Adrian sophomore guard Sarah Kruger drives to the basket during Thursday's Red Rock Conference girls' basketball showdown against Fulda in Adrian. Kruger scored 11 points to help AHS down the Raiders 62-55 in overtime and take over first place in the RRC West Division.

By John Rittenhouse
Something had to give when Adrian squared off against Fulda in a girls' basketball game played in Adrian Thursday.

In what was a showdown for the lead in the Red Rock Conference West Divison, the home-standing Dragons pulled out a thrilling 62-55 overtime victory.

Both teams had one league loss entering the clash, which placed extra importance on the outcome. In what proved to be an entertaining game played in front of a big crowd, the Dragons rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to pull out a seven-point win in overtime.

Fulda, which handed the Dragons their lone RRC loss when the teams met in Fulda Nov. 30, appeared to be in control of the game when it turned what was a 30-20 lead at halftime into an 11-point advantage (35-24) in the early stages of the third quarter.

Sparked by a reserve sophomore post, Adrian answered the challenge by outscoring the Raiders 38-20 the rest of the way to take over the division lead by one game.

Maria Gengler, who didn't step on the court in the first half, came up big for the Dragons in the second half and overtime. Her 12-point, seven-rebound effort played a key role in Adrian's second-half rally.

After falling behind by 11 points early in the third quarter, Adrian put together a 6-0 run to pull within five points (35-30) of the Raiders before facing a six-point (40-34) at period's end.

The Dragons dominated play in the early stages of the fourth quarter and tied the game at 42 when Andrea Burzlaff, who paced AHS with 15 points and 12 rebounds, converted a field goal with 5:06 left in regulation play.

Fulda countered with a 5-0 run to regain the lead at 47-42), but Gengler capped a 6-0 Adrian run by draining a field goal at the 1:28 mark to give her team its first lead (48-47) since early in the first quarter.

The Raiders tied the game at 48 before Adrian took a 51-48 advantage with one free throw by Jenna Honermann (with :14.2 remaining) and two more by Sarah Kruger (:06.3). Fulda, however, received new life when Abby Oakland swished a three-point shot right before the horn sounded, setting the stage for a four-minute overtime session.

Adrian clearly was the most aggressive team in overtime as it outscored the Raiders 11-4.

Burzlaff netted six points and Kruger added four of her 11 counters to lead the Dragons in the extra session.

Fulda controlled play in the game's first half.

A 4-0 run gave the Raiders their biggest lead of the first period (12-7) before Honermann scored off an offensive rebound with six seconds remaining to make it a 12-9 game.

A 5-0 run early in the second quarter put the Raiders in front 21-13, and Adrian never got closer than six points in a period that ended with the hosts facing a 30-20 deficit.

Honermann contributed 11 points and nine assists to AdrianÕs cause. Kylie Heronimus came up with four steals.

Box score
Heronimus 4 0 0-2 8, Bo.Bullerman 0 0 0-0 0, Honermann 5 0 1-2 11, Burzlaff 7 0 1-2 15, Henning 0 0 0-0 0, Kruger 2 0 7-10 11, Lonneman 0 0 0-0 0, Gengler 5 0 2-2 12, Knips 1 0 1-2 3, Br.Bullerman 1 0 0-0 2.

Team statistics
Adrian 25 of 64 field goals (39 percent), 12 of 20 free throws (60 percent), 38 rebounds, 15 turnovers.
Fulda: 19 of 65 field goals (35 percent), 14 of 17 free throws (82 percent), 32 rebounds, 20 turnovers.

By Sara Strong
An informal tenants association came out for the Luverne Economic Development Authority's Tuesday meeting.

The group addressed the LEDA with concerns about the possible sale of the city's rental units - Mounds View and Evergreen Apartments.

LEDA board member Mike Engesser said, "Basically, it was never the board's intent to maintain the apartments. We wanted to get them started in Luverne until a time that it became feasible to sell."

The apartments, on the north end of town, were built by the city in the early 1990s when interest rates were higher, making it difficult for private parties to build. At that time, the Minnesota Veterans Home was about to open, and after a housing study, rental availability was a concern.

Tenants like Bob Keitel, Maurice Fitzer and Kay Sundstrom spoke out at the meeting asking the LEDA to consider tenantsÕ needs when soliciting proposals to purchase the apartments.

Fitzer said he realizes the LEDA did a good thing in building spacious, well-located apartments. However, he fears that things like rent prices or maintenance and upkeep will drastically change under new ownership.

Sundstrom said she would like to see those concerns addressed by prospective buyers.

Engesser said, "We don't want to sell the apartments and see them go downhill. We don't want this to adversely affect tenants if we do decide to sell them"

City Administrator Matt Hylen said that even if it's legal, putting rent price restrictions on the future owner may lower the selling price of the apartments.

LEDA member Karis Gust said the purpose of building the units was to keep nice apartments at a reasonable price.

"If, by selling them, we lose the whole purpose for which they were built, it doesn't seem to make sense from a public policy standpoint," Gust said.

Steve Perkins, former city administrator and LEDA director, said he hoped the board would consider its role. He said part of the LEDA's mission is to look out for housing interests in the city, and that it may be best to keep the apartments as they are.

When the properties were constructed, some real estate brokers and private contractors worried that the apartments would take too much away from the private sector. Now the outspoken people are the ones who fear the apartments will be taken out of public hands.

The city will hold one more public hearing on the possible sale of Mounds View and Evergreen Apartments. The city can reject any and all proposals to buy them.

If the city decides to sell, it doesn't have to accept the highest bidder. The board voted to ask that bidders address tenant concerns in their proposals. The city may not be able to control much of the owner's decisions after the sale, but can ask that concerns be addressed before the sale is final.

The LEDA will look at bids at its April 9 meeting.

By Sara Strong
Like a bad song that got stuck in their ears, Rock County Commissioners had to listen to more matters of the failed Prairie Expo.

The Southwest Regional Development Commission is asking legislators to allow it to increase levies in the nine member counties in order to pay off Expo debts.

In order to show support for the levy request, SRDC director Jay Trustee Tuesday asked the board to sign a resolution in favor of it.

Rock County said no.
The vote was split 3-2 against the move to support additional levies covering $1.5 million loans. Ron Boyenga, Bob Jarchow and Ken Hoime didnÕt want the extra levies, but Jane Wildung and Wendell Erickson did.

Wildung and Erickson reasoned that helping with this debt now would prevent the SRDC from closing altogether and leaving the counties with $5.5 million more to pay for in debts.

Even without Rock County's support, the legislation for extra levies could pass and mean a slight increase on taxes. Trustee said that he paid $1.57 to the SRDC last year, so even doubling that would mean heÕd pay about $3.

The actual dollar amount isn't what was important to the commissioners who voted against showing support.

Jarchow said it's about personal accountability. "Are the taxpayers ultimately responsible? People were making a lot of decisions for taxpayers and thereÕs no personal accountability."

Boyenga said, "It's the principle because a few people screwed up and we're paying for it."

The city of Worthington has said it wants its money back from a $750,000 bond. Without money from excess levies, the city could get a judgement against the SRDC and freeze its funds, effectively shutting down the organization. Trustee said paying now might help prevent paying more later.

"I can almost feel the gun barrel against my head," Jarchow said.

Boyenga said, "It's a bad organization when it can get you into all kinds of debt and I don't think we should be a part of it."

Wildung said she understands the principle behind not supporting the levy legislation, but worries about future liabilities and that's why she wanted to support it.

New faces
A new non-profit committee will try to find a public purpose for the building. Without the public purpose, specifically tourism, state bonds would also have to be repaid.

The non-profit group, called Prairie Discovery Inc., will be comprised of private and public individuals with business and marketing experience. The members will be officially named Feb. 14. So far, Steve Perkins, Luverne; Marlys Vanderwerf, of the Walnut Grove Economic Development Authority; and Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes have agreed to be on the board.

Trustee said the non-profit is organized as legislators authorized and won't be able to incur any debt without all county commissions' approval.

When the group comes up with ideas for the Prairie Expo building, the state will be involved. The Department of Finance will determine whether interest fits the needs of the public. If not, any project will stop because if a use is not fitting, counties will have to pay back the state's $5.5 million.

By Lori Ehde
Physicians and staff at Luverne Medical Center are dealing with what they're calling an outbreak of Influenza A.

Since last week, they're seeing several new cases each day and the numbers are increasing.

According to Dr. Diane Kennedy, symptoms are characterized by a sudden onset of a high fever, body aches and coughing.

"They can just about tell me the exact time they got sick, because it comes on so fast," Kennedy said.

What makes the illness so debilitating, she said, is that symptoms typically linger for five to seven days.

School staff in Luverne are seeing increasing absenteeism due to Influenza A.

According to School Nurse Deb Vander Kooi, the district has an average daily absenteeism of 20 to 24 out of its roughly 1,300 students.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, 62 to 64 students in K-12 were out sick with Influenza A.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Hills-Beaver Creek schools, had not seen flu-related absenteeism.

Kennedy said an anti-viral medication is sometimes prescribed for flu patients. "It can blunt the severity of the illness in appropriate patients if initiated within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms," she said.

She hesitated to call the medication a treatment because it has notable side affects, but at times she also prescribes it for family members of those sick with Influenza A.

As with most contagious illnesses, the most effective treatment is prevention. Kennedy urged sick people to stay home and parents of sick children to keep their children home from school and day care centers.

The good news, she said, is that people who were immunized for Influenza A are fending off the illness. The ones diagnosed so far are those who did not get the shot.

"It appears the vaccine has been effective," Kennedy said.

By Lori Ehde
After a third mediation session last week, union members and school administration are no closer to an agreement on a teacher contract that is now seven months past due.

On the table is an offer of 9.17 percent wage and insurance increase over two years along with increases in sick and personal days.

Specifically, the district offers to increase single insurance premium contributions of $1,862 by $100, and family contributions of $5,286 by $200. In the second year of the contract, the package increases by $100 for single and $325 for family.

The Board has also tentatively agreed to increase pay for curriculum work from $17 to $20 per hour, increase association leave from five days to six days per year, increase teacher personal leave days from two to three days per year (with sick leave and sub pay deducted) and modify the sick leave language by removing the requirement of having been employed 12 previous months.

Teachers are requesting a 10.67 percent salary increase over the next two years and full single insurance and 90 percent family premium to be paid by the district.

In addition they request accumulated sick leave be increased from 135 to 150 days and that the district match a 403B retirement account of up to $2,000 per year per teacher, depending on length of service in the district.

With regard to severance, teachers request eliminating the eligible age of 55 and removing "continuous" from the 20 years of service language for eligibility to receive 100 days severance pay based on teachers salary.

According to Luverne Superintendent Vince Schaefer, he feels the district's offer is fair, especially compared with area districts of Luverne's size.

"If you compare our top position teacher salaries, we're very competitive," Schaefer said.

Worthington, for example, recently agreed on a 7.1-percent salary and benefit increase over the next two years.

Teacher contracts in Redwood Falls were signed at an 8-percent increase.

Luverne High School Counselor Craig Nelson is one of the negotiators for Luverne's Education Association.

He pointed out that Hills-Beaver Creek ssigned a contract at a 10 percent increase over two years and Edgerton's was 9.77.

He declined to say specifically what he felt the sticking points in negotiations have been. "It's not professional to negotiate in public," he said. "We don't feel that's necessary."

He did agree that language on seniority has been a major issue. "The state gives us a right to have a seniority list," Nelson said. He said the board's offer "would allow teachers to be arbitrarily assigned without any regard to their experience or certification."

For example, if a class were to be cut for lack of enrollment, under the Board's plan, the district could cut back hours of a senior, higher-paid teacher to cut costs.

"It's not all about economics," Nelson said. "It's also about language that could drastically alter our contract."

He also said the teachers' request of a 10.76-percent increase over two years is reasonable, considering the district just passed 10-year operating referendum that will bring in more than $600,000 each year.

He said some of that money should be used to keep quality teachers in Luverne. "If we don't compensate our teachers, we're going to see them go," Nelson said.

He said 39 out of 93 teachers will retire in Luverne in the next 12 years. "If we want to replace our teachers with the brightest and best, we need to offer attractive salaries."

Teachers have offered to go into binding arbitration, which means a third party would look at both offers and choose the one he shee feels is most fair. The board has not yet agreed to this.

By Sara Strong
David Kolsrud and Gerald Winter updated the Luverne Economic Development Authority on the progress of a possible soybean processing plant in Luverne.

Kolsrud said Tuesday, that the group is "at a crossroads" in its development.

The method to cold-process soybeans is still in its research and development phase and Kolsrud fears that heÕs exhausted fundraising efforts within the Blue Mound Soy Board.

The Board, which has 135 members, meets this morning to decide what steps, if any, it will take to further the goal of getting the process in Luverne. The Soy Board is a division of Corn-er Stone Cooperative, which started Luverne's ethanol plant.

The group has already spent $1.4 million on a pilot plant. To finally get to the cold-extraction phase of the project, another $51,000 is needed.

LEDA Director Tony Chladek said he would help the group find funding sources if the LEDA couldnÕt specifically help. The LEDA already has almost $40,000 into the project in the form of a conditional loan.

Kolsrud said, "We've come a long way since December when we thought we might have to abandon the project."

Soy sells
Kolsrud and Winter both said they don't expect the market for soy products to go away any time soon - even if the new process doesn't come to Luverne for three years.

Winter said, "It's certainly the direction our health-conscious people are going in."

Kolsrud said menus on the east and west coasts even have soy food products on their menus.

The new cold-extraction process doesn't create steam that requires stacks that spread the odor outdoors.

The technology to do this at no greater than 90 degrees is still in development and that's why the local cooperatives want to get in on it. It could be stages ahead of any other processors.

Winter said, "If even half the numbers are true, its potential for income is even more significant than the ethanol plant."

By Lori Ehde
If the Influenza A outbreak weren't enough, local babies are also at risk of a local outbreak of RSV, the respiratory virus that often sends infants to the hospital.

Respiratory Synctial Virus presents itself like a cold, but causes breathing difficulties.

Symptoms of RSV can include fever, but Dr. Diane Kennedy said the illness is characterized by a cold accompanied by wheezing and difficulty breathing.

All babies and toddlers can contract RSV, but infants 6 months old and younger are most vulnerable to breathing complications that often arise.

In fact, Kennedy said young babies are often hospitalized and given nebulizer treatments to help them breath, if necessary.

The highly contagious virus is transmitted by airborne pathogens - through coughing and sneezing.

Kennedy said the best way to prevent the spread of the virus is for parents to keep infected children home.

By Jolene Farley
At Monday's school board meeting, Hills-Beaver Creek Superintendent Dave Deragisch suggested switching the high school to a block class schedule. He hopes the change would increase the number of elective courses offered to students.

"We (now) don't have a lot of flexibility in scheduling," Deragisch said.

Students currently attend seven 48-minute classes. If the schedule changed, students would attend four 85-minute periods or four 83-minute periods.

The 85-minute schedule offers a 15-minute homeroom at the beginning of the day and a 35-minute lunch break. The 83-minute schedule has no homeroom period and a one-hour lunch break.

Classes would last a quarter of the school year instead of a semester under the block system and students would have no study halls.

Under the current system, students can earn seven credits a semester. Under the block system, students could earn eight credits in the same time period.

Teachers now teach five courses every day. With the new schedule they would teach three courses a day, cutting down preparation time for classes.

"One of the biggest reasons we have students struggling in school is they don't do homework," said Deragisch. He hopes to alleviate that problem with the new scheduling by offering students more time to complete work during class.

He said he discussed changing the schedule with the teachers and their reaction was positive. "They are ready to start tomorrow," he said.

Teachers would have to be creative to keep the interest of students for an extended time. Which means adjusting teaching styles accordingly, according to Deragisch.

If more elective classes were offered, the district would need to borrow or purchase more books for new courses.

"It's options that we are looking at for students, to help them move on to bigger and better things," said Deragisch.

The board enthusiastically directed Deragisch to explore the possibility of the schedule change. A committee will help determine what works and doesn't work about the different schedule.

"I'm excited about this if we can offer more opportunities for the kids," said board chairman Alan Harnack.

ECFE funding
The Hills-Beaver Creek school district has until June 30, 2002, to spend money allotted for Early Childhood Family Education. Due to recent state funding regulation changes only 5 percent of the more than $30,000 designated for ECFE can be carried over into next year's budget.

"We have a lot of money, and we have to spend it or we give it back," said Elementary Administrator Jil Vaughn.

Superintendent Dave Deragisch, administrator Jil Vaughn and teacher Pam Sells will meet to decide how to disburse the funds.

Linda Bakken was hired for ECFE home visits at a salary of $2,355, Pam Sells was hired as ECFE Parent Educator and ECFE Director at salaries of $1,275 and $425, Sara Walraven was hired as ECFE Child Educator at a salary of $508.

In other board business:
Board member Gary Esselink presented a report on the latest school district funding information from the Minnesota legislature.

Governor Jesse Ventura is proposing a $17-per-student cut in the student aid formula. A proposed tax reform package could cause another $357 per student decrease in aid. School districts may also lose their tax-exempt status and be charged sales tax on all purchases.

Seniors at Hills-Beaver Creek High School asked the board for open campus and driving privileges. The board agreed to open the campus, but students cannot drive. The board wondered where students would drive to in a community the size of Hills.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek's ability to control the boards set the stage for a boys' basketball victory in Westbrook Tuesday.

The H-BC Patriots sported a 41-17 rebounding advantage in a game against the Westbrook-Walnut Grove Chargers.

With all the extra scoring opportunities their board work presented, the Patriots were able to nail down a 68-44 win.

The win extended H-BC's longest winning streak of the season to seven games. The Patriots, who have not lost a game in 2002, will host Mountain Lake-Butterfield Odin tomorrow before playing in Fulda Tuesday.

Rebounding was the difference in Tuesday's game against the Chargers. Matt Buck, Brad Haak and Lyle DeBoer led the assault on the boards by snaring 11, nine and eight rebounds respectively.

"Rebounding was the key," said Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema. "41-17 is pretty dominating on the boards. We were missing a lot of shots early, but we got some offensive rebounds and put them back in."

The Patriots scored the game's first eight points and withstood a run by W-WG to sport a 17-13 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

H-BC took control of the game in the second period, when it went on a 19-7 scoring run that gave it a 36-20 halftime lead.

W-WG trimmed the difference to 13 points (49-36) by the end of the third quarter, but the hosts were unable to seriously challenge the Patriots before falling by 14 points in the end.

Buck's night also featured 16 points and five assists.

Haak and David Top tossed in 14 and 13 points respectively.

Box score
Metzger 1 0 0-0 2, D.DeBoer 1 0 2-2 4, Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, Van Maanen 0 0 0-0 0, Haak 5 0 4-7 14, Leuthold 2 0 0-0 4, L.DeBoer 3 0 1-4 7, Van Wyhe 2 0 0-0 4, Top 4 0 5-7 13, Buck 6 0 4-6 16, Krull 1 0 0-0 2.

Team statistics
H-BC 26 of 69 field goals (38 percent), 16 of 26 free throws (62 percent), 41 rebounds, 12 turnovers.
W-WG: 22 of 58 field goals (38 percent), four of six free throws (67 percent), 17 rebounds, 10 turnovers.