Edward Sundem, 90, Hills, died Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls. Services will be Friday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Hills, with Rev. Lowell Berg officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday, Dec. 6 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Roste Funeral Home, Hills.

Anna Marie Tofteland, 74, Luverne, died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001, in the Luverne Hospice Cottage.

Services were Monday, Dec. 3, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. The Revs. Maurice E. Hagen and Dell B. Sanderson officiated. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne.

Anna Johnson was born to Ole and Oline (Gunderson) Johnson on Sept. 6, 1927, in Vienna Township, rural Kenneth. She attended eight grades in Kenneth Elementary School and graduated from Luverne High School in 1945. She worked as a secretary at Tri-State Insurance in Luverne.

She married Erling Tofteland on Dec. 18, 1947, at the parsonage of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Luverne. After their marriage the couple farmed southwest of Magnolia. In February 1956 they moved to the family farm southwest of Luverne. They moved to Luverne in November 1989. She and her husband enjoyed extensive traveling, especially throughout Europe. She was a homemaker.

Mrs. Tofteland was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne, GLCW and Circle. She was also active in Sons of Norway for more than 30 years. She enjoyed bowling and playing bridge.

Survivors include her husband, Erling Tofteland, Luverne; four children and their spouses, Steve and Julie Tofteland, rural Luverne, Stanley and Joy Tofteland, Waukee, Iowa, Debra and Kevin Corey, Andover, and Andrew and Sally Tofteland, Ramsey; 12 grandchildren, Ryan, Jason, Rachel, John, Barry, Emily, Bradley, Sandra, Gretchen, Benjamin, Chad and Matthew; three brothers, John (Rosa) Johnson, Luverne, Olaf Johnson, San Diego, Calif., and Lloyd (Jean) Johnson, Albert Lea; a brother-in-law, Lawrence Steiner, Luverne; and two sisters-in-law, Betty Johnson, Luverne, and Jeanette Johnson, Lancaster, Calif.

Mrs. Tofteland was preceded in death by her parents, one grandson, Brian Conrad Tofteland, in 1976, two brothers, George Johnson and Kenny Johnson, and one sister, Ida Steiner.

Holm Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Funeral services for Earl Scott will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick with the Rev. Mark Mumme officiating. Burial is in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home in Luverne.

Earl Dayton Scott, 80, Hardwick, died suddenly Monday, Dec. 3, 2001.

Earl Scott was born to Byron and Levia Scott on Jan. 19, 1921, in Denver Township near Hardwick. He attended and graduated from Luverne High School in Luverne. Following high school he enlisted in the National Guard and became active in 1941. He was stationed in Alaska and Europe during World War II. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 14, 1945.

He married Marcella Scheerhorn on Aug. 17, 1947. They lived in Hardwick where he owned Hardwick Farmers Exchange Elevator. In 1957 he sold the elevator and started a family farm operation. In 1984 they purchased a bar named Scotty's in Luverne. In 1996 he sold the bar. They continued to live in their home in Hardwick.

Mr. Scott was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick. He was active on the Hardwick City Council, Hardwick Fire Department and past Commander of Arthur Moeller Post 478 in Hardwick. He enjoyed farming, fishing, playing softball, bowling, and playing cards and pool.

Survivors include his wife, Marcella Scott, Hardwick; two children, Randy Scott, Hardwick, and Jerilyn (Dale) Kille, Brandon, S.D.; four grandchildren, Jesse Kille, Jonathan Kille, J.R. Scott and Brandee Scott; and two sisters, Marion Birkeland, Luverne, and Ginny Bird, Mankato.

Mr. Scott was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Dale Scott, and two sisters, Luetta Arp and Eva Agnitsch.

Engebretson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Neil B. Jensen, 84, Richfield, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001.

Memorial services were Saturday, Dec. 1, at Cremation Society of Minnesota, Edina.

Neil Jensen was born in Rock County on Dec. 22, 1916. He was a successful insurance salesman for 35 years.

Mr. Jensen was a member of Richfield Optimists Club. He loved fishing.

Survivors are his wife, Jane Jensen, children, Michael (Joannice) Jensen, Craig (Christine) Jensen, Sally (Brian) Dutcher, Andrea Jensen and Jennifer Jensen; seven grandchildren; two brothers, Bertel (Irene) Jensen, Luverne, and Roger (Gerrie) Jensen, Slayton; and three sisters, Winifred Wessels, Luverne, Lucinda Ecker, Duluth, and Alice (Webster) Hurst, Mesa, Ariz.

Cremation Society of Minnesota was in charge of arrangements.

By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne-Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth wrestling team mixed it up twice during the first week of the regular season.

The Cardinals placed eighth as a team at the Flandreau, S.D., Tournament Saturday before battling Fulda-Murray County Central to a draw in Luverne Tuesday.

L-H-BC-E wrestles in Windom tonight, at the Jackson County Central Tournament Saturday and in Harrisburg, S.D., Tuesday.

L-H-BC-E 36, F-MCC 36
A 12-point run to end the match allowed the Rebels to come from behind and draw with the Cardinals in Luverne Tuesday.

L-H-BC-E led by as many as 18 points during the battle, but F-MCC outscored the Cards 24-6 the rest of the match to keep the hosts from posting a victory on Parents' Night.

The Cardinals trailed 12-6 when they posted five straight wins between 112 and 135 pounds to open a commanding 30-12 lead.

The runs consisted of pins from Anthony Boyenga (1:55 over Dillon Hotovec at 112), Kerry Fink (3:13 over Jacob Nolt at 119) and Chris Tiesler (:46 over Nick Henning at 130), and decision wins from Dustin Donth (6-2 over Ben Kremer at 125) and Justin Mann (9-6 over Eric Zins at 135).

A forfeit to F-MCC's Wade Behr at 135 and Ryan Olsem's pin in 2:48 over Dusty Seachris at 145 trimmed L-H-BC-EÕs lead to six points, but Cardinal Canaan Petersen pinned Andy Witzel in 2:45 at 152 to give the hosts a 36-24 advantage with two matches remaining.

The Rebels picked up the final 12 points of the match when Dean Paulzine pinned Brant Jacobs in 3:02 at 160 and Chris Hawkinson drew a forfeit at 171.

A new state rule calls for a pre-match draw to determine which weight class starts the match.

The 189-pound match was selected to open TuesdayÕs contest, which featured L-H-BC-E's Joel Evans pinning Matt Witzel in 2:54.

F-MCC moved in front 12-6 when heavyweight Nick Steinmetz pinned Cody Jagow in 3:04, and Luke Giese covered Aric Uithoven in 1:43 of the 103-pound match.

Match wrap-up
189 (L) Evans pins Witzel.
275 (F) Steinmetz pins Jagow.
103 (F) Giese pins Uithoven.
112 (L) Boyenga pins Hotovec.
119 (L) Fink pins Nolt.
125 (L) Donth dec. Kremer.
130 (L) Tiesler pins Henning.
135 (L) Mann dec. Zins.
140 (F) Behr by forfeit.
145 (F) Olsem pins Seachris.
152 (L) Petersen pins Witzel.
160 (F) Paulzine pins Jacobs.
171 (F) Hawkinson by forfeit.

Flandreau tourney
The Cardinals opened the season by competing at an eight-team tournament in Flandreau Saturday.

Two L-H-BC-E athletes placed well individually, and the Cardinals capped the field as a team with 50 points.

Howard (169), Pipestone-Jasper (155), Elk Point-Jefferson (155), Sioux Valley (90), Garretson (87), Flandreau (87) and Deuel (64) topped the Cardinals in team competition.

Joel Evans and Cody Jagow turned in L-H-BC-E's best efforts by placing second and third at 189 and heavyweight respectively.

Evans bested Deuel's Lon Nelson 8-5 and pinned SV's Scott Colby in 47 seconds before losing by fall in 58 seconds to Howard's Phil Ruml.

After receiving a bye in the first round, Jagow was pinned by eventual champion Josh Corbin, of Howard, at 2:39 of the semifinals. Jagow then pinned FlandreauÕs Casey Kneebone at :56 in the third-place match.

Cardinals Dusty Seachris and Canaan Petersen went 2-2 and placed fourth at 135 and 145.

Anthony Boyenga (103), Kerry Fink (112), Chris Tiesler (119) and Dustin Donth (125) all went 1-2, while Justin Mann (130) and Brant Jacobs (152) were 0-2.

Complete with wimpy Christmas tree and grand piano, the ethanol plant's float represented the Peanuts Christmas story.

By Lori Ehde
A light snow dusted the area Friday night, providing the perfect spruce-up for Luverne's fifth-annual Winterfest celebration.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and calm winds and mild temperatures contributed to well-attended events all weekend long.

"Everyone had a great turnout," said Chamber of Commerce assistant Lorna Bryan. "From the Parade of Homes to the craft show to the Emily concert."

She estimated this year's parade likely drew more crowds than any other Winterfest parade, and she said no one complained of cold feet.

Winterfest Committee Chairperson April Gangestad said the parade route was "packed," not only on Main Street, but all the way around by the hospital and Blue Mound Towers as well.

By Jolene Farley
The Southwest Area Agency on Aging hosted a meeting in Luverne Thursday, Nov. 29, to seek advice on ways to better serve seniors in Rock County and southwest Minnesota.

Seniors, their families and service providers were invited to offer suggestions on ways to fill gaps in service.

Though sparsely attended, organizers say the meeting accomplished its purpose.

"I think it went well," said Robin Weiss, Program Development Specialist with the Southwest Area Agency on Aging, "We identified many issues."

The most important issue is information and education, according to Weiss. Enhancing the volunteer network in Rock County is also a priority, as well as caregiver training and in-home respite, which provides caregivers a break from caring for an elderly or disabled loved one.

A 2001 legislative mandate designed to rebalance the long-term care system in Minnesota requires each county to submit a plan to improve services for seniors in their area by the end of 2001.

Rock County submitted a County Gaps Analysis on Oct. 15 to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The service development plan, detailing how to fill gaps identified by the Analysis, is due on Dec. 31, 2001.

The reports shape policies and will be used to help state officials target $10 million in grants to improve services in the state, according to information from the Southwest Area Agency on Aging.

The Agency is under contract with Rock County and eight other southwest Minnesota counties to complete the required reports.

The objective is to help more seniors remain in their homes and to ease the return home for seniors now temporarily living in the nursing home.

"I would stress they (seniors) need to be informed," Weiss said. "Seniors tend not to call the Senior Linkage Line early enough." Weiss stresses there are options available. Seniors do not have to wait until they are in a "crisis mode" before they call.

"They come to us in a state of panic. For example, they wait until someone breaks a hip rather than hire home health care." The goal is to avoid situations like that, Weiss said.

Mary Jane Brown Administrator Linda Studer said she thought overall the meeting went well.

"I think they have a good plan for starting. There are so many things to be done, but they cannot all be done at once because of time commitments," she said.

"The plan will need to be completed over a period of time with things prioritized," Studer said.

She agrees educating seniors about services available is a definite priority in Rock County.

Rock County seniors can call the Senior Linkage Line (statewide) at 1-800-333-2433 for information regarding resources in Rock County or information about senior concerns or issues.

Unfortunately, many of the solutions outlined at the meeting cannot be implemented without adequate funding by the state, Weiss said.

Staffing is another pertinent issue to address before any programs are established.

By Lori Ehde
Pipestone veterinarian Gordon Spronk pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to making a false statement to a federally-insured bank, and in his plea agreement he has committed to providing $500,000 to local schools and government bodies.

During his Nov. 30 guilty plea hearing, Spronk admitted he assisted others in making a false statement to First National Bank in Garretson, S.D., to influence the bank into making a $400,000 loan purportedly to Global Ventures Inc.

Global Ventures, a Pipestone hog operation, served as a nominee to conceal the fact that the loan was actually being used to purchase a $1.1-million problem loan of Kirkwood Broadcasting station in Sioux Falls, S.D., in order to deceive federal bank regulators.

Specific charges
According to charges filed Nov. 26 in U.S. District Court, on or about April 16, 1997, Spronk "knowingly aided and abetted Michael Morgan and David Logan" in making the false statements.

At that time, Spronk, Morgan and Logan each owned nearly a one-third interest in Global Ventures.

Morgan and his family also owned First National Bank in Garretson and First National Bank and Trust in Pipestone.

According to court documents, Spronk admits that on or about April 16, at the request of Morgan, he joined Morgan and others in Morgan's office where Morgan explained he needed a favor from Spronk that involved making a loan to a radio station in Sioux Falls in the name of Global Ventures.

Spronk "understood from the outset that even though the loan would be in the name of Global Ventures Inc., that the loan would not be for the benefit of GVI and the GVI would not be incurring any additional debt or financial exposure from the loan."

Spronk further admits that when he executed the note, he knew GVI was merely a figurehead for the loan, which he believed was being made by First National Bank and Trust, Pipestone.

He told investigators, however, that Morgan and others never told him how the money would be used in connection with the radio station, and he denies knowing the loan was being made to deceive federal regulators.

Terms of the
plea agreement
Under the terms of Friday's plea agreement, Spronk has agreed to provide $250,000 to the city of Pipestone to purchase a new pumper truck and other firefighting equipment; $100,000 in funds to Rock County to purchase and install road signs throughout the county to improve the ability of fire, police and emergency technicians to respond to 911 calls; $50,000 to the Luverne Public School system for the purchase of computers, projectors and repairs; $50,000 to the Pipestone-Jasper School District for its elementary schools' computer labs; and $25,000 each to the Rock County and Pipestone County sheriff's departments.

He also agreed to pay at least a $100,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hank Shea is prosecuting the case. When asked about the unique terms of the plea agreement, he said, "Justice can sometimes be served in more than one way."

He said the terms of the agreement would be appropriate, based on the crime. "Punishment is sometimes part of the justice system; so is making amends for one's wrongful conduct," he said Tuesday.

"Gordon Spronk, through his plea, admitted to wrongdoing that was organized by others. He and others profited from that illegal conduct, so the plea agreement provides a way for him to pay back society for his involvement which should benefit the residents of Rock County and Pipestone County."

Spronk's actual sentence will be determined by Judge Michael Davis based on federal sentencing guidelines. The maximum potential penalty is 30 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine.

Based on his agreement to fully comply with all provisions of the plea agreement, the United States will recommend the court sentence him to less than six months in prison.

Ongoing investigation
Spronk joins a growing list of local defendants to appear in United States District Court.

Rock County feedlot officer John Burgers, Hills, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday, Sept. 20, on charges that he accepted money from the Pipestone hog operation Global Ventures Inc. to overlook mismanagement of potentially hazardous waste.

Global Ventures was also charged at that time with two counts of offering a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.

On Nov. 1, retired Pipestone construction company owner William A. Winter pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to lying to a federal agent.

He admitted in court that he gave money to a former Pipestone City Administrator for the purpose of receiving preferential treatment on city contracts. He also admitted to intentionally lying about it to an FBI agent who was investigating alleged bribes in Pipestone and Rock counties.

The cases all stem from an FBI investigation of financial arrangements and the hog industry in the Pipestone area for several years.

Anyone with information concerning the possible solicitation or receipt of bribes or kickbacks in Rock or Pipestone counties can call FBI Special Agent Michael Dudley, (507) 387-2460.

"If any of this information strikes a responsive chord in anyone's memory, we encourage them to call," Shea said.

After the publishing of the number following Burgers' indictment, Shea said, "A number of people stepped forward with information that was helpful in the ongoing investigation," he said. "It's been a substantial assistance."

By Sara Quam
The Luverne Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend that the City Council rezone Fledgling Field from R-1 to R-2.

Commission members Dave Haugom, Bill Ketterling and Bob Dorn voted in favor of the change and Jim Kirchhofer voted against it.

The rezoning request came to the commission from Cornerstone Construction, St. Cloud, which purchased the land in April 2000.

Rezoning opens the door for Cornerstone to apply for a conditional use permit for a funeral home, to be used by Dingmann Funeral Home. R-2 zones allow funeral homes as conditional uses, but R-1's don't.

Even though the zone change was approved by the Planning Commission, the City Council has to first approve it by two-thirds majority and then approve a conditional use request specifically for a funeral home.

The change would involve two lots that are now zoned R-1, or low-density residential. The term R-2 refers to a multi-family zone.

Although the previous year's arguments for and against a funeral home were rehashed, the testimony also involved new points.

Dan Dingmann of Dingmann Funeral Home testified on behalf of Cornerstone Construction. He said, "[The land] sits on a major highway."

Dingmann employee Kurt Haugen said, "This is not a peaceful little neighborhood. It's a major highway."

City Council member David Hauge spoke. "We certainly don't want to make a decision based on popularity that can bring about legal ramifications," he said.

Legal issues the city could face were explained by Attorney Ben Vander Kooi. Courts can overrule it because it is considered spot zoning.

Although a funeral home development may not seem like a big issue to some in the city of Luverne, spot zoning is a big issue in the state. In the past, the courts have considered zoning changes to be all right if they expand or contract a particular zone.

In other words, having contiguous zones is the ideal. Putting an R-2 zone in the middle of an R-1 doesn't fit that standard.

Commission discussion
Commission member Haugom said, "Let's just decide on Luverne and if there are higher influences out there, then what can we do about it?"

Kirchhofer said he opposes the change because it doesn't fit into what previous councils and citizen groups have worked on for long-term plans. He said that for zones to change, it must be for a public necessity and general welfare.

Kirchhofer also said, "Residential areas need to be held in very, very high regard."

Dorn said he favored the zone change and would eventually favor a permit for a funeral home because of their history of good neighborliness in Luverne.

"I feel that a funeral home in that area would be a good thing," Dorn said. "If [the residents] can shut out the noise of trucks and semis driving by on the highway, maybe they can shut out the fact that a funeral home is there."

Kirchhofer said that when rezoning is considered, the primary uses of the zone should be the focus of debate. Here, he pointed out, a funeral home is only a conditional use, not a primary use. "Those conditions have to be deliberated over when itÕs applied for."

Haugom said he understands that funeral homes are a business in the sense that they are for profit. However, he said he doesn't see that they are like a service business that has high traffic.

Haugom said that the highway clouds the lines of a residential district in his way of looking at the zone.

Public testimony
The public hearing opened with testimony from citizens.

Eddie Deutsch said, "What I would like to see is to make the change and see what goes from there."

Deutsch can get around only by wheelchair and is frustrated by the current inaccessibility of the historic Dingmann location on West Main Street.

Craig Hohn, a pharmacist at Lewis Family Drug, said the city shouldn't make it difficult for businesses to construct on reasonable sites. Lewis went through a difficult time in site selection because it wanted a downtown location.

Tom Serie said he would prefer to see a funeral home if he had a choice. "I'm not thrilled about having multi-family housing there."

He compared a funeral home's amount of use to churches and day-care centers, which he said are businesses allowed in residential areas.

Jim Harner opposes the rezoning or a conditional use permit.

"We can safely assume that the intention is to build a funeral home eventually," Harner said.

He pointed out that if Cornerstone wanted to develop the lots into residences, R-1 zones allow for duplexes as well as single family dwellings.

Harner cautioned the commission against setting a precedent it wouldn't want to follow up on. "In the future, how would the Planning Commission deal with specific plots of land?"

Janine Papik said that if the Planning Commission rezones the plots of land for a specific use, any lot or land in any residential district is open for applications for rezoning.

"I still have a problem with purchasing land and trying to change it later," Papik said.

Roseanne Olson testified as a property owner near the field. "I'm definitely opposed to the R-2 zoning. I do not want to see a funeral home there; I've lived by one before."

The City Council meets Dec. 11 and 18 and may take up the issue at one of those meetings.

At the last Fledgling Field vote, for example, the council followed recommendations by the commission with slight modifications. Whether it follows the recommendation of the commission this time around is totally up to the council members.