Opinion
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistFebruary 05, 2025Can you remember the very first game animal you ever harvested? I certainly can remember the first goose I ever shot, and I can tell you exactly where I was when I harvested my first duck. But for the life of me, I cannot remember my first rooster. I can remember my first rooster shot over a trained hunting dog. I have been blessed to have been part of many firsts for other new hunters. Most…- January 29, 2025According to the calendar, we just came through the darkest weeks of the year, Nov. 16 through Jan. 22, when the days are short, nights are long and temperatures are cold. It's no wonder the medical community recognizes SAD (seasonal affective disorder) as “a type of depression related to changes in seasons.” According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms start in the fall and continue through winter,…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 29, 2025My sisters and I — all five of us — recently returned from a short Florida beach vacation. Cheap airline tickets in November prompted a flurry of last-minute travel plans, and our Allegiant, Airbnb and Turo reservations were quickly secured. We chose Fort Myers, because January temperatures are typically in the 70s, and our stretch of beach on Estero Island was restored from Ian in 2022 and…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJanuary 29, 2025With the holidays upon us, I wanted to share a message about distracted driving. Here is some information we recently shared on our Department of Public Safety blog. “It was supposed to be a routine trip for 20-year-old Megan Severson. On Oct. 17, 2019, Severson was driving from Preston in southeastern Minnesota to visit her boyfriend in North Dakota. But when she reached Highway 52 in St. Paul…- January 22, 2025The Star Herald editorial staff has compiled an assortment of “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” this week for small business investments, bad social media attitudes, family-friendly events and more. Thumbs up — to economic growth in Luverne and Rock County. In 2024 a record number of building permits were issued for new single-family houses in Luverne. Their construction value of $3 million is in…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterJanuary 22, 2025Madi Oye’s kindergartners embarked on a special lesson this month. She’s seeking your help in garnering postmarks from all 50 states via the mailing of Valentine’s Day cards to her Luverne classroom. So far, her students have received 17 cards and have checked a dozen states off the 50-states list. With Feb. 14 three weeks away, we need to get our cards sent to the kindergartners sooner rather…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJanuary 22, 2025I have a little bit of this and a little bit of that for you this week. First, I have to admit until the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, I didn’t pay much attention to girls’/women’s basketball. I watched as Clark took women’s college basketball by storm. I followed her throughout her first year in the WNBA. What I came to realize is that women at the college and professional level can really shoot…- January 22, 2025Harnack shares poem about refugees titled 'Just Like Me' Letter to the Editor: “Just Like Me” They are forced to become a “refugee”. But, the more I think, the more I see. They want to be safe, they want to be free. And in many ways, they are just like me. They bleed red blood, just like me. They breathe the air, just like me. They feel pain, just like me. Have a distant stare,…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 22, 2025The winter we never had last year has appeared this year, at least in the form of decent ice as a result of day after day of below zero temperatures during the overnights. Most of the local lakes in my area are at 14-15 inches of solid clear ice in most locations. I was up in northeast South Dakota a few weeks back, and the ice conditions there were very good. You will still see a few someones…- January 15, 2025With nearly 2,000 babies affected by birth defects each year in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz proclaimed January as Birth Defects Awareness Month in Minnesota. January is also National Birth Defects Awareness Month. This year the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is joining with the National Birth Defects Prevention Network to highlight the “Every Journey Matters” campaign. The national group…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJanuary 15, 2025On New Year’s Day my sister sent me a video of our 86-year-old father ripping down the driveway on his new Honda Monkey. The big bike was getting to be a little much, so Dad thought it wise to downsize. He’s usually a safety guy, but in the video Dad – with no helmet – spins his baseball cap around backward and tears off the farm yard. The video records my sister giggling and saying, “There…- January 15, 2025Recognize the most fiscally responsible leadership This weekend I was reading the Star Herald and took notice on page two on the story of county tax levy, that Rock County has the lowest tax rate in the state of Minnesota. Kudos to the county leadership for being fiscally responsible over the year. This story got me thinking how does Luverne stack up compared to its peers as it relates to the…
- January 08, 2025January marks National Blood Donor Month, a time to honor the invaluable contributions of the millions of blood donors nationwide who assist patients during critical moments. Community Blood Bank, Sanford Luverne Medical Center, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office and the Luverne Fire Department will compete in the annual “Heroes Behind the Badges” blood drive on Monday, Jan. 13, at Sanford…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 08, 2025My dad in the 1970s sold O’s Gold Seed Corn and often wore a bright orange windbreaker and cap to advertise his farming side-gig. As a little girl I didn’t give much thought to seed corn, but I could always spot Dad in a crowd in his orange cap. Today, it’s not just the ag salesmen wearing the labels. It seems everyone who buys feed, seed, chemicals, tools or machinery has a matching wardrobe…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJanuary 08, 2025There are always a few of those “changing over to the New Year” tasks that need our attention. Getting used to writing 2025 on checks usually takes a check or two to get in the swing of the New Year. I know you’re probably thinking, “Who writes checks anymore?” I probably write two, maybe three checks a month. We get about eight different weekly newspapers at the office. All eight are from…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 08, 2025I started out the new year with a spearing trip to northeast South Dakota. I was looking to do a little pike spearing, and southern Minnesota is not the greatest place to do that. For one, we only have a few lakes that have a decent pike population and even fewer lakes that have water clear enough to make spearing enjoyable. Some of only decent pike lakes had frozen out two years ago, and even…
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