Luverne School Board members, staff and administration spent their Valentine's Day evening in a disheartening meeting about district finances.

If Gov. Jesse Ventura's education budget is passed this session, districts like Luverne will get very little help from the state.

According to information from the Department of Children Families and Learning, Luverne would receive a meager 1 percent increase in per pupil aid next year.

That compares with a 5-percent increase last year and a 6-percent increase the year before.

In a time of increasing costs due to crippling heating bills, special education demands and rising insurance premiums the governor's plan translates to hefty losses for small school districts.

According to District Financial Officer Marlene Mann, if the legislative budget passes as proposed, Luverne will see a reducation of $300,000 over the next two years.

Board members, teachers, staff and administrators were called together Feb. 14 for a crash course in district finances and possible outcomes of the legislative session.

"We just wanted to bring everyone on board and let them know what the situation is," said Board Chair Don Bryan.

"If our enrollment projections are true, we could see a slight decline in enrollment, less money from the state and increased expenses. That's definitely not a good formula."

Another proposal reportedly under consideration calls for a 7-percent increase in per pupil aid. Also, there is a legislative proposal to consider funding all day every day kindergarten.

If these two options materialize, prayers would be answered, but districts won't know the outcome in time to plan a budget.

"We try to have a preliminary budget proposal in March, but we may not have anything from the state until May. It's really a difficult thing," Bryan said.

"There's going to be more money allowed than the governor's plan calls for, but we can only budget for what's in place now, and thatÕs going to be very difficult."

Bryan said WednesdayÕs meeting wasn't about which school services would be on the chopping block. Rather, the point was to get everyone thinking about possible scenarios.

"Everyone's concerned, obviously, that there's not going to be enough money to fund everything we have now," Bryan said.

"Everyone has ideas and plans, and we're just hoping to convince legislators to come through for us. ...We're hoping to have everyone pulling for the same thing - whatÕs good for the kids."

State Rep. Richard Mulder can be reached at 515 State Office Bldg., St. Paul, MN 55155. Phone: 651-296-4336. E-mail: rep.richardmulder@house.leg.state.mn.us.

State Sen. Arlene Lesewski can be reached at 131 State Office Bldg., St. Paul, MN 55155. Phone: 651-296-4125. E-mail: sen.arlene.lesewski @senate.leg.state.mn.us.

By Sara Quam
The city of Luverne has released final counts of the Fledgling Field development survey.

The votes came in favor of the field being developed into a funeral home at 1,131; against 225, and no answer 827.

The surveys, sent out to gauge public opinion, were included in the utility bills due on Feb. 10. The final tallies will be forwarded to City Council members and discussed at a future council meeting.

Dan Dingmann, owner of Dingmann Funeral Home, wants to develop Fledgling Field for a new facility.

He had said previously that if the survey shows an overwhelming majority of the city supports development, his construction company will apply to have the land rezoned as R-I, or institutional, in which funeral homes are allowed as a conditional use.

Originally, he applied for a conditional use permit for the R-1 zone and was turned down. Rezoning would get around having to apply for a specific permit. R-1 zones are held up to the highest standards, limiting development to housing only.

Fledgling Field, located along Highway 75, Luverne, was purchased last April by Cornerstone Construction, St. Cloud. It had the intention of constructing a funeral home and then selling it to Dingmann.

Dingmann, owner of the funeral home since 1993, wants the development because his current location on West Main Street doesn't meet many codes. If he remodels it, the building will lose historic designation.

He maintains that a funeral home would fit well in the Fledgling Field neighborhood because of its proximity to churches and a state highway. Also, design plans call for a residential appearance.

Amber Engelkes (from left) and her son, Gavin, and Christina Loonan and early childhood educator Pam Sells make creative shapes out of bread dough Monday afternoon in the Adrian Early Childhood Family Education building. The bread activity was tied in with a finger puppet story of the "Little Red Hen" presented by ECFE educator Nancy Kaczrowski. Monday's ECFE class was the first in a series of "Active Afternoons at Adrian ECFE." Next Monday, children will have a pizza party during which they'll make their own pizza. The Active Monday Afternoons continue through April 9. Children as old as 5 years old can sign up for any or all of the events. Call Kaczrowski at 283-9261 or Adrian Community Education to sign up.

Photos by Lori Ehde

By Sara Quam
Recent fluctuating temperatures have caused trouble for more than arthritis and good hair days.

Two water mains broke in Luverne as a result of ground movement, and area towns have had similar troubles.

Luverne employees Jim Rockman, Verlyn Van Batavia and Water and Wastewater Supervisor Al Lais worked on Highway 75 Saturday and Sunday after a 10-inch pipe broke open.

The team started work Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and continued through 3 a.m. Sunday. They picked up again at 6:30 a.m. and worked until 9:30 p.m. when the problem was under control.

This particular main was problematic because of its large diameter and the amount of water that sprung from it. Lais said it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the break, so he and his co-workers did a lot of digging.
Monday brought another break -this time a 4-inch main on Blue Mound Avenue.

City staff quickly shut off that water and were able to seal the break. However, Lais and his crew still had to dig an 8-foot-deep hole in order to reach the problem. In the process a phone line was damaged and had to be repaired.

Lais said people will know when a water main breaks because water will exit the ground with high pressure or even a thin stream. Either way, if water looks out of place - as it would now, with the rest of the ground covered in snow and ice - it's best to contact the city.

As for prevention, Lais said he just knocks on wood. "It's just up to whatever nature decides to do."

By Lori Ehde
Before South Dakota's Roy Hansen was arrested on felony drug charges earlier last week, he hung around Luverne long enough to spend some cash.

Terry Connell of Connell Car Care brushed shoulders with the alleged criminal Saturday, Feb. 3.

"He was kinda your typical rough-looking fellow," Connell said Tuesday.

Hansen had stopped at the used car lot on East Main Street Friday, Feb. 2, with a man in a car with South Dakota plates.

The next day, Hansen came back and picked out an Oldsmobile Alero for $9,900.

"It was a get-away car, I suppose," Connell said.

He paid for the car in cash - with $100 and $50 bills - and drove off the lot.

"He acted fine, and he was pretty cool about things," Connell said. "I had no reason to believe he was anything but legit. If someone wants to buy a car, you sell him a car."

Federal law requires businesses to report cash transactions over $10,000 to authorities.

Hansen was arrested in the parking lot of Luverne's Comfort Inn Sunday, Feb. 4, on a South Dakota warrant.

Officers executed a search warrant Monday in two rooms rented by Hansen and two others.

They found $6,700 cash in a briefcase and about three pounds of powder methamphetamine with a street value of about $135,000.

The case is under review by local, state and federal officials. Federal authorities assist with drug cases involving a pound or more of meth.

Hansen, 39, was indicted last month by a Minnehaha County grand jury on two previous charges of possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded not guilty to those charges Monday in Sioux Falls, and his trial is scheduled for April 2.

He is held on $100,000 cash bond at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. He will not appear in court for his Luverne Feb. 4 arrest until after his previous cases in South Dakota are cleared.

The business transaction between Hansen and Connell Car Care is legal, but the car is now parked in the city impound lot in Luverne.

By law, if a vehicle is used to transport a controlled substance it becomes subject to forfeiture. The same is true for money or other items of value found in close proximity to drugs.

If the court orders as such, the cash found in the Comfort Inn and the car purchased at Connell could become property of Rock County Law Enforcement.

Proceeds would be used for expenses incurred in connection with law enforcement.

According to the Rock County Attorney's Office, this would likely be the largest forfeiture ever collected in Rock County.

By John Rittenhouse
A crowd of more than 500 people attended the fourth annual Rock County Sportsman's Show at the Luverne Elementary School Saturday.

The family-oriented event offered something for everyone and was especially well-received by fathers and their children.

"All in all, it went really well," said Julie Wynia, co-chairperson for the event. "We wanted to provide an event that would offer something for fathers, mothers and children. We had a lot of dads come with their sons and daughters, and that was really neat to see."

Nearly 60 exhibitors and a seminar schedule that consisted of six discussions were the highlights of the event for the older members of the crowd.

Brent Mielke, the Zoo Man representing Adrian's Prairie Wind Zoo, and an opportunity to snow shoe around the school grounds were big hits with the children.

Recent weather trends and area competition were factors in attendance figures that were down from 1,000 the year before.

After a rash of poor weather that closed many area schools in the days leading up to the event, parents were left to make a choice between taking in the Sportsman's Show or taking on the neglected chores that piled up after the weather kept people indoors most of the week.

Competing with a Farm and Home Show in Edgerton the same day also influenced the attendance numbers.
"We didn't draw as many people as last year, but everyone who I talked to said that it was an exciting show. The kids' portion of the event went over really well," Wynia said.

The event raised approximately $4,000 (before expenses). Proceeds will go to the Big Buddies of Rock County, the Hills-Beaver Creek-Steen Baseball Association, Patriot Partners, Steen Community Park Committee and the Hills Lions Club.

By Sara Quam
Luverne's less-than-adequate National Guard Armory may be replaced by a new Training and Community Center.

After a visit from Adjutant General Eugene Andreotti a few months ago, various community groups gathered to assess needs of the Armory.

Personnel from the Minnesota National Guard, the city, county, school and Chamber of Commerce discussed the possibility of a new center that could provide better for the Guard unit and incorporate community needs.

The group said in a letter sent to Andreotti Wednesday, "Members of the community feel the Training and Community Center is important for our community as well as the Guard unit it serves. At the present time the facility is used by the school for the gymnastics team and its equipment. There are craft shows, auctions, meetings and emergency situations where the TACC has been invaluable. We support the Guard and wish to have the facilities upgraded to meet their needs as well as those of the community."

The letter is the first step in getting federal approval, which would pay for 75 percent of its costs, with the rest split by state and local fees.

A big concern with the facility is parking. The current Armory is surrounded by residences and railroad tracks, and expansion is not an option.

If a new facility is built, the letter addresses some key points the community would like to see included in the planning: additional school gymnasium space, high school vocational services, law enforcement center, day care center, after school and latchkey programs, Heartland Express Bus storage and communications and senior citizens center.

After reviewing the current facility the following were listed as areas of concern:

oA report on state armory facilities shows Luverne's at the bottom of the list.

oThe present facility has no fire alarm system and no safety lighting.

oThere is inadequate wiring and lighting throughout the building.

oThe parking lot is inadequate and in need of repair.

oThere is no parking for the unit's military vehicles.

oThe kitchen area has been determined unusable. A cost of $90,000 has been attached to improving the present kitchen facilities.

oThe boiler is 25 years old. The cost to convert from the current steam to water is $150,000.

oThe roof on the main structure needs to be redone.

oThere is no ventilation.

oBecause of the winter training exercises, it is necessary for the facility to have additional storage.

oThe current phone system is inadequate with no possible state-of-the-art capabilities.

oThe soffets around the building are rotting and need to be replaced.

oThe acoustics in the main area are inadequate and cause problems because of the noise.

oThe shower facilities and male rest rooms are in the basement area and are inadequate.

oThere are no shower facilities for females.

oThere is no exit egress lighting.

oThere is no backup source of heating.

oThe steps on the entrances need to be replaced.

oThe facility does not meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By John Rittenhouse
Two boys' basketball teams were searching for their first Tri-County Conference wins of the season when Ellsworth traveled to Hills Monday.

In what was a tight game the entire way, Hills-Beaver Creek produced a field goal with 1:00 left to play, and it proved to be the difference in a 53-52 outcome.
H-BC, which trailed 40-39 entering the fourth quarter, gained a one-point edge with its late field goal.

Ellsworth had a chance to win the game with a last-second shot, but Dylan Kvaale's 20-foot attempt fell short of the rim as the final buzzer sounded.

The visiting Panthers sported a 13-11 edge after eight minutes of play before being outscored 22-14 by H-BC in the second quarter to trail 33-37 at halftime.

EHS moved in front 40-39 with a 13-6 scoring advantage in the third quarter, but the Patriots prevailed with their 14-12 scoring edge in the final eight minutes of play.

David Top helped the Patriots win the game by drilling five three-point shots during a 21-point performance. Matt Buck added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists to the winning effort.

Lyle DeBoer had four rebounds and three assists for H-BC, while Lance Crawford and Brad Haak collected four rebounds each. Darin DeBoer had four assists for the winners.

Dean Moss pumped in 19 points and passed for four assists for EHS.

Curt Schilling and Brant Deutsch snared seven and five rebounds respectively. Curt Chapa registered four assists and Kvaale came away with three steals.

Box score
Ellsworth
Schilling 2 1 2-2 9, Jenniges 0 1 0-0 3, Kvaale 0 1 2-2 5, Moss 4 2 5-7 19, Deutsch 1 0 1-3 3, Kramer 2 0 0-0 4, Peters 2 0 0-0 4, Chapa 1 1 0-0 5.
H-BC
D.DeBoer 2 0 2-2 6, Fransman 0 0 0-0 0, Haak 0 0 3-8 3, L.DeBoer 2 0 0-2 4, Top 2 5 2-5 21, Crawford 1 0 4-6 6, Buck 5 0 3-6 13.

Team statistics
Ellsworth: 18 of 48 field goals (38 percent), 10 of 14 free throws (71 percent), 26 rebounds, 11 turnovers.
H-BC: 17 of 47 field goals (36 percent), 14 of 29 free throws (48 percent), 22 rebounds, 11 turnovers.