Top 2002 stories are: growing meth problem, community policing, elections, new hospital, Tri-State plans to stay, fatal Cor-Tech accident, Magnolia Steakhouse fire, True Value-Country Store, Global Ventures sentences and Highway 75 work. Above: Damage from the March 19 Magnolia Steakhouse fire in Luverne caused the family business to close for 5 1/2 months. Story inside.

Photo by Lori Ehde

July
oMidwest Canine opened a new dog boarding and training facility with room for 40 dogs and six "doggie" suites. The suites offer a private suite with a bed, a television and a basket of doggie toys.

oThe Hills City Council began discussions with Rock County Rural Water on how to address the city’s water needs.

Discussion stemmed from a Tuesday, June 25, incident when the city water tower was pumped dry.
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek School District was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Southwest Minnesota Foundation.

The grant funded the Book of the Week program offered to students over the summer, the Kid Care after school program and reading, writing and math nights at the school during the school year.

oWendell Erickson announced his retirement after 37 years in politics.

Erickson’s career began in 1964 with a bid for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Erickson served on the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board for six years beginning in 1987.

He ran for Rock County Commissioner, and won, taking office on January 1, 1995.

August
oOn Friday, July 26, officers executed a search warrant at the rural Hills residence of Donald Fredrick Wilson.

The warrant didn’t yield a substantial seizure of drugs, but all evidence of a methamphetamine lab was there, including paint thinner, lithium batteries and drug paraphernalia, according to Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure.

oThe Rock County Sheriff’s Department, after an agency-wide assessment, is transitioning into a new style of law enforcement called community policing.

Community policing is a different structure of organization, emphasizing problem solving and partnerships – partnerships with the community.

oThunderstorms rumbled through the region Wednesday, Aug. 21, dropping six inches of rain. Prior to August, rainfall in southwest Minnesota was three to six inches below normal.

September
oAfter 30 years on the Hills Fire Department, Fire Chief Alan Top announced his plans to retire as fire chief.

oJesse Leuthold and Angie Bush were crowned king and queen at homecoming coronation at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.

October
oM & M Repair, Steen, owned by Melvin and Minnie Van Batavia, celebrated 25 years in the auto repair business with an open house.

oBodyguard Dan Heidt spoke to Hills-Beaver Creek students about making the right choices, about drug abuse and about defusing potentially violent situations.

oThe Hills-Braver Creek School Board approved payment of a $3,500 fee to Group II Architects, Sioux Falls, S.D., to begin the process for new high school locker rooms.

oThe Hills-Beaver Creek- Ellsworth-Edgerton Boys’ Cross Country Team won the Section 3A championship.

The team advanced to the Minnesota State Class A Championships. This was the first time in team history they advanced to state championships.

oA representative of the group Parents: The Anti drug and Violence Task Force attended the Monday, Oct. 28, Hills-Beaver Creek School Board meeting.

She told the board that a serious drug problem exists in Rock County and that the group advocates a drug officer in schools and supports offering Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous to students returning from treatment.

November
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek- Ellsworth-Edgerton Boys’ Cross Country team placed sixth in the Minnesota State Class A Championships.

oPolitical races in Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen ended November 5.

Keith Elbers and Linus Svoboda beat out Wendell Bengtson and David McGuire, to win the two open seats in Hills.

In Beaver Creek, Carolyn DeBoer beat Daryl Furstenberg.

In Steen, Robert Sandbulte and Brad Bosch won the two open seats.

oThe Hills City Council approved a $219,000 project to improve water service to Hills.

The proposed improvements, through Rock County Rural Water, included installation of a six-inch water line from two miles north of Hills to the northern edge of town.

oPublic officials met with concerned citizens for a community watch planning meeting.

December
oTwenty Hills-Beaver Creek students signed up for an educational adventure to Costa Rica, Central America, in June.

Students will see endangered rain forests, the Arenal Volcano and wildlife reserves with populations of rare wildlife.

oThe Hills City Council had many unanswered questions concerning the proposed $219,000 rural water improvements.

The council requested official plans and specifications on the project and that a representative from Rock County Rural Water attend the next council meeting.

oThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board reviewed cost estimates on the high school locker room project.

Initial cost estimates for the project, without a weight room, ranged from $398,144 to $439,552.

A weight room added $113,302 to $127,512 to the cost of the project, handled by Group II Architects, Sioux Falls.

By Jolene Farley
Another year has come and gone and for the Hills area and for Crescent readers, which means it’s time to recap the events of 2002.

January
oConstruction continued as scheduled on the Beaver Creek Entertainment facility. Sewer and water work was complete and construction of the clubhouse was scheduled to begin after the arrival of doors and windows for the structure.

oHills farmer Tim Baker adjusted remarkably well after a fall that left him a paraplegic.

Baker told of the hard work and perseverance needed to journey back into his farm work.

oThe Hills City Council accepted the resignation of Mayor George Langford. Langford notified the council at December’s meeting of his intention to resign. Jim Jellema was selected mayor pro tem.

oConnie Stone joined the First Presbyterian Church of Beaver Creek and the First Presbyterian Church of Rushmore as the new minister for both congregations.

oHills-Beaver Creek Industrial Arts students raised $1,500 from the joint sale of a patriotic stained glass bench to Jubilee Foods and Agri-Energy, both of Luverne, and Exchange State Bank, Hills.

February
oThe Lyle and Sharil Rollag family, Beaver Creek, was honored as the 2002 rock County Farm Family of the Year.

The annual award recognizes outstanding farm families from across Minnesota for their contributions to agriculture and their communities.

oA car accident near Presho, S.D., claimed the life of 51-year-old Patricia Van Wyhe, and left her husband, Tom, hospitalized.

Tom is the son of Cliff and Vi Van Wyhe, Hills. Patricia’s father, Marshall Gibson, is a former Beaver Creek postmaster. Tom and Patricia were both Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduates.

oCity council members Dana Dahlquist and Wendell Bengtson voted on a replacement for former Hills Mayor George Langford.

The only response to an ad published by the city came from current council members Jim Jellema and Arlen Leenderts.

Jellema and Leenderts abstained from the vote appointing Jim Jellema mayor.

March
oAfter 19 years as a city councilman and clerk Cornelius Bosch, Steen, submitted his resignation, effective April 1, to the Steen City Council.

Bosch and his wife, Darlene, sold the home they built in Steen 52 years ago and moved to Luverne.

oThe Hills City Council considered installing equipment for Frisbee golf, a popular sport incorporating the rules of golf to a fling disk, at the Hills City Park or the Rez.

oFlames destroyed the rural home of Vicki Lenderts. Firefighters from Beaver Creek, Hills, Luverne and Valley Springs were called to the blaze.

April
oCrescent Editor Jolene Farley returned from a 13-day trip to Bolivia, South America. She traveled with a group of Mano a Mano volunteers.

Mano a Mano, headed by Segundo and Joan (Swanson) Valesquez, is trying to address healthcare needs in Bolivia, where many people never see a doctor or nurse in their lives.

oA $19,000 bid for the Beaver Creek Community Center, offered by auctioneer Duane Mulder, was accepted at a special Beaver Creek City Council meeting.

Mulder, Luverne, planned to convert the structure into an indoor auction facility.

oThe Hills-Beaver Creek Education Association named Jane Baker Bosch, Steen, the 2002 Friend of Education.

Baker Bosch volunteered in kindergarten through third grades at Hills-Beaver Creek at least one day a week, chaperoned field trips and took extra work home to help teachers.

oThe city of Beaver Creek advertised to fill two open seats on the City Council for the remainder of 2002 after the resignation of Arnold Brondsema and Julie Buysse.

May
oScores released by Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning on Hills-Beaver Creek and Hills Christian School students shows 91.3 percent of students passed the reading portion of the Basic Standards Test, while 87 percent passed the math portion of the test.

oSteen resident Mark Hoogendoorn died in a farming accident in a field four miles west of Garretson, S.D.
Hoogendoorn was working alone between a four-wheel drive tractor and an implement when he was trapped between the two machines and killed.

oThe Rev. Keith Davis gave his farewell sermon at Hills United Reformed Church. Davis accepted an offer from a congregation in Lynwood, Ill.

June
oMore than 70 children attended Bible School at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Hills. The theme for the week was "Godzwerkers."

oHills United Reformed Church welcomed intern Doug Barnes and his family. Barnes replaced the Rev. Keith Davis for the summer months.

oJubilee Foods owner Tony Bosch was indicted by a federal grand jury for tax evasion, and entered a not guilty plea in U.S. District Court.

oRock County entered the wind market with plans for four towers near Hills.

Min Win I and Min Win II obtained conditional use permits for two towers each from the Rock Board of Commissioners.

By John Rittenhouse
The Ellsworth boys’ basketball team completed its pre-Christmas schedule with a perfect 7-0 record by hammering Lake Benton 89-58 in Ellsworth Thursday.

Four Panthers reached double figures in scoring in the game, but Ellsworth coach Ken Kvaale said his team’s effort on the defensive end of the court was the key to victory.

Ellsworth’s starters limited the Bobcats to 30 points in the first three quarters before LB scored 28 points against mostly reserves in the fourth quarter.

"Our defense was the key," Kvalle said. "Some steals by Travis Jenniges (EHS senior guard) really helped us out. Travis was our sparkplug in this game."

Blake Brommer gave the Panthers a lift in the first quarter by scoring eight of his 16 points to help EHS double (22-11) Lake Benton’s scoring output by period’s end.

Curt Schilling, who recorded a rare triple-double (28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists), helped the Panthers open a 47-23 halftime lead by scoring 20 points in the first half.

Brant Deutsch, who collected 12 rebounds and passed for six assists for the winners, struck for 10 of his 20 points when the Panthers outscored the Bobcats 17-7 in the third period to make it a 64-30 game.

The Bobcats trimmed the difference to 31 points by game’s end with a 28-25 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter.

Dylan Kvaale scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for EHS. Jenniges charted eight assists and four steals.

Ellsworth will play three games at the Mitchell (S.D.) Tournament Dec. 26-28).

Box score
Schilling 8 0 12-13 28, Jenniges 2 0 3-4 7, Janssen 1 0 0-0 2, Kvaale 5 0 2-4 12, Sieff 0 1 1-2 4, Deutsch 7 1 3-4 20, Brommer 6 1 1-4 16.

Team statistics
Ellsworth: 55 percent from the field (totals not available), 22 of 31 free throws (71 percent), 48 rebounds, 12 turnovers.

By John Rittenhouse
A slumping Ellsworth girls’ basketball team dropped its third consecutive game Friday in Lake Benton.

The Panthers made a bid to erase a 16-point deficit in the second half by pulling within two points of the Bobcats late in the fourth quarter, but Lake Benton scored the game’s final four points to pull out a 66-60 victory.

Ellsworth started the season by winning four of its first five games, but the Panthers now stand at 4-4 after losing three straight tilts.

The Panthers will return to action Jan. 3 in Tyler.

EHS did show some spirit with a late run in Lake Benton. Trailing 30-20 at the intermission, the Panthers fell behind by 16 points at one stage of the third quarter before trimming the difference to 11 points (53-42) at period’s end.

The Panthers outscored the Bobcats 18-9 in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter to trail 62-60, but Lake Benton escaped with a six-point victory by scoring the game’s final four points.

"We couldn’t make a defensive stop when we needed to," said Panther coach Dean Schnaible. "Lake Benton played better than we did, and they deserved to win."

Danielle Jenniges scored 14 points to lead EHS. Jenna Groen scored 11 points and passed for seven assists. Kayla Boltjes scored 12 points. Laurel Drenth led the Panthers with eight rebounds while Amy Timmer added eight.

Box score
Boltjes 1 3 1-1 13, M.Leuthold 1 0 0-0 2, Jenniges 4 0 6-7 14, Drenth 2 0 0-1 4, M..Groen 3 1 0-0 9, J.Groen 1 0 9-10 11, Timmer 3 0 2-3 8.

Team statistics
Ellsworth: 19 of 40 field goals (48 percent), 18 of 23 free throws (78 percent), 31 rebounds, 26 turnovers.
Lake Benton: 24 of 52 field goals (46 percent), 15 of 25 free throws (60 percent), 30 rebounds, 20 turnovers.

Adrian sophomore Joey Bullerman (top) makes a bid to pin Windom-Mountain-Lake-Butterfield-Odin’s Colt Bergendahl during Thursday’s wrestling match in Adrian. Bullerman beat Bergendahl by technical fall to give the Dragons a 5-0 lead in a match AHS lost by a 36-26 tally.

By John Rittenhouse
A pair of state-ranked wrestling teams met Thursday in Adrian for a Red Rock Conference dual meet.
Class AA-ranked Windom-Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin and defending RRC champion Adrian, which is ranked in Class A, locked horns in a packed Adrian High School gym.

The visiting Cobras took advantage of the absence of Adrian’s three injured standouts (Levi Bullerman, 189; Trent Bullerman, 160, and Cody Reverts, 135) to upend the Dragons 36-26.

A six-match winning streak for W-ML-B-O late in the match sealed Adrian’s fate.

The Dragons led 20-15 after Dusty Bullerman pinned Travis Winters in 4:42 at 135 and Adam Voss edged Jason Kruger 9-8 at 140, but the Cobras outscored AHS 21-6 over the final seven matches to win by 10.

A 21-0 run for W-ML-B-O between 145 and 215 pounds proved to be the difference in the match.

The run consisted of Anthony Elg’s win by technical fall over Clint Metz at 145, and decision wins from Ryan Fast (8-2 over Tony Sauer at 152), Scott Winters (9-7 over Tom Slater at 160), Derek Hall (8-7 over Tyler Wolf at 171), Cody Anderson 5-4 over Brandon Schettler at 189) and Brady Janzen (9-1 major decision over Cody Lutmer at 215).

Adrian’s Josh Winselman pinned Jason Bolte in 4:33 during the heavyweight match to end W-ML-B-O’s winning streak.

The teams exchanged leads during the first five matches.

Adrian led 5-0 when Joey Bullerman posted a win by technical fall over Colt Bergendahl at 103, but the Cobras moved in front 6-5 with Travis Elg’s pin of Brandon Croat (1:52) at 112.

Brandon Bullerman regained the lead for AHS (11-6) by pinning Cody Bergendahl in 2:57 at 112 before W-ML-B-O used a pin from Nick Kulseth (1:41 over Josh Croat at 125) and a decision win from Jeff Stuckenbroker (7-2 over Pete Jensen at 130) to gain a 15-11 advantage.

Adrian, a team that opened the season with five straight wins, stands at 5-2 after the setback. The Dragons wrestle at a triangular meet in Jackson Jan. 7.

Match wrap-ups
103 (A) J.Bullerman t.f. Bergendahl.
112 (W) Elg pins B.Croat.
119 (A) B.Bullerman pins
Bergendahl.
125 (W) Kulseth pins Croat.
130 (W) Stuckenbroker pins
Jensen.
135 (A) D.Bullerman pins Winters.
140 (A) Voss dec. Kruger.
145 (W) Elg t.f. Metz.
152 (W) Fast dec. Sauer.
160 (W) Winters dec. Slater.
171 (W) Hall dec. Wolf.
189 (W) Anderson dec. Schettler.
215 (W) Janzen m.d. Lutmer.
275 (A) Winselman pins Bolte.

By Lori Ehde
In an agreement signed last week, Farmer’s Union Co-op Oil has purchased the assets of Rock County Co-op Oil, Luverne.

Both businesses have operated in Luverne for nearly 50 years. Farmer’s Union started in 1954 and Rock County Co-Op Oil dates back to 1927.

The two operations have offered similar services and products, such as petroleum products, LP gas, tires, agronomy inputs and custom fertilizer application.

According to Farmer’s Union General Manager LeRoy Lindblom, current clients of both businesses will notice very few changes, except for minor things like signage.

Both locations will remain open on South Highway 75 and will serve a combined clientele in Rock and Nobles counties and surrounding areas.

"This will allow us to serve a larger customer base," Lindblom said Monday.

Rock County Co-Op Oil has seven full-time employees, and Farmer’s Union currently employs 13 people full-time and another 10 on a part-time basis.

Rock County Co-Op Oil employees have been offered jobs at Farmer’s Union.

A mailing explaining details of the purchase agreement is planned for all customers of both co-ops.

"I would like to thank the stockholders for doing business with Rock County Co-Op Oil since 1927," Rock County Co-Op Board President Darrell Hemme, Hardwick, said Monday.

The agreement will be effective early in January.

"Farmer’s Union Co-Op Oil Company looks forward to serving all our customers’ future needs," said Farmer’s Union Board President Doug Brake, Wilmont, in a statement released last week.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek boys came out on the winning end of a basketball shoot-out in Slayton Friday.
The Patriots and the Murray County Central Rebels made a combined 65 field goals and scored 165 points during a high-scoring contest that fell in favor of H-BC by an 88-77 margin.

H-BC coach Steve Wiertzema was pleased with the way his team played offensively while winning its third consecutive game.

The coach, however, was less than happy with the effort on defense.

"We played well offensively," he said. "We made 53 percent of our field goals. I wasn’t very happy with our play defensively. It looked like a Sunday afternoon open-gym game to me."

No matter what it looked like, the Patriots improved their record to 4-2 by outscoring the Rebels by 11 points.

H-BC led 27-13 after eight minutes of play and sported a six-point advantage (50-44) at the intermission.

Patriot Tyson Metzger, who scored a career-high 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists, helped H-BC expand its cushion to 14 points (71-57) by the end of the third quarter by netting six counters in the stanza.

MCC used a 20-17 scoring edge in the fourth quarter to make it an 11-point difference at game’s end.

Kale Wiertzema added 14 points, seven assists, seven steals and six rebounds to the winning cause. Tyler Bush added 13 points and seven steals. Jesse Leuthold pulled down eight rebounds. Trey Wan Wyhe and Clint Roozenboom chipped in 14 and 10 points respectively.

H-BC hosts unbeaten Ellsworth Jan. 3.

Box score
Bush 5 0 3-5 13, Wysong 2 0 0-0 4, Roozenboom 5 0 0-0 10, Wiertzema 4 0 6-8 14, Metzger 12 0 4-5 28, Leuthold 0 0 2-4 2, Van Wyhe 6 0 2-4 14, Spykerboer 0 0 3-4 3.

Team statistics
H-BC: 34 of 64 field goals (53 percent), 20 of 30 free throws (67 percent), 35 rebounds, 19 turnovers.
MCC: 31 of 60 field goals (52 percent), three of eight free throws (38 percent), 28 rebounds, 26 turnovers.

By Sara Strong
Although a terrorist attack of smallpox isn’t imminent, state and county health agencies are preparing for the worst.

Within the next few weeks, as many as 10,000 Minnesotans will start Phase I of the smallpox vaccination process, which is a part of the national effort.

Nobles-Rock Public Health Director Bonnie Frederickson said her counties and those in the southwest region are preparing for the risk of smallpox exposure.

The vaccination is voluntary, even in the first phase, which includes critical response personnel.
About 32 people in Nobles and Rock Counties will receive the vaccine initially.

"The people we’re considering for vaccination, during this initial phase, would have important jobs to do if we ever had to deal with an actual terrorist incident involving smallpox," said Dr. Harry Hull, Minnesota’s State Epidemiologist.

"They are the people who would be caring for the sick, investigating the outbreak and taking steps to control it. They are the people who would be coordinating our response to a bioterrorism attack, and maintaining public order."

Public agencies will administer the vaccine. It’s not available through local hospitals, and even if mass vaccinations are done, it would be through Public Health.

The Center for Disease Control now controls the availability of smallpox vaccine supplies.

Second phase
Phase II of the smallpox vaccination process would open to more emergency workers and critical care personnel, along with others who work with the public. But they also have the option of not getting the vaccine.

"It’s not the run-of-the-mill inoculation," Frederickson said. "It takes screening and careful thought."

The vaccine itself carries risks, and that’s why it was phased out of the immunization process in 1972.

Frederickson said the last case of smallpox was in the 1960s. Since the vaccine had side effects, and the disease was thought to be wiped out, the vaccine was taken out of circulation.

For those who’ve had the vaccine prior to 1972, it won’t work today, because the vaccine’s effects usually hold for three to five years.

The vaccines administered in this national program are the same as the previous vaccine. The same substance is administered on the upper arm for smallpox protection.

Part of the reason Nobles-Rock Public Health is working with counties in the region is because of its size. One vial of the vaccination immunizes 100 people, and the two counties can’t support that amount of vaccinations, with just 32 getting it in the first phase.

By the time Phase III hits, the vaccine will be available to the general public, but it’s not recommended.

Those who shouldn’t receive the vaccine include: people who might be allergic to it; pregnant and nursing women; people with medical conditions that could weaken the immune system; people taking medications or receiving medical treatment that could weaken the immune system and people with certain types of skin conditions.

"The actual likelihood of a terrorist attack involving smallpox can’t be known or calculated with any kind of precision," Hull said. "But if such an incident did ever occur, we know that the results would be devastating. That’s why we’re proceeding with this effort."

Frederickson said if the disease was spread, it would be a serious Public Health issue. "It has a 30 percent fatality rate and spreads very quickly."

Her agency’s role is to investigate possible cases and educate people, including doctors who haven’t seen it, on signs of the disease.

"If someone does come into contact with it, we do have three to four days to immunize, and it will still be effective," she said.

In the event of an actual outbreak most people would have to be vaccinated in a large Public Health effort, which is why vaccines aren’t recommended for everyone now, to conserve the supply.

If people in Nobles or Rock Counties would be infected with the disease, they would probably be transported to a hospital outside the counties to prevent outbreaks. Hospitals in Rock and Nobles Counties don’t have negative air pressure rooms to quarantine patients.