Eldora R. Bakk, 78, Lincoln, Neb., formerly of Hills and Luverne, died Sunday, March 10, 2002, at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln.

Services were Wednesday, March 13, at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls, S.D. Burial was in Hills of Rest Memorial Park.

Eldora Rye was born to Gullick and Emma (Thompson) Rye on Dec. 1, 1923, in Porter. She grew up in Hills and graduated from Hills High School in 1941. Following graduation she worked at Exchange State Bank of Hills.

She married Orville F. Bakk on Nov. 21, 1943, in Hills. During Mr. Bakk's 31-year career with State Farm Insurance Companies they lived in Luverne, Windom, Rapid City, S.D., Huron, S.D., Sioux Falls, and Lincoln. Following Mr. Bakk's death in 1991 she moved to Lincoln.

During their nine years in Sioux Falls they were members of St. Mark's Lutheran Church. She was active in church groups, Meals On Wheels and Ladies Elks.

Survivors include two sons, James Bakk, Lincoln, and Steven Bakk, Georgetown, Texas; two daughters, Barbara Eisenbraun, Lincoln, and Lori Ann Leffew, Virginia Beach, Va.; seven grandchildren, Kimberly, Jon, Brian, Eric, Alisha, Tyler and Hannah; two brothers, Glenn Rye, Phoenix, Ariz., and Raymond Rye, Eau Claire, Wis,; and two sisters, Opal Nelson, Hills, and Vivian Helgeson, Hines.

Mrs. Bakk was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Orville, on Dec. 19, 1990, one brother, Norris, and one sister, Beverly.

Memorials may be directed to Tabitha Home Health Care, 4720 Randolph St., Lincoln, NE 68510 or Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, 5401 South Street, Lincoln, NE 68506.

Norma Severson, 76, Beaver Creek, died Thursday, Feb. 28 at the Luverne Community Hospital. Services will be Sunday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, Luverne, with Dan Smith officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday, March 2 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne.

Henry Clarence Langhout, 89, Luverne, died Sunday, March 10, 2002, in Luverne Community Hospital.

Services were Wednesday, March 13, at First Baptist Church in Luverne. Ron Moffitt officiated. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery.

Henry Langhout was born to Sam and Minnie (Feikema) Langhout on July 16, 1912, in Perkins, Iowa. He attended school in rural Rock County. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in February 1943 during World War II. He served in Burma and India. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 11, 1946. After his service in the military he farmed in the Luverne and Beaver Creek area.

He married Eloise Lacroix on Feb. 14, 1943, at Gilbert Memorial Baptist Church in Mt. Clemens, Mich. She died on Dec. 18, 1975.

He married Cornelia "Connie" Tinklenberg on Oct. 9, 1981, at First Baptist Church in Luverne. She died on July 17, 1993.

Mr. Langhout was a member of First Baptist Church in Luverne where he was a Sunday School teacher and served on the Deacon Board. He helped establish Hilltop Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1964. He was a member of the Gideons of Luverne. He also worked with the Sioux Falls Mission. He loved to recite poetry, ride his bike and loved children and people.

Survivors include one stepdaughter, Gene (Hugo) Zick, Lake Benton; eight stepgrandchildren, Dan (Ruth) Moore, Sharla (Dave) Steuck, Darwin (Debbie) Moore, Sandi (Tom) Newgard, Shari (Terry) Altermatt, Rachel (Brad) Deutz, Randy (Carina) Zick and Rod Zick; 18 stepgreat-grandchildren; five stepgreat-great-grandchildren; one brother, Clarence Langhout, Garden Grove, Calif,, and two sisters, Sharlette Miller, Peachtree, Ga., and Erma Smith, Sioux Falls.

Mr. Langhout was preceded in death by his parents, his two wives, Eloise and Cornelia, two brothers and one sister.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Henry Langhout, 89, Luverne, died Sunday, March 10 at the Luverne Community Hospital. Services will be Wednesday, March 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church, Luverne, with Ron Moffitt officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, March 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. with the family present form 6 to 8 p.m. at the church. Dingmann Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

By Sara Strong
Rock County students got a short education on drug use that likely made a lasting impression.

Chuck Matson is a nationally certified trainer in recognizing impairing drugs and is a 16-year veteran of the Omaha Police Department. He speaks to schools, police departments, businesses, health care providers and counselors.

He used specific stories and visual aids to illustrate the ugliness of drug use.

"In all my years of asking drug users what you should know about drugs, they all say 'don't even start,'" Matson said.

"I do less preaching. I think of it more as teaching," Matson said. "I tell the truth. Users lie and dealers lie to try to get you to use. I research drugs because that’s what I do for the courts."

He reminded high school and middle school students that using drugs funds terrorism. Osama bin Laden controls the poppy crops, which make opium and heroin, and the Russian Mafia has almost a monopoly on the ecstasy trade.

Starting with alcohol, Matson explained that drugs change the relationship between the right and left brain, and people can't function as well. He said that younger people with brains that aren't fully grown get worse effects from drugs.

Deaths from drug and alcohol use are not just from overdoses, Matson pointed out. He said AIDS, auto accidents, suicide and homicide are often the result of drug use.

"Drugs work," Matson said. "If you're looking for a way to get high, to get goofy or to get stupid - they work."

When learning about the standard dangers of drug use from parents or school programs, Matson said children may not be getting the full message because drugs are made so much stronger than they were 10 and 20 years ago.

"We grow better corn than we used to, and they grow better marijuana than they did," he said.

Meth
Methamphetamine, or speed, is common in the Midwest after rapidly gaining popularity across the country.

It is a stimulant that sends a message to the brain to produce more dopamine. Hours after ingestion, the feel-good chemical, dopamine, isn't turned back on, and the brain wants more meth to pick up the slack.

Other drugs considered to be heavy stimulants allow the brain to repackage the dopamine, but methamphetamine doesn't. Instead, the brain cells release another enzyme that diminishes the dopamine and kills it off for a long time.

With repeated meth use, there is a chemical change in the brain that lasts a long time and can create a violent, irritable person incapable of feeling happiness or having fun, even months after the meth use stops.

Methamphetamine can be ingested in a number of ways, and symptoms of use include:

increased alertness
paranoia
hallucinations
aggressive behavior
violent behavior
loss of appetite
acne or sores
depression
convulsions
severe weight loss (meth eats away fat and muscle)
putrid body odor
open sores on the skin
liver damage
stroke or heart attack

Meth is made from:

lantern fuel
drain cleaner
battery acid
cold tablets
rock salt
sulfuric and muriatic acid

Matson showed the groups graphic pictures of the results of drug use. A car accident ruined the face of a young model. A man who smoked marijuana laced with PCP shaved his skin off. A man trying to make methamphetamine inhaled anhydrous ammonia, instantly freezing his lungs, and he literally coughed them out of his mouth.

While the outside pictures were startling to the groups, Matson also showed what drugs can do to the inside.

One girl who had been a regular user of ecstacy, or MDMA, had the brain of a 65-year-old woman who had suffered numerous strokes. In years to come she will continue to worsen in her symptoms to include Parkinson disease-like shakes and lose memory like an Alzheimer’s patient.

"These are mostly psychologically addicting drugs. All of a sudden it’s not about feeling good anymore when you use; it's just about feeling normal."

Club drugs
MDMA (ecstasy) is an especially trendy drug for high school and middle school students. The drug produces peaceful feelings and is often called the love drug.

It heats the body up to 108 degrees in some cases and dehydrates the body. Brain damage can occur at 104 degrees.

Many users of MDMA think they are counteracting the dehydration by drinking large quantities of water. But dealers often mix other ingredients that don't allow the body to use the water properly. Matson said people have actually overdosed on water in those cases.

"Sometimes chemists take weeks to actually find what these pills are made of," Matson said.

"Brain surgeons are seeing brain damage from this drug that they've never seen before," he said.

He said most people don't die from ecstasy use but live to pay the consequences. And the brain damage isn't the only risk this type of drug user faces. Matson said sexual predators often go to clubs or seek out groups of people who are using MDMA because they are easy to prey upon.

"And when your guard is down, they might slip you some more drugs. And this isn't just for girls," Matson said. "Pedophiles can go both ways as long as they are a predator on someone."

Seeing teen-agers with pacifiers in their mouths is common if they use MDMA. The drug stimulates nerves that control jaw movement and results in teeth grinding so the pacifier is used for protection. But even with that minor precaution, users frequently end up with no enamel after repeated use and teeth grinding. One night of ecstasy use can even result in bloody gums from so much teeth grinding.

"If you want to make a lot of money, go into dentistry," Matson said, "You'll be getting a lot of business."

Another drug used in club or party settings is GHB, the rape drug. The only way for teens to make sure they aren't ingesting it, Matson said, is to drink from tamper-proof containers and if the containers leave their sight, get a new drink.

GHB is essentially made from a combination of ingredients from drain cleaner and furniture stripper. It produces a drunk-like state that wipes out memory and isn’t reported nearly as much as it's used because of the memory loss.

Matson's main message was that students need to protect themselves from the effects of drug use, because it isn’t a victimless crime.

For parents
Matson also spoke to parents in an evening session. For parents looking for more information, some Web sites may help.

Government links
www.fda.gov
www.clubdrugs.org
www.xcel.net.au/~drugarm/

Drug slang defined
www.addictions.com/slang.htm

General information
www.ravedata.com/rd/event/state/MN.html
www.housecat420.com
www.raves.com

By Lori Ehde
After two months of sleeping in a bag in the desert sands of Afghanistan, LuverneÕs Adam Sellgren is glad to be home.

Lance Cpl. Sellgren, 21, was welcomed home Saturday with a party at the Coffey Haus after completing his first two years of a four-year commitment to the Marines.

The cake, balloons and well-wishes seemed almost surreal compared with what he'd seen in the past few months.

"I was totally unprepared for what we had to do," Sellgren said of his role in Operation Enduring Freedom.

All in a day's work
Sellgren's military occupational specialty is anti-tank assault, and his secondary specialty is demolition.

For "reasons of national security" he couldn't be specific about when he was there or what he did, but his job was basically to destroy enemy tanks and detect land mines and booby traps.

For example, he had standing orders to shoot all dogs because they are commonly wired with explosives that detonate when the animals are petted.

The Marine Corps' mission in Afghanistan was to seek and flush out Taliban forces. Generally, Sellgren said the Marines met with little resistance when they encountered pockets of Taliban troops.

"They could see we had the bigger guns, and they'd call it a day," he said. "But sometimes, they'd dig their heels in and weÕd have to earn our bread and butter."

He spoke matter-of-factly about his work in Afghanistan, but on some days, he said, he questioned his decision to join the Marines or the military at all.

'It was bad'
When asked to share details of his worst day in the desert, all he said was, "It was bad. It's a day I'm going to live for a few years. It's nothing I want to experience ever again ... A lot of guys out there aren't going to be right in the head for quite awhile."

Though not all days were that bad, Sellgren spoke of those two months in Afghanistan as something to be endured.

"There was some really messed up stuff going on in Afghanistan," he said. "It was the kind of thing you didn't see on CNN."

He didn't get too specific, because it was too painful to relive some situations, but he did say the Taliban would hang enemy sympathizers from the tops of buildings to show other would-be traitors their fate.

The Marine infantrymen had dirty jobs, but their living conditions were even worse.

Every night for two months, he slept in a lightweight sleeping bag, inside a larger outer Gore-Tex shell. That outer shell enclosed the men in their sleeping sacks, plus all their gear.

Even though they zipped the outer shell completely shut to outside elements, Sellgren said he still woke up every morning with sand grinding in the skin of his neck.

The drifting sand would nearly bury those enclosed sacks of sleeping Marines, and Sellgren said heÕd pray a tank wouldn't accidentally run them over.

He went for five weeks straight at one stretch without a shower. "It was hot, sticky and ..."
Despite the trying experience, Sellgren said he never doubted his reason for being there.

"I kept thinking, 'All this, because we don't believe the same things they do, and they think they can bomb our cities because of it.' I think they're getting what they deserved."

Living with war
In the days and months following the Sept. 11 terrorism attack on America, Sellgren's parents, Barb and Jim Schmidt, tried to keep close tabs on him.

"You learn how to live with war, and you learn how to live on hope," Barb said.

She spoke occasionally with Adam on the phone, but he wasnÕt allowed to reveal his location or what he was doing.

Barb said it was especially hard to know heÕd likely be in harmÕs way, but she couldn't know how or when.

"Something within me knew when he was going to Afghanistan," she said, recalling her last phone conversation with Adam before he left.

"There was a tone to his voice ... and then, I didn't hear anything for eight weeks and three days."
She said for a time, she was depressed.

"That triggered something in me. The life of one of my children was threatened," she said.

"I had to work it out with my God. It was a true test of faith. Do I really trust God? Do I trust him with the life of my child?"

No regrets
Sellgren said he joined the Marines because he wanted to be part of the pride and camaraderie only the Marines seemed to offer.

Plus, he's enjoyed mastering the physical challenges of Marine Corps basic training, and he's taken in the wonders of traveling lesser-known regions of the world.

"I have no regrets," Sellgren said, when asked if the Marines experience is what he thought it would be. "I've done a ton of things I've always wanted to do.... I've been overseas, and I've met a lot of people from all different ethnic backgrounds."

He said Marine Corps training has given him confidence he's never had before. "I can jump out of helicopters, I can save someone in a flood or tornado," he said. "It's amazing when I step back out of the picture and look at what I was before the Marines and what I am now."

Sellgren will report back to Camp Pendleton on March 25, but until then, he's enjoying sleeping until noon - on a real bed, spending time with his brother, Taylor, and eating real food, not military rations on the run.

Luverne Marine Adam Sellgran survived a two-month stint in Afghanistan. Adam's mother, Barb Schmidt, kept patriotism alive int eh neighborhood by decorating their home on West Main Street with patriotic lights and colors. Bold letters ont he garage said "Welcome home, Adam. Thank you." Story inside.

Photo by Lori Ehde

By Jolene Farley
After 19 years as a city councilman and clerk Cornelius Bosch, Steen, submitted his resignation, effective April 1, to the Steen City Council Monday.

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

Steen mayor Mel Van Batavia said Bosch will be missed in the community. "I know he does stuff we don't even know he does," he said. "He just does it, a lot of little things."

"I do all the little odds and ends," said Bosch. "You got to work with the people in town and with the county auditorÕs office. If you have a question you just call them. They are really good."

The next month will be a learning experience for BoschÕs replacement, Robert Sandbulte, according to Van Batavia. Bosch is training Sandbulte to take over the duties he performed as clerk. Sandbulte was appointed at Monday's meeting.

"I told him (Cornie) to write it all down," said Van Batavia.

The usual duties for a city clerk include taking the minutes at meetings and preparing meeting agendas, according to Van Batavia.

But over the years, Bosch has taken on many more tasks. He reads the water meters in town if needed. He keeps the recycling shed clean. He gathers the necessary city water samples and sends them to the Environmental Protection Agency and completes any reports.

He visits the Rock County Auditor when Steen sets its tax levy. He reviews the city books with the County Auditor once a year. He visits the city attorney if the city needs any legal work done.

Bosch even planted flowers in the flowerpots on Main Street in Steen and tended them all summer long, with help from his wife and others, according to Van Batavia.

Van Batavia said Bosch made his job as mayor easier. "He made sure everything got done," he said.

"I've always had a good council to work with... cooperative and good to work with," said Bosch.

Van Batavia said the search for a replacement for Bosch was lengthy. BoschÕs replacement had to be available for city business during the day.

Sandbulte fits the bill because his shift as a rural mail carrier ends in the afternoon, according to Van Batavia.

"It's astounding, in this little bitty town, how much work it is to keep it going," Van Batavia said.

Bosch said he won't miss the work, with the added bookwork and regulations these days, but he will miss the people he works with.

"I've enjoyed the job," he said. "In a way it's a challenge, and in a way it's a good experience.

Jesse the Mouth coul use lesson in diplomacy
When Gov. Ventura was first elected, Jesse the Body wanted us to call him Jesse the Brain. But I could come up with a few other features of the anatomy to call him.

Ventura's veto of the "quick fix" budget that was passed in the House and Senate Thursday will stay despite efforts to override the veto.

It's not exactly Jesse's policies that aggravate a lot of people, although those are not without warranted criticism. It's more about the way he acts and what he says.

To settle this budget and fix a $1.9-billion state deficit, the governor wanted to spend some of the state's reserves, cut programs and increase some taxes.

The Legislature agreed on a plan that would spend more of the reserves and cut fewer programs but not raise taxes.

Jesse's cutting and taxing plan doesn't sound so illogical, although our county and city leaders wholeheartedly disagreed with most of the proposed cuts.

And the Legislature's spending plan didn't sound so bad, although the governor called it a politically-motivated plan to stack the re-election odds.

I just know that the governor has a habit of making decisions on his own and not allowing the press or legislators to question the decisions.

Tuesday's effort to override the veto didn't make the two-thirds vote required. Our local representatives, Rep. Richard Mulder and Sen. Arlene Lesewski, voted to override the veto and avoid going back to the drawing board.

The plan they would rather have abided by was met with words like haphazard, deficient, irresponsible, dangerous, irrational and unacceptable by the governor.

He said that even attempting to override his veto would be unpatriotic in this "war-torn" time.

Lawmakers countered those statements by saying that Ventura is using Sept. 11 as an excuse to do just about anything he wants.

It all makes me wonder if Ventura is recalling his character in "Predator" to learn how to behave as governor of Minnesota.

Melodrama of Olympic proportions
Well, I can finally watch "Friends" tonight since the Winter Olympics at last has crossed the finish line.

It's a known fact that I'm not a huge sports fan, but I usually watch Olympic games because of some sense of pride in my country. I didn't watch this year's winter games as much as usual, because I was disappointed every time I tuned in.

Instead of sitting back to watch an athletic event, it became something that looked like a journalists' excuse to stack fluff pieces in their portfolios.

I saw too much slow-motion camera work, behind-the-scenes looks at preparations and stories of Olympians and their families. I just wanted to watch some sledding and skating without orchestras playing tear-jerkers in the background.

I hope the next network that covers the Olympics shows athletes, whether they were gold favorites or not, and allows the sports to carry the drama.

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