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Next Thursday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, and I just want to remind folks to take a couple of moments to think about and appreciate the men and women who have served and will serve our country in the armed forces. I never served in the military, and frankly it’s one of my greatest regrets in life. If I had a do over, I like to think I would have served our country. There are a number of Veterans…

The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on January 6, 1905.   Birds Score High Many Fine Specimens are Exhibited Event Was a Big Success Fourth Annual Show of Luverne Poultry Association Came to an End Saturday—Majority of Purses Won by Luverne Exhibitors—List of the Prize Winners The fourth annual show of the Luverne Poultry association passed into history Saturday evening. It will not…

A dog is a dog is a dog, unless the dog is one of my dogs. All dog owners have different levels of attachment to their dogs. Some keep a dog around only as a family pet. Others hunt with them on special occasions. Most of these dogs with little time afield or with limited training do as much or as little as the owner expects of them. Others will train their dogs extensively or even have a…

The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived! Pheasant hunting season in Minnesota opened Oct. 16, and there are a few things your hunting dogs need before you get out in the field. Many dog owners will let these items slip until something bad happens, and then they have to deal with them in the aftermath.   Trim toenails The first task is to trim your dog’s toenails. Most dogs live in the…

Carson and Gracie carved a Jack-o-lantern one crisp autumn day in early October. They selected a well-shaped, nicely textured pumpkin with a well-positioned flat spot for optimal display. On a Saturday between college homework, they scooped out the innards, baked the seeds and carved a toothy smile that they illuminated with a battery-powered votive candle. And life was good. It grinned proudly…

Question: I drive school bus and am a retired firefighter. Recently one of our buses was stopped – eight ways on, stop signs deployed – when two fire apparatus approached red lights and sirens. The apparatus did not slow and sped past the bus. I’ve always said regardless of what type of emergency vehicle, they must stop and wait for the school bus driver to shut down the eight ways (indicating…

A recent Star Tribune article pointed to a phenomenon that has ruined plenty of Sunday “fundays” for me. It’s called the Sunday “scaries.” Sunday scaries is the tendency to overthink the workweek ahead. The mind busily runs through everything that needs to be accomplished during the upcoming week. Worst-case scenarios of the imposing tasks creep into the mind, and before you know it, the weekend…

The Luverne Area Community Foundation (LACF) is organizing the MAX YOUR COMMUNITY fund drive from Nov. 1-11.  On Tuesday, Nov. 11, there will be a live KQAD radiothon broadcast from the LACF’s Main Street office. Two of this area’s longtime trusted organizations, the Luverne Area Community Foundation and Red Arrow have come together to raise $100,000. The Red Arrow organization was for many years…

My household includes four Labrador retrievers, which some people think is a lot of dogs. It wasn’t always this way for me. I was volunteering at the Little Sioux Retriever Club Hunt test back in the mid-90s and I was sitting around five different dog trainers. I asked them as a group, “Why would anyone need more than one dog?” They all started laughing. I figured you can only hunt one dog at a…

A number of people I know have become “preppers.” According to Oxford, a prepper is “a person who believes a catastrophic disaster or emergency is likely to occur in the future and makes active preparations for it, typically, by stockpiling food, ammunition, and other supplies.” Some of the people I know would take issue with the phrase “a disaster is likely to occur” and replace it with the…

It happens all the time. A good idea gets a little traction and then, for a whole host of reasons, dies on the vine. This was what just about happened in the Adrian community when an Eagle Scout started a project to open an archery range about two years ago. The required approvals were received from the necessary government entities, but over the next few months the project was not completed, and…

It’s time to organize my Star Herald plans for 2022. I know this because our month-at-a-glance, 14-month spiral-bound 2022 calendar planners were distributed this week at the office. Did I prefer a teal- or raspberry-colored plastic cover? I didn’t care. My planner is propped open on my desk so the cover is never visible. “Pick one.” I chose raspberry, but it looked more like cranberry. Not that…

You may not have noticed it, but last week hell froze over, a cow jumped over the moon, and Mary and I won a golf tournament. The chances of hell freezing over and a cow jumping over the moon are more probable than Mary and I taking home the championship trophy in a couples’ golf tournament. The tournament field is comprised of just four couples, and I believe this is the ninth year the four…

The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on April 6, 1923.   Beaver Creek Leads in Alfalfa Acreage   County Agent Roske Finds That Acreage in County is 1560 Acres, With 350 Acres in Beaver Creek   “Rock county doubled its acreage in alfalfa the last two years. In 1920 there were but 850 acres in the county. In 1922 there were 1560 acres in the county,” contends county agent Roske. “The…

When I came home way after sunset a few days back, I asked my gal Cindy Scott why I was always so beat every night. I knew the answer, but she added that if I ever stopped long enough to let my engine cool off, it might help. The past two months were great, and the upcoming two months are going to be great, but it means a lot more nights coming home beat. Opening Pheasant Hunting weekend starts…

Friday night I pinned a large, light blue-colored ribbon on my home office bulletin board. I had won the ribbon hours earlier at the WSCA Championship Show at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for horsemanship, placing 10th. Receiving the ribbon marked the end to what I dubbed the “Big Adventure” I embarked in earnest back in January. The ribbon brings forth a lot of emotions and a lot of people I…