By John RittenhouseA group of Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek drivers have all but clinched a team championship at Thunder Valley Raceway in Marion, S.D., this summer.The L-H-BC Drag Racing team will take a commanding, 3,000-point lead into the final race of a five-week schedule at the track on Aug. 23.Barring a miracle for their competitors, it appears the local squad will win its second team title at the track in the last three years."We’re way out in the lead," says Dave Hup, who helped organize a group of 16 Rock County students into the L-H-BC Drag team. "We’re 3,000 points in front of the second-place team. That would be lots of points to overcome."The local teens opened a stunning lead by their performances in the first four weeks of the team competition.Racing on Saturdays, the L-H-BC team members overwhelmed the competition consisting of 20 other schools during the first four race dates to all but clinch the title.According to Hup, his team members are racing their personal cars they use themselves on the roads in Rock County on the quarter-mile track in Marion.The typical race date starts with each driver taking three time trial runs. Based on their performances in the time trials, they are placed in one of five divisions, where they compete in a tournament type of format in head-to-head racing.Team points are awarded to the drivers for their efforts in divisional competition. Each driver is guaranteed at least two races per race date."As long as you keep on winning in the head-to-head competition, you keep on going. When they are winning, a driver can race as many as nine times a day," Hup said.This will be the second time a team representing Rock County has won the team championship at Thunder Valley Raceway.Members of the L-H-BC team include: Lindsay Hup, Kyle Woodley, Ryan Wynia, Joe Stearns, Steven Berghorst, Austin Hoiland, Eric Lammert, Brett Vander Vliet, Matt Anderson, Cody Scholten, Ruston Aaker, Justin Mann, Mike Sandbulte, Dustin Donth, Breanne Hup and Chris Vergas.

Seven Luverne High School football players won event titles during the Cardinal Pride competition staged Monday. Event winners include (kneeling, from left) Tim Rust, Jake Hendricks, Ben Cornish, (back) Nick Heronimus, Mark Remme, Roth Anderson and Tyler Elbers.By John RittenhouseA Luverne High School senior blew away the field during the 2003 Cardinal Pride competition on the opening day of football practice Monday.The Cardinal Pride competition, an eight-event challenge that is staged on the first morning of practice every season, is offered to test physical abilities of each high school player prior to the season.Roth Anderson, who will be a lineman for LHS this season, passed the test with flying colors.Anderson won all four weight-lifting events and was the points champion in three of the same four events to run away with the overall championship.When his workout was done, Anderson established a new Cardinal Pride record by recording 1,889 points. The old record of 1,867 points was established by Ryan Goebel in 2001.Anderson’s wins came in the bench weight event (281 pounds), squat weight event (499 pounds), clean weight event (342 pounds) and power press weight event (388 pounds).Anderson also won the points titles in the squat, clean and power press events.Others posting event wins during the competition include seniors Tim Rust, Mark Remme, Tyler Elbers and Ben Cornish, and sophomores Jake Hendricks and Nick Heronimus.Hendricks took top honors in the 400-meter dash (56 seconds) and the 60-second jump rope event (173 jumps).Elbers and Remme shared the crown in the verticle jump with 31-7 efforts.Rust won the shuttle run with a time of 4.25 seconds, and Cornish emerged as the points champion in the bench points category.Heronimus was honored for being the overall champion in the junior high division.Here is a look at the Top-Five finishers in the overall competiton and the weight-lifting events.Overall: Anderson, Elbers, Remme, Nate Stehlik and Brad Herman.Bench weight: Anderson, Tony Willers, Lee Sells, Andy Stegemann and a tie between Elbers and Nick Van Wyhe.Squat weight: Anderson, Remme, Nate Siebenahler, Sells and Herman.Clean weight: Anderson, Willers, Elbers, Van Wyhe and Adam Kurtz.Power press: Anderson, Van Wyhe, Nate Stehlik, Nick Stehlik and Cornish.Bench points: Cornish, Elbers, Anderson, Rust and Nate Stehlik.Squat points: Anderson, Remme, Elbers, Siebenahler and Herman.Clean points: Anderson, Elbers, Cornish, Heronimus and Remme.Power press points: Anderson, Van Wyhe, Cornish, Nate Stehlik and Nick Stehlik.

George McDonald (right) won his third low gross championship during the Seniors’ Club Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club Sunday. Don Cashin (left) emerged as the low net champion. McDonald won a one-hole playoff with Tim Connell to become the first player in the 60-69 flight to win the gross crown. Cashin won a chipoff against Jerry Wethor to claim the low net championship.By John RittenhouseExtra play was needed to decide the low gross and low net championships during the Seniors’ Club Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club Sunday.George McDonald prevailed as the low gross champion after edging Tim Connell in a one-hole playoff.Don Cashin won a chip-off against Jerry Wethor to secure the low net title.The showdown between McDonald and Connell pitted two men who have won four of the last five low gross titles of the Seniors’ Club Tournament against each other.McDonald won his first tournament championship in 1998 and successfully defended the title in 1999.Playing in his first Seniors’ event in 2000, Connell won a two-hole playoff against Bob Jarchow to take the crown and defended the championship by winning the tournament outright in 2001.Connell didn’t play in the 2002 version of the event, when Curt Vander Stoep won his first low gross title.With his performance on Sunday, McDonald became the first player competing in the division for players between the ages of 60-69 to win the gross championship. The 50-59 division yielded the gross champions in all prior tournaments.McDonald’s play was worthy of a championship. He shot a one-over-par 37 during the first round of the event before carding a 38 in the second round to finish with a three-over-par 75.Connell, a member of 50-59 division, matched McDonald’s scores in the first two rounds to force a playoff.The sudden death playoff was settled on the par-4, No. 1 hole.McDonald delivered a perfect drive into the fairway before sending his second shot off the green to the right. A near-perfect chip set up a four-foot par putt that McDonald stroked solidly into the cup.Connell, who had a run of five straight par efforts snapped when he missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole of regulation play, caught a bad break during the playoff.His drive was longer than McDonald’s, but the ball came to rest 15 feet behind a tree on the right side of the fairway. Connell hoped to hook a shot around the tree. The ball, however, maintained a straight line and ended up on the gravel road that is out of bounds on the left. The two-stroke penalty incurred by the shot resulted in a double bogey that gave McDonald his third tournament title.The champion seemed to have mixed emotions after the playoff.On one hand, McDonald felt bad for his friend when he found out Connell’s ball sailed out of bounds during the playoff. On the other hand, he was elated to have shot a 75 over 18 holes, which was his best total score during the Seniors’ Club Tournament. McDonald shot 79s while winning his titles in 1998 and 1999."I just happen to be playing some really good golf at this particular time," McDonald explained. "I got a couple of breaks."McDonald and Connell were pushed by others during the tournament.The 37s shot by McDonald and Connell during the first round gave them a one-shot edge over Gary Golla (38), a two-shot cushion over Rick Serie (39) and a three-shot advantage over Wethor (40).Golla and Serie compete in the 50-59 division. Wethor played in the 60-69 division.Wethor carded a tournament-low 37 during the second round to lock up third place in the gross field. His 18-hole total of 77 strokes was two strokes off the pace set by McDonald and Connell.After shooting a 38 during the first round, Golla recorded a 40 on the back nine and placed fourth in gross competition with a 78.Along with winning the overall gross title, McDonald was the gross winner of the 60-69 flight. Wethor was second with his 77, and Elmer Menage, who made three birdies during the tournament, placed third in the flight with an 87.Connell won the gross crown in the 50-59 division. Golla finished second and Tom Serie, who shot a 41 during the first round, carded a 39 during the second round to place third in the division with an 80-stroke effort.Cashin shot a 43-41-84 to take gross honors on the 70 and over flight. Don Lien was second with his 45-51-96.Alvin Boomgaarden, the only player in the 80 and over division, shot a pair of 45s for a 90 for a gross flight title.Along with winning the gross title in the 70 and older division, Cashin won the net championship in the division with a 63.Both Cashin and Wethor had net 63s to lead all players during the tournament. Cashin won a chip-off on the putting green to earn the low net championship for the event.Boomgaarden, an LCC member who does not have an established handicap, may have emerged as the net champion if he had a handicap. Based on his handicap he established three years ago, which was ruled to be unofficial for this tournament, Boomgaarden would have shot a net 62.Tom Serie and Bruce Olson placed third and fourth respectively with net 64- and 65-stroke efforts respectively.Tom Serie and Olson placed first and second in the low net competition in the 50-59 flight. Rick Serie, Sam Hansen and Bernie Heikes shared third place with net 67s.Wethor won the net title in the 60-69 flight. Menage and Nick Veenhof tied for third place with net 67s.Cashin took low net honors in the 70 and older flight. Don Vrtacnik and Jay Jackson placed second and third with net 67- and 71-stroke efforts respectively.

10 years ago (1993)"Stricter policies against the use of any form of tobacco on school property will go into effect this fall in Luverne.‘When school is in session, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., five days per week, buildings and grounds are tobacco-free,’ said Gary Fisher. ‘That includes chewable (tobacco) and smoking.’"25 years ago (1978)"Everyone who follows baseball in Luverne is acquainting themselves with the city of Winona. It is that city that will host Luverne’s VFW baseball team Friday in the first round of the state VFW tournament.The Luverne team certainly has not received the most welcomed draw. They open at Gabrych Park at 1 p.m. Friday against a perennial quality Bloomington Green team."50 years ago (1953)"This will come as a blow to men drivers … A young lady, name unknown, shattered the myth (partially at least) that men drivers are better than women drivers.She did it at the Rock County Fair last week on a device called a Reactometer, a machine which measures in eighths of a second the time required after recognizing danger to take the foot off the accelerator and step on the brake pedal.The young lady did it in the record time of 1/8th of a second. The best the men drivers could do was 1/4th of a second and many of them had more than one try at it."75 years ago (1928)"A.S. Hoime’s herd attained first place in average production for the month of July in the Rock County Cow Testing association, with an average record of 33.2 pounds of butterfat per cow. Theo. Olson’s herd was next high with 32.5 pounds; the herds owned by Walter Baustian and Mrs. A. M. Paulsen & Son tied for third place with an average production of 31.4 pounds, and Carl Taubert’s was fifth with a record of 30.7 pounds of butterfat."100 years ago (1903)"J.L. Snook, Sr., delivered to W.J. Kinne Tuesday the first new grain marketed in Luverne this season. The grain was rye and came from his farm south of town. It was threshed by D.A. Hulett’s rig and was of good quality. The price received was 35 cents a bushel."

Fill it up to the rim with the goodness of caffeineI learned about the supposed dangers of caffeine as an elementary school student, when my music teacher taught us a song for a counting and rhythm exercise.It went: "C-O-F-F-E-E, coffee is not for me. It’s a drink that people wake up with. That it makes them nervous is no myth. There’s always coffee in their cup. They can’t give coffee up."I should’ve been scared straight, but the truth is, I’ve always liked coffee.I used to open grandma’s Folgers can to smell it. I sneaked sips from my parents’ mugs, despite warnings that my nose would turn black. And now, I openly enjoy both the aroma and the taste. Coffee’s warmth, its rich taste and the way it thins my blood in the morning are all reasons to love coffee. I don’t drink that much, but it’s a trusted thing to turn to if I need it. While I like a few cups a day, my husband would prefer to have it administered intravenously. Not quite, but he does consider good coffee a high priority in life and doesn’t see the need to limit his intake. He even found a book that backs up his theories on coffee’s benefits, called "The Caffeine Advantage," by Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer.The book is based on scientific studies, not only on coffee, but all forms of caffeine. Among other things, the book says caffeine can:oPrevent cancer with its antioxidant qualitiesoHelp overcome fatigue, which I think we all knew oImprove mental performance and memoryoImprove moodoImprove athletic performancesoEnhance creativityoCreate beautiful skinI don’t know if I’m ready to subscribe to everything in the book, but I hope for my husband’s sake the information is true.If the claims are truly valuable, maybe my elementary teacher shouldn’t have directed us in that anti-coffee song. Of course, if he’d given us a cup before class, we’d probably have learned and performed a lot better.

I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news first: The Library will not be re-opening on Sundays this fall. I wanted to give you fair warning so you can make an adjustment in your library visitation schedule. As you know, many city and county departments have to make substantial budget reductions. Sunday closing is just one of changes you may see in the future. We are reducing spending by $12,500 this year and supposedly next year will be worse. If you see the librarians standing on Main Street with tin cups begging for money and weeping inconsolably, you’ll understand why. Keep in mind, however, that the continued goal of the Library Board and the staff is to provide the best library service that we possibly can. Now for the good news: The new book by Kate White is out, "A Body to Die For." Bailey Weggins, the clever and irreverent true crime writer for Gloss, a leading women's magazine, is in desperate need of a little R&R after solving the murder of her boss' nanny. A trip to the Cedar Inn Spa seems like the perfect remedy. But when Bailey goes to the massage room to retrieve her lost Rolex, she finds a dead body getting a seaweed wrap. As Bailey uncovers the victim's mysterious past, she finds herself becoming infatuated with Jeffrey Beck, a detective working on the case. Meanwhile, another horrifying murder is committed at the inn — and Bailey finds herself the killer's next target. Also new on the shelf is "Exit Wounds" by J.A. Jance. The heat is a killer in Cochise County, Ariz., with temperatures more than 100 degrees. In the suffocating stillness of an airless trailer, a woman is lying dead, a bullet hole in her chest. Why someone would murder a harmless loner with a soft spot for stray dogs is only one of the questions nagging at the local police; another is why the killer used an 85-year-old bullet, fired from the same weapon that slaughtered two other women. The slayings are as oppressive as the blistering heat for Sheriff Joanna Brady, who must shoulder the added burden of a brutal reelection campaign and major developments on the home front. With suddenly more on her plate than many big-city law officers have to contend with, Joanna must deal with the terrifying reality that now threatens everyone in her jurisdiction: a serial killer in their midst.

Rock County as it wasThis was taken from an article printed in the Rock County Herald on July 18, 1924: "The year 1869 saw a considerable increase in new settlers, but lack of space forbids going into detail. The first birth of Rock County occurred in the month of March 1869. It was a daughter, Effie Ferguson, born to Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ferguson. The second birth was also a daughter, Lorenda Bradford. The third birth also occurred the same year, a daughter, Carrie Hawes, having been born to Mr. and Mrs. Philo Hawes on Aug. 9th. Several new settlers arrived in the spring of 1870, and when the census was taken by Aiken Miner of Jackson in the summer of that year, the population of Rock County was found to be 138, of which 120 were American born and 18 foreign born. Other interesting statistics were taken by the enumerator. In Rock County were 19 farms of which seven were between 10 and 20 acres in area, 11 between 20 and 50 acres, and 1 between 100 and 500 acres. Among the arrivals of 1870 were Geo. W. Kniss, P.J. Kniss, P.F. Kelley, Ezra Rice, Martin Webber, Ole Nelson, Ole T. Berg, Ole T. Opsata and John Martin, who was the first settler in Martin Township. In 1870 also arrived Ole Steen and family. A few details in regard to the Steen colony might be interesting. Ole Steen, who was chief blacksmith at a sawmill at Necida, Wis., together with Hans and Tom Olson and C.C. Berg, decided to move west. In 1869 Ole Steen was sent out to look up a suitable location, his selection being the lands later homesteaded and occupied by these parties moving out in 1870 as above stated. On the way west, they met Ben Evans and family, who joined them deciding to locate where they did. Mrs. Steen and Mrs. Evans lived in wagon boxes while the men went to Worthington to file on their land." Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw. net).

Much can change in three days — even divorce laws. The New Straits Times, a daily newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, reported on July 28 that Malaysian Muslim men could divorce their wives through text messages on mobile telephones. Short messaging service was viewed as just another form of serving written notice, according to a religious court, and the effects of such a ruling seemed perfect for a column. If a Malaysian Muslim husband keeps getting busy signals when he tries to reach out and divorce somebody, I reasoned, he can still rely on the traditional method of driving home, standing in front of her and declaring "I divorce you" three times. In many cases, those may not be the three little words a woman wants to hear. "I love you" or even "Where’s the remote?" would be preferable in most cases. Getting a divorce in Malaysia may be easier said than dialed. Several things might go wrong when a mobile phone is used for a proclamation of divorce. For starters, the divorce message could be speed dialed incorrectly with a single key and the bad news might be received by an employer or a mother-in-law, who was never fond of the mis-dialer in the first place. Hasty decisions might be regretted later. Text messages, which can be relayed instantly, may not allow divisive issues to be thought out completely. Too much starch in a shirt collar may be irritating at work, but normally it’s something that can be forgotten on the way home. Incomplete calls would also create problems. A phone battery may give out or the words could be half-transmitted when the caller drives through one of those dreaded "no service available" zones. A message reading, "I wish to di...," would confuse any wife. He may wish to die, dine with her or he may wish to divulge some secret to her. To make matters worse, she can’t return his call. In order to keep her marriage intact, a wife might take several precautions to avoid divorce. She could replace her husband’s charged phone battery with a dead one while he’s sleeping or in the shower. If she’s not comfortable with replacing batteries, she might inexplicably lose or misplace the phone while it’s in the house. The phone service could be disrupted if she innocently misplaces the bill from the phone company. Last, but not least, she could simply refuse to answer the phone when her husband is away. With this scenario, no news is good news. Because of universal restrictions regarding the use of cell phones, a Malaysian Muslim wife might relax and not fear receiving a divorce message when her husband is doing any of the following activities — taking a plane trip, walking near certain medical equipment in hospitals, fueling a car at a gas station, or standing near a blasting site. An ideal husband would be unable to send a divorce message if he would do all of those things on a regular basis. Of course, if a husband isn’t the type to divorce by phone, there’s still the possibility he might simply say, "I divorce you," three times when he comes home. Even that method can’t be foolproof. What if the wife has a habit of "tuning out" her husband when he speaks? What if she’s hard of hearing and thinks she hears, "I adore you?" On July 31, the Malaysian government overturned the religious court’s ruling and the Muslim men in that country now have one less divorce option. It might be easier to stay married.

Eitreim probatePROBATE COURTDISTRICT COURT—COUNTY COURTPROBATE DIVISIONORDER AND NOTICE OF HEARING FOR FORMAL PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE IN SUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION AND NOTICE TO CREDITORSSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKIn Re: Estate ofIrid A. EitreimDeceasedTO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:It is Ordered and Notice is hereby given that on the 25th day of August, 2003, at 9:00 O’Clock A.M., a hearing will be held in the above named Court at Rock County Courthouse, Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of the above named deceased, dated December 15, 1981, and for the appointment of Gregory A. Eitreim, whose address is 11725 Champlin Drive, #211, Champlin Minnesota 55316, as personal representative of the estate of the above named decedent in supervised administration, and that any objections thereto must be filed with the Court. That, if proper, and no objections are filed, said personal representatives will be appointed to administer the estate, to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, and sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the estate. Upon completion of the administration, the representative shall file a final account for the allowance and shall distribute the estate to the persons thereto entitled as ordered by the Court, and close the estate. Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representatives or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.Dated: July 31, 2003 /s/Timothy K. ConnellDistrict Court Judge/s/ Douglas E. Eisma /s/Douglas E. Eisma Sandra L. VrtacnikAttorney for Petitioner Court AdministratorEisma and Eisma130 East Main, Box 625Luverne, MN 56156(507)283-4828I.D. #249269(8-7, 8-14)