting points before approval. Commissioners said the particulars of the negotiations between the township and New Vision aren’t up to them to influence, since it can’t take the road.

By Jolene FarleyThe Rock County Hazardous Materials Team is finalizing plans for a terrorism response drill in Hills, according to Team Director and Luverne Fire Chief Don Deutsch. The drill, scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, is a training exercise for emergency personnel and agencies around the county with 75 to 100 people involved.Last year’s drill was a bomb detonation at the Minnesota Veterans Nursing Home in Luverne.This year, a terrorist act will be staged involving the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad on the west side of Hills and assorted chemicals. Deutsch didn’t elaborate on the specific chemicals, because part of the drill is for emergency personnel to determine what was used and what course of action. Rock County dispatchers will dispatch all entities involved and the drill will be conducted as if it is a real terrorist attack. Depending on the scope of the spill, a civilian evacuation may be simulated, according to Deutsch. Emergency personnel will determine the “hot zone,” and if H-BC High School can be used as a safe haven for residents. The wind and weather conditions on the day of the drill will impact on how far contamination travels. The Rock County Hazardous Materials Team, Rock County Ambulance, Rock County Law Enforcement (dispatch, sheriff, state patrol), Rock County Civil Defense, Luverne Community Hospital, New Vision Co-op, Hills-Beaver Creek School, Rock County Commissioners, affected city councils, and affected township boards are aware of or participating in the drill. Evaluating and fine-tuning inter-department communications will be an important part of the drill, according to Deutsch.“It’s a learning experience,” said Deutsch. “That’s why we do the drill, so that we can figure things out, so if we ever have something (an attack), we are more prepared.” After the drill, emergency personnel will meet for lunch and discuss any needed procedure changes. Local fire departments were encouraged to invite their local city councils or boards to watch the training exercise.A Terrorism Emergency Management Grant, applied for through Rock County, funded this year’s drill, according to Deutsch.

By John RittenhouseA combination of athleticism and a desire to succeed turned Hills-Beaver Creek senior Erin Boeve into one of Minnesota’s best high school volleyball players in recent years.Those same qualities have opened a door for Boeve’s future.On Nov. 12, in the office of H-BC Activities Director Steve Wiertzema, Boeve signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Iowa State University in Ames on an athletic scholarship.Boeve had made the decision to become an ISU Cyclone member months before, but she made it official with her signature last week.“I actually verbally committed to ISU last May,” Boeve admitted. “It just seems like it’s a good fit for me. Probably the biggest reason I chose Iowa State was the coaching staff. I also got along really well with the players when I visited there.”In Boeve, the Cyclones landed a player who dominated a lot of matches during her high school days.Boeve began playing varsity ball on a limited basis as an eighth-grader. She earned a starting position in the H-BC program as a freshman and kept it for four consecutive seasons.A key member of H-BC’s 2003 team that won the school’s first South Section 3A championship, Boeve compiled 1,547 kills, 663 blocks and served 165 aces during a high school career that ended with a five-game loss to Minneota in the Section 3A championship match.Although Boeve was disappointed that H-BC lost the final two games of the Minneota match, she doesn’t dwell on the possible state berth that slipped away when she remembers her high school days.“I thought we had that match,” Boeve said. “That’s why volleyball is such a dumb game. It’s a game of momentum. Still, this season was a lot of fun. It was a good way to end my high school career.”When H-BC coach Curt Doornweeerd remembers Boeve, he recalls an all-around good athlete who always played hard and possessed an ability to intimidate the opposing players on the other side of the net.“It was unbelievable what she was able to do to some teams,” he said. “She would get into the heads of their players right away, and they didn’t stand a chance the rest of the match. Her size (6-2) and athleticism is a plus, but she also has an outstanding mental ability that includes her wanting to go out on the court and play well every night.”Boeve’s next challenge will be to prove she can play volleyball at a Division 1 level.She never considered herself to be a Division 1 prospect until she joined the Southwest Minnesota Juniors, an elite volleyball team formed by select area players based out of Southwest State University in Marshall.Members of the SMJ team displayed their talents in front of college coaches during play in the spring and summer months, and Boeve drew more than her fair share of attention.“Playing with that junior volleyball team gave me a lot of options,” she said. “I ended up being recruited by more than 100 colleges. It was a little overwhelming.”Being pursued by schools from coast to coast can be an eye-opening experience for a teenager, but Boeve handled the situation well.The allure of attending big-name colleges on the East and West Coasts can be attractive to some, but Boeve made a more mature, practical choice by selecting ISU.“I wanted to stay closer to home,” she said. “Ames is a four-hour drive from here, and now my parents can come to my matches.”Erin said following in the footsteps of her older sister, Tara, never was a part of the college-selection equation.Tara Boeve, and standout player at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, always told Erin that the institution in South Dakota wasn’t big enough for her sister.“I never really considered Augustana,” Erin said. “It wasn’t like my heart was set on going to a Division 1 school. I wasn’t being heavily recruited by Division 2 schools. The Division 1 thing just worked out that way.”Boeve will move to Ames in late July next year in order to get settled in by the start of practice Aug. 6.She is unsure what type of impact she’ll make on the ISU program as a freshman.Her high school coach, however, thinks Boeve’s approach to the game will lead to a successful first season and career at ISU.“Personally, I have never seen anyone who plays like Erin does before,” Doorneweerd said. “I’ve seen girls that can block, girls that can spike, girls that can serve and girls that can play the back row. What I haven’t seen is a girl who can do all of those things at a high level like Erin can. With her work ethic, she’ll do whatever it takes to get on the floor at Iowa State. Once she does get on the floor, she’ll work just as hard to stay on the floor.”