By John RittenhouseTwo teams trying to earn their first post-season berth in a volleyball championship game squared off in the Luverne Elementary School Tuesday.Hills-Beaver Creek and Ellsworth, a pair of squads that had never played in a post-season title tilt before, met in the semifinal-round of the South Section 3A Tournament.It was H-BC, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, which lived to play another day.The 19-5 Patriots rolled to a 3-0 victory over No. 5 Ellsworth, giving H-BC a berth in tonight’s 7:30 p.m. championship game in Luverne.H-BC will play No. 6 Fulda, a 3-2 winner over No. 2 Southwest Christian Tuesday, for the championship in the elementary school.The Patriots took care of business against the EHS Panthers.H-BC won all three games by 10 or more points, outscoring the Panthers 75-39 overall."We played aggressive, hard volleyball," said Patriot coach Curt Doorneweerd. "We became a little lazy against Adrian Friday (a 3-0 H-BC win in the quarterfinals), but we played hard all the way in this match."The score was tied at two in Game 1 when the Patriots went on a 4-0 run capped by a service point from Cassi Tilstra to open a 6-2 lead.Ellsworth trimmed the difference to one point (8-7) with a service ace from Laurel Drenth, but H-BC countered with a 16-5 run capped by a pair of service points from Erin Boeve to open a 24-12 cushion.When Ellsworth was whistled for a net violation moments later, H-BC notched a 25-13 win.Drenth gave Ellsworth its first lead of the night at 1-0 with a tip to open the second game.The score was tied at two when H-BC reeled off seven straight points capped by a kill from Brittney Rozeboom to gain a 9-2 lead, but the Panthers countered with a 3-0 run that ended with Amy Timmer serving an ace to make the difference 9-5.H-BC scored the next 12 points to open a 17-5 lead, and led 19-6 after Kelly Mulder produced an ace block.Ellsworth pulled to within 11 points (20-9) of the Patriots with a kill by Brittney Kramer, but the Patriots increased the lead to 14 points (24-10) with a service point from Rozeboom before winning by 14 (25-11) in the end.The Panthers scored the first two points of Game 3 and led 7-4 after Amanda Deutsch recorded a kill.EHS still led by three (9-6) when H-BC put together a 6-0 run that ended with Rozeboom serving a point to give the Patriots a 12-9 lead.H-BC increased its lead to seven points (17-10) with a point from Tilstra, but the Panthers made the difference 17-12 moments later when Amy Tiesler served a point.A kill by Ellsworth’s Drenth made the score 21-15 late in the game, but H-BC put together a 4-0 run capped by a kill from Amanda Olson to win the contest 25-15.Tilstra (20 of 21), Rozeboom (13 of 14 with one ace), Boeve (nine of 10 with one ace) and Olson (six of six) served the ball well for H-BC.Boeve led the Patriots with 17 blocks and 16 kills. Tilstra recorded five kills, and Mulder added two kills and two blocks.Ellsworth, which ends its 13-13 season, received a seven-kill, three block performance from Kramer. Drenth added four kills.Deutsch and Tiesler charted eight and six digs respectively for EHS.Timmer led EHS by completing eight of nine serves and recording one ace. Marla Groen and Lynette Drenth charted five and three set assists respectively.

10 years ago (1993)"When LeRoy Schomacker and his son, John, went out to move hogs Saturday morning, they found them lying on the ground, wounded and exhausted. The walls of the sow hut were caked with blood. Something had mauled the animals, ripping apart the meat on their hind legs, leaving large claw marks on their backs and necks.… DNR Conservation Officer Joel Mickle and Rock Veterinarian John Bowron examined the animals and were at a loss for words.The only explanation they could come up with was that a mountain lion or some large cat had done the damage."25 years ago (1978)"Four members of the Hills-Beaver Creek Patriot football team have been named to the 1978 All Conference Team for the Star Conference. David Deragisch and Greg Helgeson were named to the offensive team. Doug Deragisch and Stan Schouwenburg are members of the defensive team. Receiving honorable mention were Dennis Leuthold and Jeff Huber."50 years ago (1953)"Victor Sandager, hills, was elected president of the Rock County Farm Bureau at the annual meeting held at the Rock County Sportsmen’s Club Tuesday night. He succeeds Harold Crawford, Beaver Creek.Harvey Nath, Luverne, was elected vice president.More than 400 persons attended a dinner before the meeting was held."75 years ago (1928)"Luverne’s latest mercantile innovation, a Ben Franklin store, was opened yesterday for inspection,, and beginning with 10 o’clock this morning, it will be open for business. No goods were sold yesterday, but large crowds took advantage of the opportunity to call and inspect the store, and were much impressed with its complete uniform style and the exceptional range of stock shown."100 years ago (1903)"Agent George Bell expresses doubt that a night telegraph operator will be installed at the Omaha depot. He interprets the letter of General Manager Trenholm as meaning that the waiting room will be open but that tickets will not be sold or baggage checked after 6:30 in the evening."

By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth volleyball team opened the South Section 3A Tournament by recording a slight upset Friday in the Luverne Elementary School.Taking on fourth-seeded Edgerton in the quarterfinals, No. 5 Ellsworth avenged an early-season loss by sweeping a three-game match from the Flying Dutchmen.The win upped Ellsworth’s season record to 13-12 heading into a clash against No. 1 Hills-Beaver Creek in the tournament’s semifinals Tuesday.Look for the game story from that match on the front page of the sports section.Ellsworth played like it was the favorite when it upended Edgerton Friday.Showing no signs of being intimidated by an Edgerton team that swept the Panthers in three games Sept. 15 in Ellsworth, EHS was able to come from behind in all three games Friday to end the Flying Dutchmen season."I was really happy for our girls," said Panther coach Jason Langland. "They came out ready to play. Edgerton had leads in all three games, but we battled back to win them all."All three games of the match were decided by no more than three points.The Panthers notched a 25-22 win in the opener before posting 26-24 and 25-23 victories in Games 2 and 3 respectively.Langland said making an adjustment in the front row seemed to pay off for the Panthers Friday."We switched things up a little bit and I think it helped us. We moved Amy Tiesler to the middle position from the outside, and we moved Laurel Drenth from the middle to the outside," he said."Sometimes switching things around makes the opposing team be honest, and it worked for us against Edgerton."Drenth responded by producing nine kills from the outside. Tiesler had eight kills and six blocks in the middle.Brittney Kramer added six kills and eight blocks to the winning cause.Tiesler led EHS in serving by completing all 17 of her attempts with one ace. Amanda Deutsch was 15 of 16 at the line. Drenth was 11 of 11.Drenth, Tiesler and Deutsch led EHS with 13, 10 and seven digs respectively.Lynette Drenth and Marla Groen added 12 and seven set assists to the winning cause.

Luverne junior Ashley Heitkamp tips the ball over the net during Friday’s South Section 3AA Volleyball Tournament game against Pipestone in Jackson. The Arrows swept the Cardinals to end Luverne’s 10-18-1 season.By John RittenhouseA rough draw led to an early exit when the Luverne Cardinals opened the South Section 3AA Volleyball Tournament in Jackson Friday.The sixth-seeded Cardinals opened the event by taking on No. 3 Pipestone Area, the state’s third-ranked Class AA team, in the quarterfinal round of the event at Jackson County Central High School.Luverne was hoping to post an upset to advance to the semifinals, but the Arrows didn’t let that happen as they coasted to a 3-0 victory.Pipestone advanced to Tuesday’s semifinals in Worthington, where it met No. 2 seed Windom. Luverne’s 10-18-1 season came to an end.Luverne got off to a promising start in Game 1 against the Arrows after taking a 2-1 lead with a service point from Tera Boomgaarden.The Arrows moved in front moments later, but Luverne’s Chelsea Park served an ace to cut Pipestone’s lead to one point at 6-5.Pipestone assumed control of the game at that point by going on a 16-2 run to open a 22-7 advantage.A service point from Luverne’s Brittney Williams made the difference 13 points (22-9) before Pipestone reeled off three straight points to post a 25-9 win.The Arrows scored the first two points of Game 2 on the way to taking a 9-3 advantage early.Luverne put together a 6-2 surge capped by a kill from Boomgaarden to trim the difference to four points (11-7), and a kill by LHS senior Stephanie Morgan made it a three-point game (14-11) moments later.Pipestone was sporting an 18-14 lead when it went on a 7-4 run to put away a 25-18 victory for a 2-0 lead in games.Luverne took a 3-2 edge in Game 3 after Cassie Pap produced a kill.The Arrows forged in front 9-5, but the Cards countered with a three-point run capped by a kill from Pap to make it a 9-8 game.Pipestone increased its lead to seven points (17-10) with an 8-2 run before the Cardinals battled back with a 9-6 surge that ended with Williams serving a point to trail 23-19.The Arrows, however, scored the next two points to ice a 25-19 win that ended the match.Pap, who had four blocks at the net, led the Cardinals with seven kills. Boomgaarden and Callen Bosshart registered four kills each.Ashley Heitkamp and Morgan contributed four and three blocks to Luverne’s cause.Williams, who served three aces, led the Cards with 10 set assists. Park registered six set assists.

Hills-Beaver Creek junior Brittney Rozeboom fields a spike during Tuesday's 3-0 volleyball victory over Ellsworth in Luverne.By John RittenhouseTwo teams trying to earn their first post-season berth in a volleyball championship game squared off in the Luverne Elementary School Tuesday.Hills-Beaver Creek and Ellsworth, a pair of squads that had never played in a post-season title tilt before, met in the semifinal-round of the South Section 3A Tournament.It was H-BC, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, which lived to play another day.The 19-5 Patriots rolled to a 3-0 victory over No. 5 Ellsworth, giving H-BC a berth in tonight’s 7:30 p.m. championship game in Luverne.H-BC will play No. 6 Fulda, a 3-2 winner over No. 2 Southwest Christian Tuesday, for the championship in the elementary school.The Patriots took care of business against the EHS Panthers.H-BC won all three games by 10 or more points, outscoring the Panthers 75-39 overall."We played aggressive, hard volleyball," said Patriot coach Curt Doorneweerd. "We became a little lazy against Adrian Friday (a 3-0 H-BC win in the quarterfinals), but we played hard all the way in this match."The score was tied at two in Game 1 when the Patriots went on a 4-0 run capped by a service point from Cassi Tilstra to open a 6-2 lead.Ellsworth trimmed the difference to one point (8-7) with a service ace from Laurel Drenth, but H-BC countered with a 16-5 run capped by a pair of service points from Erin Boeve to open a 24-12 cushion.When Ellsworth was whistled for a net violation moments later, H-BC notched a 25-13 win.Drenth gave Ellsworth its first lead of the night at 1-0 with a tip to open the second game.The score was tied at two when H-BC reeled off seven straight points capped by a kill from Brittney Rozeboom to gain a 9-2 lead, but the Panthers countered with a 3-0 run that ended with Amy Timmer serving an ace to make the difference 9-5.H-BC scored the next 12 points to open a 17-5 lead, and led 19-6 after Kelly Mulder produced an ace block.Ellsworth pulled to within 11 points (20-9) of the Patriots with a kill by Brittney Kramer, but the Patriots increased the lead to 14 points (24-10) with a service point from Rozeboom before winning by 14 (25-11) in the end.The Panthers scored the first two points of Game 3 and led 7-4 after Amanda Deutsch recorded a kill.EHS still led by three (9-6) when H-BC put together a 6-0 run that ended with Rozeboom serving a point to give the Patriots a 12-9 lead.H-BC increased its lead to seven points (17-10) with a point from Tilstra, but the Panthers made the difference 17-12 moments later when Amy Tiesler served a point.A kill by Ellsworth’s Drenth made the score 21-15 late in the game, but H-BC put together a 4-0 run capped by a kill from Amanda Olson to win the contest 25-15.Tilstra (20 of 21), Rozeboom (13 of 14 with one ace), Boeve (nine of 10 with one ace) and Olson (six of six) served the ball well for H-BC.Boeve led the Patriots with 17 blocks and 16 kills. Tilstra recorded five kills, and Mulder added two kills and two blocks.Ellsworth, which ends its 13-13 season, received a seven-kill, three block performance from Kramer. Drenth added four kills.Deutsch and Tiesler charted eight and six digs respectively for EHS.Timmer led EHS by completing eight of nine serves and recording one ace. Marla Groen and Lynette Drenth charted five and three set assists respectively.

Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth junior running back Zach Wysong ran for 280 yards and three touchdowns to help the Patriots beat Cedar Mountain-Comfrey 35-32 during a semifinal-round game of the Section 2 Nine-Man Playoffs in Hills Saturday.By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth football team locked up a berth in the Section 2 Nine-Man Playoff championship game by defeating Cedar Mountain-Comfrey 35-32 in Hills Saturday.The Patriots compiled 412 rushing yards and scored five rushing touchdowns in the contest to run their season record to 7-3.The victory allows H-BC-E to host the section title tilt 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Hills.The second-seeded Patriots face No. 5 Southwest United, which nipped No. 1 Nicollet 9-6 with a late field goal in Nicollet Saturday, in the championship game.It was H-BC-E’s ability to move the ball on the ground that lifted it over the Cougars Saturday.Running back Zach Wysong ran the ball for 280 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Travis Broesder added two rushing touchdowns to help the Patriots win their third straight game."We hoped we could run the ball entering the game, but we didn’t think we could be that successful," said H-BC-E coach Dan Ellingson. "Our offensive line (Cody Scholten, Jason Martens and Kenny Bittner) did a great job. We had a lot of rushing yards, but it was because of our offensive line. We were confident in going for first downs during fourth-and-one and fourth-and-two situations because we knew they couldn’t stop us."Although the game was close, H-BC-E seemed to be in control the entire way.The Patriots never trailed in the contest, and they were able to answer every challenge CM-C offered.Both teams turned the ball over four times in the game, and the game started with each team turning the ball over once.H-BC-E’s Kerry Fink ended C-CM’s first possession when he recovered a fumble on the Patriot five-yard line, and it set up a 95-yard, 15-play touchdown march.Wysong capped the advance with a five-yard touchdown run at the 3:54 mark of the opening quarter. Wysong booted the first of five straight extra points after the touchdown to make it a 7-0 game.The H-BC-E defense stopped CM-C on downs on the Patriot 43-yard line late in the first quarter.H-BC-E’s offense took the field and marched 57 yards in seven plays with Broesder scoring on an eight-yard run at the 11:09 mark of the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.The teams proceeded to exchange possessions before the Cougars tied the game at 14 with two touchdowns in a 2:05 span of the second period.After taking over on its own 49 when H-BC-E punted, CM-C mounted a five-play, 51-yard drive that ended with quarterback Andrew Larsen throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass to Darren Tighe. The run for a two-point conversion failed, leaving the Patriots sporting a 14-6 lead at the 6:10 mark of the second period.Cougar defender Cameron Maurer came up with a big play moments later when he intercepted a pitch from Broesder and ran the ball to the H-BC-E 19.Larsen scored on a two-yard run four plays later, and a Larsen-to-David Krenz conversion pass tied the game at 14 with 4:05 remaining in the first half.H-BC-E was able to regain the lead (21-14) before the first half was complete.Wysong capped a five-play, 56-yard drive with a 37-yard run with 1:07 left in the second period.CM-C ran seven more offensive plays before the first half was complete, but no points came from the possession.The teams produced a combined five turnovers in the first 4:22 of the third quarterThe final turnover of the series was an H-BC-E fumble that was recovered by Comfrey’s Chris Mathiowetz on the Cougar 14-yard line.The CM-C offense then advanced the ball 86 yards in nine plays with Larsen tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to Brent Kopischke at the 4:23 mark of the third quarter. The run for a conversion failed, leaving H-BC-E sporting a 21-20 edge.H-BC-E answered CM-C’s score by producing a touchdown on the third play of its next possession.Wysong raced 56 yards for six points with 2:59 remaining in the third quarter to make it a 28-20 game.CM-C, however, trimmed the difference to two points (28-26) when Larsen fielded the ensuing kick and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown 11 seconds later.The Cougars tried to run for a two-point conversion after the return, but the attempt came up short.The Patriots produced what proved to be the game-winning points with their next offensive possession.H-BC-E moved the ball 65 yards in 12 plays with Broesder capping the drive with a two-yard touchdown run at the 10:00 mark of the fourth quarter to make the difference 35-26.The teams exchanged possessions as the fourth quarter progressed, with CM-C taking over on its own 43 after fielding a punt with 5:07 left to play.From there the Cougars put together an 11-play, 57-yard drive that ended with Larsen throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Krenz with 2:39 remaining to make it a 35-32 game. Again, CM-C’s run for a two-point conversion failed.H-BC-E fielded the ensuing kick on the CM-C 45-yard line, and proceeded to run the remaining time off the clock without turning the ball over.When the game was complete, Ellingson had some nice things to say about the Cougars."CM-C was a good team, and it was a good thing we had the chance to scout them, because some of their offensive formations could have given us problems if we were not prepared for them," Ellingson said. "They have some really good athletes who made some great plays."H-BC-E will get the chance to win the rubber game of a three-game series when it hosts SU Saturday.The Patriots beat SU 12-0 Sept. 6 in Hills, and SU bested H-BC-E 29-6 in Brewster Oct. 10."SU is a quick team with a great running back in Anthony Johnson," Ellingson said. "The key for us will be to not make mistakes. We can’t turn the ball over. Our special teams need to play at a high level, too."Team statisticsH-BC-E: 412 rushing yards, 37 passing yards, 449 total yards, 21 first downs, six penalties for 50 yards, four turnovers.CM-C: 125 rushing yards, 235 passing yards, 360 total yards, 19 first downs, one penalty for five yards, four turnovers.Individual statisticsRushing: Wysong 37-280, Tom LeBoutillier 18-118, Broesder 5-8, Greg Van Batavia 1-4, Blake Hanisch 1-2.Passing: Broesder 4-7 for 37 yards.Receiving: Wysong 2-26, Hanisch 1-8, Van Batavia 1-3.Defense: Van Batavia 11 tackles, Scholten 11 tackles and one interception, Jon Klaassen eight tackles and one sack, LeBoutillier seven tackles and one sack, Wysong six tackles and one interception, Fink five tackles and two fumble recoveries.

MINUTES OF THE HILLS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYOCTOBER 14, 2003Dana Dahlquist, President of the Hills EDA called the meeting to order at 7:57 P.M. Board present: Dana Dahlquist, Jim Jellema, Keith Elbers, Linus Svoboda, and Arlen Leenderts. Employees present: Joanne Goehle, EDA Treasurer and Connie Wiertzema, EDA Secretary. Guest present: Jolene Farley-Hills Crescent. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Svoboda to approve of the September 9th minutes. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Svoboda to approve payment of the September expenditures. Motion carried.Dahlquist and Elbers reported that they received confirmation from Mike Kerkhove and Amy Brandt’s financial institute, requesting that the EDA allow additional time for purchasing a lot; along with an extension on their apartment lease. The Board agreed. The Board discussed options for selling the Southern Hills Apartment building. No decision was made, tabled until the November meeting. Motion by Jellema, seconded by Svoboda to transfer $20,000 from EDA checking to a CD for one year. Motion carried. No further business, meeting adjourned at 8:14 P.M.Connie J. WiertzemaEDA Secretary(10-30)

MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE HILLS CITY COUNCILOCTOBER 23, 2003Mayor Jim Jellema opened the special meeting at 8:35 P.M. with the following Council members present: Mayor Jim Jellema, Linus Svoboda, Dana Dahlquist, Keith Elbers, and Arlen Leenderts. Employees present: Joanne Goehle, City Treasurer; Connie Wiertzema, City Clerk. Guest present: Ed Elbers-All States Realty.Motion by Dana Dahlquist, seconded by Keith Elbers to revise the motion that was made at the October 14th meeting regarding the reinvestment of sewer CD#17433 ($50,441.78), to transfer $21,000 to general fund checking, and reinvest the remaining amount in a sewer fund CD for three months. The $21,000 will be reimbursed to the sewer CD upon the receipt of state aid funds. Motion carried. No further discussion, meeting adjourned. Connie J. WiertzemaCity Clerk(10-30)

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HILLS CITY COUNCILOCTOBER 14, 2003 – 6:00 P.M.The following Council members were present at the opening of the meeting: Mayor Jim Jellema, Councilmen-Linus Svoboda, Dana Dahlquist, and Keith Elbers. Councilman Arlen Leenderts arrived at approximately 7:03 P.M. Employees present: Joanne Goehle, City Treasurer; Connie Wiertzema, City Clerk; and Wayne Ward, City Maintenance. Guests present: John and Bonnie Burgers, Mary Kortlever, and Jolene Farley-Hills Crescent. The Council reviewed a draft of the utility billing book for 2004: (1) the billing due dates will remain on the 15th of the month, and any bills received after the 15th will be charged a $10 late fee; (2) disconnect and reconnection fees will increase to $25 each; and (3) past due accounts will be given one late notice prior to the disconnection of water service. Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Dahlquist to approve of the September 9th minutes. Motion carried.Motion by Elbers, seconded by Svoboda to approve payment of the September expenditures; General $4,410.85; Park $1,721.95; Fire $1,465.58; Street $3,822.30; Legion $802.27; Barbershop $200.90; Sewer $1,471.94; Garbage $3,083.74; Recycling $450.00; Water $6,277.16; Baseball $93.37; Softball $234.47. Approval to reimburse the City Treasurer for office supplies. Motion carried. The Council approved to reimburse Ward for 14 vacation days, accumulated from past years through December 31, 2002, to be reimbursed at his 2002 salary rate. The Council reviewed Ward’s timecard of 9/1/03 to 9/7/03. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Dahlquist to pay Ward for one additional hour at straight time, rather than overtime, due to sick leave used within the same week. Also, the sick leave time-off must be rounded-up, due to the City’s policy that sick leave must be used to the whole hour. Motion carried. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Dahlquist to grant Ed Kolberg a building permit for a garage, pending he revises the plan to allow five feet from the edge of the alley; and abide by floor drain regulations per state requirements. Kolberg will be advised of the location of the sewer line; and informed of the ordinance pertaining to the keeping of vehicles. Motion carried. Motion by Dahlquist, seconded by Elbers to approve of building permits for Laurie Gorder for a garage; Adam and Dana Huisman for a dog kennel; George Reining for a home addition; and Alan Opheim for a garage. Motion carried. Councilman Arlen Leenderts joined the meeting. Discussed whether additional information should be obtained for replacing lights in the American Legion. The Council agreed to have the painting completed prior to the lighting work. The painters will be asked to revise their bids for painting only the auditorium ceiling and walls, and the hallway. Mary Kortlever appeared at the meeting to request a building permit for a double garage and patio. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Dahlquist to approve of the application, pending the plans for the garage are revised to allow for the five-foot setback requirements along the north and east property lines. Motion carried. John and Bonnie Burgers appeared at the meeting to inform the Council that Ryan Burgers plans to sell his trailer house, which is currently located on City property at 120 West North 2nd Street, and to inquire whether the City would be interested in purchasing the trailer for $4,000. Leenderts suggested that the City deed the property over to whoever buys the trailer. The Council tabled discussion in order to obtain legal advice. TREASURER’S REPORT:Motion by Elbers, seconded by Leenderts to reinvest sewer CD#17877 for one year at 1.50% interest. Motion carried. Motion by Dahlquist, seconded by Leenderts to approve of the Treasurer’s report. Motion carried. The Clerk informed the Council that the out of control tree burning, which damaged Overgaard’s cornfield on October 7th was reported to insurance, and claims have been initiated. The Council approved to continue with their regular meeting on November 11, 2003, which falls on Veteran’s Day. City maintenance will be instructed to stain the playground equipment at Jacobson Park, following proper maintenance instructions through Rainbow. In reference to earlier discussion regarding the reimbursement of accumulated vacation days, the Council was referred to minutes of December 10, 2002, wherein accumulated time-off is to be used or paid-out as of December 31, 2003. Since a motion to pay-off Ward’s vacation time was made in earlier discussion, payment will be made as approved. In the future no accumulated vacation days will be reimbursed until after December 31st. No further discussion, meeting adjourned at 7:57 P.M.Connie J. WiertzemaCity Clerk(10-30)