editorial
- By Scott Buchanan, administrator, Minnesota Veterans Home, LuverneMay 10, 2022As the Veterans Home in Luverne celebrates the annual Minnesota Veterans Homes Week May 8 through 14, our staff acknowledges the benefits of a caring, generous community. We’re so grateful to neighbors and veteran champions for their partnership, especially during the pandemic. We looked for new ways to enhance the experiences of our veterans and their families, and community contributions of all…
- May 03, 2022May is National Foster Care Month, and Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota (LSS) is seeking foster parents to partner in caring for children and youth in need. If you are interested in making a difference in children’s lives, consider becoming a foster parent. On an average day in 2020, approximately 8,600 children and young adults were in foster care, according to the Minnesota Department of…
- By By Suree Sompamitwong, Southwest Crisis Center’s Rock and Nobles regional advocateApril 26, 2022Though sexual assault and child abuse happens every day, now is a particular time to remember those impacted by it. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), every 68 seconds someone in America is sexually assaulted. Furthermore, one in 10 children will experience some sort of abuse as a child. Locally,…
- By Linda Wenzel, A.C.E. of SW Minnesota Rock County program coordinatorApril 19, 2022If you want happiness for an hour … take a nap. If you want happiness for a day … go fishing. If you want happiness for a year … inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime … Help Somebody! This is what I believe epitomizes the true joy of being a volunteer, “Helping Others.” Our A.C.E. of SW Minnesota - Rock County volunteers are some of the best of the best! In 2021, 590 amazing…
- April 05, 2022No one intends to seriously injure or kill someone by driving while distracted, but good intentions alone don’t prevent crashes. Smart choices do. In Minnesota the dangerous choice of driving while distracted contributed to more than 39,000 crashes from 2017-2021 and an average of 28 deaths and 161 serious, life-changing injuries per year on the road. To increase awareness and change dangerous…
- March 29, 2022Each spring, the Rock County Star Herald publishes a Home, Lawn and Garden special section which features businesses and issues unique to these topics. This year’s special section (tucked inside this week’s Star Herald) prompted us to once again marvel at the ingenuity of local residents and businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit of newcomers to the local business scene. We at the Star Herald…
- March 22, 2022Thumps up — to Casey’s new bright red awning and sign. It’s a bright, shiny improvement to our South Highway 75 “gateway” into Luverne. Thumps down — to rising gas prices. They’re taking a huge bite out of family budgets at a time wages finally nudged upward but are being gobbled up furiously by across-the-board inflation. And along those lines … Thumbs down — to small-minded people eager to…
- March 15, 2022The foundation of our well-being in general depends on the domestic production of food. Our farmers and ranchers provide us with an abundant, nutritious food supply throughout the year. In recognition of this achievement, members of the Rock County Farm Bureau and Rock County Library will celebrate Farm Week next week. On Monday, March 21, stop in for giveaways and coloring contest sheets.…
- By Mark Jacobson, Winona Peer support specialistMarch 08, 2022The mental health system in the United States is currently in a state of crisis. Consider the following: •In 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 19.86 percent of adults in the U.S. experienced a mental illness, equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. •Suicidal ideation continues to increase among adults in the United States, with 4.58 percent of adults reporting serious thoughts of…
- By Bill Weber, Luverne, District 22 SenatorFebruary 22, 2022This year’s legislative session will be about getting Minnesota back on the right track. My priorities will be to tackle the tax infrastructure, the state's education system, and public safety. Surplus With a $7.7 billion surplus in the Minnesota state budget, there are a lot of opinions about what to do with all this extra money. Before I discuss what we should and should not do with the…
- February 15, 2022It’s time again to review the Rock County Star Herald “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” for local bright spots and disappointments over the past several weeks. Thumbs up — to local efforts to protect drinking water sources. Gravel is an important economic resource but mining in sensitive areas can lead to water pollution. Manure is also an important economic resource, but again we need to protect…
- February 08, 2022This week, Feb. 7-11, is National School Counselors Week, a time to consider the unique contribution of school counselors in U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by American School Counselors Association, highlights the significant impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. The 2022 theme is “School Counseling:…
- By the Senate Republican CaucusFebruary 01, 2022Senate Republicans recently announced session priorities that will focus on helping Minnesotans afford everyday life, reducing crime and empowering parents. “Senate Republicans are focused on getting Minnesota back on track by making life affordable for Minnesotans, tackling crime, and improving education,” Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne) said. “We focused on the issues important to you, not on how…
- January 25, 2022January is National Blood Donor Month and the nation’s blood supply remains at one of its lowest levels in recent years. In recent weeks, blood centers across the country have reported less than a one-day’s supply of blood of certain critical blood types — a dangerously low level. If the nation’s blood supply does not stabilize soon, life-saving blood may not be available for some patients when…
- January 18, 2022This week’s Star Herald features a story on Generations’ next steps in their mission to improve senior nutrition in Rock County. Senior nutrition used to be a poverty topic for the community group, Luv1LuvAll. Luv1LuvAll grew out of a Blandin Foundation initiative called “Leaders Partnering to End Poverty,” and senior nutrition was identified as one piece of the poverty puzzle. Now, fully…
- January 11, 2022The critically important role of health care workers has never been more apparent than now as we enter a second winter with COVID-19. Minnesota’s nursing assistants, RNs, respiratory therapists and many others have saved thousands of lives during the pandemic. They need more Minnesotans to join them in this noble and lifesaving work. That’s why Governor Walz has proclaimed January as Health Care…
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