By Lori EhdeThe Rock County Board of Commissioners set the preliminary county levy during their regular board meeting Tuesday.The county levy for taxes payable in 2004 is set at $3,485,876, which represents a decrease of roughly $11,000 from the amount levied in 2003.But the net levy (the amount collected in property taxes), to make up for projected cuts in state aids will be roughly $125,000 over last year’s levy.By law, governmental units are required to set preliminary levies in September, but the official levies will be certified in December.Between now and December, as department budgets are finalized, the levy amount may be lowered, but it cannot be raised."I would recommend that you levy the maximum," said Rock County Auditor Gloria Rolfs. "You can always decrease it, but this way we have a cushion."Commissioner Richard Bakken agreed."We need to keep our house in order and make arrangements now, rather than put it off and make big reductions later," Bakken said. "It’s easier to go down one rung at a time."In addition, taxpayers will also see the first payment on the courthouse heating and cooling project on their tax statements payable next year.Half of the $600,000 project is being funded through a lease agreement, and the other half is covered through a capital improvement bond.The bond will be paid off in increments of $60,000 per year over the next five years.Commissioners thanked Administrator Kyle Oldre and Budget Committee members Ron Boyenga and Bob Jarchow for their work on the budget process.With state funding cuts, all departments were called on to reduce their budgets, and Oldre said the process went smoothly. "The work was really done by the department heads," Oldre said.Commissioner Jane Wildung cautioned the board to be vigilant in upcoming budget seasons, based on national economic trends."We have to be prepared to balance the budget beyond 2004," she said. "We could see a complete elimination of that $400,000 in state aid, plus, you need to keep in mind rising health insurance costs."Road upgrade for new hospital campusCommissioners approved a resolution Tuesday officially designating Mound Township Road 58 as a County State Aid Highway.The half-mile, east-west stretch of gravel road between Highway 75 and Blue Mound Avenue will border the new Sioux Valley hospital and clinic campus on its north side.Tuesday’s resolution starts the $1.2 million process that includes building it up to a 9-ton urban paved road with curbs and gutters, plus sidewalks on the south side. The county’s work will also include cutting the hill down on Highway 75 at the intersection and putting in turn lanes on both Highway 75 and the new road.Highway 75 will need to be closed and detoured for that part of the project.Sehr said he’s in the early design stage of the project now, and bid letting will start next spring.In other road business, Sehr told the board:oThe aggregate base is being placed on County Road 4 (Old 16) west of Luverne to County 11 (the Steen blacktop). Paving will begin soon.oBituminous overlay is complete on County Road 8 northwest of Luverne between County Road 9 (landfill road) and County Road 3 (the Kenneth blacktop). Shouldering material has not yet been placed.oBituminous overlay is complete on County Road 3 from the Iowa line north to County Road 15. Shouldering material has not yet been placed.oBituminous overlay is currently being placed on County Road 17 near Manley from the Iowa line to I-90.In other board business Tuesday, the board …oMet two new deputies hired by the Rock County Sheriff’s Department. Glen Reisdorfer, Luverne, and John McCarty, moving here from Lake Benton, both started this week.oHeard an update on the local JOBZ legislation application in Luverne. The current local application identifies an industrial site north of I-90 and west of Highway 75.However, residents requested local officials to include their properties east of Highway 75 in the application.The legislation allows approved locations to abate taxes on new industrial businesses built within approved zones.The application process is still underway and will be brought to the next County Board meeting for further action.

By Lori EhdeAs members of Luverne’s National Guard are settling into their duties in England, a few members of the unit have already found their way back home.Brock Thielbar, Hardwick, left home with the rest of Luverne’s 125th Field Artillery on Aug. 13 and has been training in Fort McCoy, Wis., for the past two weeks. He was due to board a plane for the United Kingdom on the morning of Aug. 28, but instead came back to Luverne that afternoon to be present for the birth of his twin sons on Friday.Levi Jaden, weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces, was born at 7:17 a.m. Friday, and his twin brother Luke Joseph, weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce, was born two minutes later.For Thielbar’s wife, Patti, having her husband at her side for the twins’ delivery and her recovery has been a blessing — one she knew she couldn’t count on."If he’d already been overseas, he wouldn’t have been able to come home," she said.With her friends and family members poised to help out, she was prepared to do it without him, but she said everything was better this way."This meant the moral support was there," she said. "He’s been real good about being here … all day and all night."It also meant that the twins’ big sister, 7-year-old Brooke, had daddy home, too.Patti was released from the hospital Tuesday, and the twins remain hospitalized until they get a little stronger.Brock was granted four days of emergency leave through the American Red Cross, and he took an additional four days of leave to be on hand for Patti and the babies."It just worked out really well," Patti said.Luverne’s Kurt Haugen also returned home on Friday, though his return all along was seen as a possibility.With Haugen’s role in the local Guard unit, he knew there was a chance he’d be held back to handle some duties at home. But it wouldn’t be known until after training in Fort McCoy whether or not he’d join his unit on the plane to the United Kingdom.This made things difficult to plan for at home."We’ll say our good-byes, but I won’t know if it’s good-bye for two weeks, or good-bye for six months," Julie Haugen said during the Aug. 11 deployment ceremony in Luverne.Since then, she and her children have been playing the waiting game."I talked to him Wednesday (Aug. 27) and he still didn’t know," Julie said. "I stayed home all Wednesday night waiting to hear from him, and I didn’t get a call. … The plane took off Thursday morning, and I didn’t know if he was on it or not."But that morning, she received flowers with a note attached, "See you this afternoon."When Kurt arrived home, they went together to pick up their children, Morgan, 5, and Jake, 4, from day care."Morgan just ran to him and cried in his arms," Julie said. "She didn’t know why she was crying, but I told her sometimes people cry when they’re very happy."At last word, local Guard members were told they’re going to England to serve six months as additional security officers. They could be doing things such as checking IDs and patrolling bases.There are 93 affected members in the local unit that includes Luverne and Pipestone. Of those, 55 serve duty at the National Guard Training and Community Center in Luverne.Twenty-three of those live in Rock County and 21 live in Nobles County.

By Lori EhdeThe Overgaard lawsuit has been officially closed, according to an agreement currently being drafted among the attorneys.For defendants Chad and Scott Overgaard, the agreement means an end to mounting legal bills."It’s kind of a load off to have it settled," Chad Overgaard said Tuesday. "But we’re still stuck with the legal fees."He wouldn’t say what the fees have totaled since the suit was first filed March 19, 2002, but he said he was getting worried."It was a substantial amount that affected us pretty good," he said. "It was to the point where we had to take out loans to do it."Glenn, Mabel, Loren and Mark Overgaard had sued Chad and Scott over their hog confinement operation just after it was built.Chad and Scott Overgaard weren’t the only defendants named in the suit. Also named were Overgaard Pork the business, former Rock County Feedlot Officer John Burgers, Rock County Board of Commissioners and Schwartz Farms, which owns the animals Overgaard Pork raises.Claims against County Commissioner Bob Jarchow had been filed, but were dismissed in March. The charges against the county were dismissed in federal court in July.Total defense fees estimated at nearly $150,000Total legal fees for the defendants named in the suit could amount to nearly $250,000, according to discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the Rock County Board."The sad thing about this is there was a time when we could have settled for a stipend, but you have to take it to the wall," said County Administrator Kyle Oldre.Commissioner Richard Bakken agreed."That’s the only way to make people considering frivolous lawsuits think twice about it," Bakken said.The county’s legal fees are paid, minus the deductible, by the Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust Fund.‘… up against formidable forces’According to the plaintiffs’ attorney, Jim Peters, the deep pockets of the County and Schwartz Farms were the ultimate reason for agreeing to drop the case."These people can’t continue to fight the unlimited resources of the County and Schwartz Farms Inc.," Peters said."This settlement is about a small family farm trying to fight what they perceive as a real problem. But they don’t have resources to continue the fight forever. They’re up against rather formidable forces."He went on to say the ordeal has taken an emotional toll on his clients. "It’s hard, emotionally, on these people to have these issues in the court," Peters said.BackgroundThe federal portion of the lawsuit against Chad and Scott was dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can’t be brought into state court.The state charges were also dismissed by the same federal judge without prejudice, so they could have been brought to state court if the plaintiffs hadn’t agreed to settle. The state charges are the claims such as nuisance, negligence and trespassing.The federal charges involved the accusation that the hog confinement permitting process was fraudulent or unfair.The plaintiffs were suing for monetary damages exceeding $50,000, which is standard.The lawsuit alleged that all defendants conspired to help Chad and Scott wrongfully obtain a hog feedlot permit to build a 3,200-head hog setup about a half mile from Glenn’s property in the fall of 2001.The suit claimed the defendants didn’t act according to law when permits for a feedlot were granted, which fell under the federal part of the lawsuit.Chad and Scott maintained all along they followed proper procedure."For what it cost to build the barn, we wouldn’t have done it without going through the process," Chad said. "We felt that we didn’t do anything wrong, and to get sued for it was frivolous."

By Sara StrongLuverne’s Comprehensive Plan Task Force meets tonight to discuss considerations before the next big public workshop.The task force members will draft a vision statement for the new Comprehensive Plan; review a map showing current existing land uses; and come up with a development framework.The city staff has scheduled a second kick-off public meeting for the planning process. The format will be similar to the last Comprehensive Plan meeting, where all participants were able to write opinions that were later counted. That meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the Elementary School Commons.After that will be another meeting Thursday, Oct. 2. There, the issues will grow out of the results from the previous meetings.Rusty Fifield said, "What we learn from the public carries great weight in shaping our work. But it is only one source of input. At this early stage, public input points to issues to be investigated and other questions to be asked."Fifield is with Hoisington Koegler Group, a Minneapolis-based consulting firm retained by the city to prepare the plan.He said, "One desired outcome of this workshop is to encourage more people to attend upcoming sessions."The task force will discuss many of the key issues brought up at the last meeting.South of I-90: What land uses are appropriate? How much area needs to be included?Industrial Park: Should the existing industrial area continue to expand to the west?Kniss Avenue/Highway 75, south of Main Street: What physical improvements are needed to make this corridor a better gateway to Luverne? What land uses are appropriate? Where should the city focus development/redevelopment efforts?Downtown: How can the plan strengthen the connection between downtown and Highway 75? How can the plan promote vitality of the downtown? What should be key redevelopment targets?Kniss Avenue/Highway 75, north of Main Street: Are adjacent residential uses (particularly those with direct drive access to Kniss) sustainable in the long term? How will increased traffic from the new hospital and clinic campus affect adjacent land uses? What non-residential uses, if any, would be acceptable? If non-residential uses are allowed, how can connected neighborhoods be protected?Hospital/clinic campus: In addition to the hospital and clinic, what other uses should be allowed? Should commercial development be allowed around the campus? If the city acquires the east portion of the site, what land uses should be targeted for the area?Residential growth: What areas should be targeted for future residential growth and development? Should the areas be prioritized?These first meetings will help gauge public opinion and set the direction the next Comprehensive Plan will go. The plan will be closer to being completed when the following meetings take place, so public input on the upcoming two meetings is especially encouraged.

By Lori EhdeA stark white tent against the backdrop of black, tilled dirt set the stage for Luverne Community Hospital and Clinics groundbreaking celebration Tuesday.The black dirt, that will soon be replaced by a 95,000 square-foot hospital and clinic campus, was referenced often during the ceremony."As you can see, we have a large expanse of land behind us," said Jerry Carl, CEO of Luverne Community Hospital. "It’s land that will be dedicated to the health care of the folks that make Luverne and this area their home."He said the ground will soon be moved and foundations poured."But it is only a structure," Carl said. "Inside will be our caring, expert healthcare staff. … That’s what makes a healthy community, not the building."Speakers included LCH Community Advisory Board Chair Steve Perkins, LCH Chief of Staff Dr. Stephan L. Chesley, Luverne Mayor Glen Gust and Partnership Campaign Chair Greg Burger.Gust said having a new healthcare facility in Luverne is a benefit to the community. "It’s more than just a building," he said. "It’s an opportunity to provide more healthcare services, and that will not only enhance the viability of the community, but it will also help us encourage more economic development in the area."The $17.8 million hospital and clinic will have more than 95,000 square feet of space, more than doubling the space of the current land-locked hospital and clinic. Luverne Community Hospital and Clinic is a member of Sioux Valley Hospitals & Health System, which announced the project this spring after studies showed necessary renovations would cost nearly as much as building new.Architect for the new facilities is TSP of Sioux Falls, S.D. Construction is expected to be complete by summer of 2005.

By Jolene FarleyHills native and 1967 Hills-Beaver Creek graduate Jim Bush, son of Bud and Ione Bush, was the subject of a Monday, Aug. 11, article in the Metro section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Bush has assembled and sold floral bouquets at the Minneapolis Farmers Market for more than 30 years, according to the article. "He’s one of the well-known people on the streets selling fresh flowers," his father, Bud, said. "They (customers) come from all over."Bud Bush said his son told him he has sold 8,000 roses on a Friday and 12,000 more roses on a Saturday. "He knows how to sell. He’s got a big business."Jim Bush’s flamboyant and unique customer service style attracted the attention of Star Tribune writer Peg Meier. The Crescent asked the Star Tribune for permission to reprint the article in its entirety, but was told reprints are only allowed for members of the Associated Press. The Crescent is allowed, however, to publish some excerpts of the article for local readers. "All the time he’s joking, he deftly pulls roses from this table, mums from over there, delphiniums from that pile. One hand reaches for calla lilies, another for daisies," the article reads."More fun than watching the Veg-o-matic guy at the State Fair," one fan told Meier for the article. The article continued… "His hands never stop. Neither does his mouth. When children are around, he adds physical humor. A teacher took her students to the Farmers Market a while ago and asked afterwards what the students liked best. They said it was when the flower guy "kicked the bucket." Noisily, of course." Loyal customers Jim Ryder and Theresa Blabac, Maple Grove, added their opinions to the article. They’ve bought from Bush almost every summer weekend for four years."I don’t mind standing in line, because the show is as great as the flowers, and the flowers are fabulous," Ryder said. Peg Meier’s e-mail address is pmeier@startribune.com.

By Jolene FarleyTanja Zunic is one of three exchange students at Hills-Beaver Creek High School this year. Zunic, 16, from Germany, flew into Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sunday, Aug. 24. She is staying with host family Ron and Sandi Feucht, Hills. The Feuchts have six children, Matt, 21, and Melinda, 16, a junior at H-BC, live at home. "I have a really cool host family and sisters and brothers," she said. "I’m not even homesick."Zunic was born in Yugoslavia and moved to Germany with her dad, Panto, mom, Natasha, and brother, Nemanja, 14, when she was six-years-old. Zunic dreamed of becoming an exchange student for many years. "When I was 13 we made a project about school exchange,’ she said. "I asked my parents, they thought I was joking. … I wanted to get to know the culture, the language, the way of life," she said. Since arriving in the United States, Zunic has played pool, gone bowling and watched a movie. She also visited the malls. "You have everything in there. In Germany you have big stores right next to each other," she said. Tuesday was Zunic’s first day of high school in the United States. In Germany, students don’t choose their classes and the teachers come to the students instead of vice versa. Students attend school for 13 grades. There are no school clubs. Sports clubs are private and costly to join so many don’t participate in any sports. Zunic said Melinda has introduced her to many new friends. "I could go into school and you know them," she said. "That was the greatest to have friends here."Zunic has no difficulty understanding English. "Sometimes you don’t understand a few words but if you get the whole sentence you understand it."Zunic can stay in the United States until July 30. She said she is grateful to the Fuechts for opening up their home for her. "I really thank them that they gave me the opportunity to live here and show me their way of life," she said.

By Jolene FarleyTodd Holthaus, new Hills-Beaver Creek elementary principal, began his duties last week during teacher in-services.Holthaus said he’s been "very impressed" with the staff and community. "Everybody has been so welcoming and I have heard and seen so many great things coming from the staff and their families," Holthaus said. He was principal for two years at St. Cloud Christian School for kindergarten-through 12th-grades. St. Cloud Christian School had 255 students. Before that position, he was an elementary teacher for 10 years, a Community Education Director, and prior to that, he was assistant high school principal for two years at Albany area schools. The Albany area schools had 1,600 students, according to Holthaus.Holthaus earned his undergraduate degree from Moorhead State University and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from St. Cloud State University. He also has a six-year certificate in educational administration. Holthaus said he doesn’t plan sweeping changes in the elementary school but hopes to build on a strong foundation."I hope to continue a good thing and augment my own talents, coming alongside a great staff and great students," he said. Holthaus said he’s excited to be back in a smaller district. "I really like the small school setting," he said. "You get to know people very well in this setting and build relationships." Holthaus and his wife, Sherri, and children, Noah, first grade, and Grace, 4, will relocate to the area after the sale of their house in Waite Park.Holthaus invites everyone to the Elementary Open House from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8.

Take a long look at city’s northern horizon; big change is on the wayWhile covering the hospital groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday afternoon, I couldn’t help but wonder what Luverne will look like 10 years from now.In the past decade since I started at the paper, I watched the Veteran’s Addition sprawl into what became the Evergreen Addition and the Evergreen II addition.Al and Marge Christensen’s acreage has been slowly absorbed into urban growth on Luverne’s north side. And some of the last patches of alfalfa along Blue Mound Avenue are currently becoming basements for new houses under construction.I’m sure I wasn’t the only one at Tuesday’s hospital groundbreaking to take a long look at the northern horizon and wonder what changes are afoot.The excitement and enthusiasm at the ceremony was contagious, and I felt like we were living a moment that will long be revered as a significant event in Luverne’s history.It also occurred to me how fortunate we are to have been blessed for decades with progressive leadership in this town. It’s something we can’t take for granted, nor is it something our current leaders can coast on for the future.Congratulations will be in order at a ribbon cutting ceremony a few years from now, but it’s not too early to thank the ones who had the foresight to get the ball rolling, and the others who had the ambition to follow through to this point.Drive cautiously in school zonesTuesday was the first day of school for most area kids, and as I wandered around on the school grounds looking for photos, Sheriff Mike Winkels’ write up on school driving really hit home.The first-day-of-school chaos brought together a dangerous mix of little pedestrians , darting pell-mell across parking lots, and high school kids in speeding cars, frantically vying for the best parking spots.Actually, I’m exaggerating, but it’s still puzzling, to me, that the buses don’t run into each other, much less run over students.Fortunately, the district has an amazingly well-organized system of getting students into the building without getting run over.But without everyone looking out for everyone else, and without everyone exercising patience and common sense, the school campus could be a volatile place at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day.Word from overseasI’ve never been too romantic about National Guardsmen being activated to serve the country. Practically speaking, I always reasoned that they’d enjoyed generous benefits for their weekend warring, and activation meant they were earning their pay.That may all still be true, but having mingled with families that our activated Guardsmen have left behind, I’m changing my tune.Missing their children’s first day of school, trick-or-treating and Christmas is a big six-month sacrifice for their military benefits, and their absence is a big deal.The Star Herald received an e-mail Tuesday from Sgt. Jody Reisch who reports that the Luverne unit arrived at Lakenheath, England Friday and is in the process of attending briefings.The Star Herald office is sending them issues of the paper to help stay in touch. "You would not believe how having the local newspaper here makes the guys smile," he writes. He promises to send a news release on their activity as soon as he can get the information approved.Good luck, guys, and best wishes to your families at home.