Columns
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 25, 2022Last week, in the middle of our news meeting, I stood up and paced to the other side of the desk. “My Apple Watch told me it was time to stand,” I told my puzzled co-workers. “So, I stood.” I knew what they were thinking. “If your watch told you to jump off a cliff, would you?” I wouldn’t go that far, but I have become a slave of sorts to the demands of my wristwatch. It reminds me to take more…
By Rick Peterson, general managerJanuary 25, 2022I am learning that as you get older it’s not just your birthday that tells you and others that you’re getting older. While my birthday is down the road a bit and Mary’s is just around the corner, it seems the signs of our advancing ages are popping up all too often. Our middle child is turning 40 this month, and our oldest grandson is graduating from high school this year. After months of Joe…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 25, 2022I spent the weekend trying to keep an old family tradition alive. My parents, now both in the upper 80s, used to make old-fashioned ring bologna. I asked them over and over how it was done, and a few years back my family and I made a batch together. It was comprised of beef and pork and a whole lot of garlic and other seasonings. It is not wild game by any means, but when it comes to outdoor life…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyJanuary 25, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on July 7, 1905. Was a Grand Success Such Was Luverne’s Celebration of the Glorious Fourth 6000 People Were in Attendance Notwithstanding Preceding Unfavorable Weather Conditions, Luverne Observes Our Nation’s Birthday With a Notable Successful Celebration—Occasion Graced by Presence of Governor John A. Johnson Who Delivers Inspiring Address—…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterJanuary 18, 2022Monday marked Betty White’s 100th birthday and the world waited to celebrate. Unfortunately, Betty had other ideas. The actress, comedian and animal lover died Dec. 31 at the age of 99, 17 days short of the century mark. My sister, Avis, would have been 64 on Monday. I wish she could have made that century mark. Instead, Dec. 24, 2021, marked a decade since her early and unexpected death. I…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 18, 2022Last week I gave you all the rundown about how the 2021 pheasant season went. Record-keeping for some outdoor people is totally off the charts. One guy I know records every flush and every harvested bird on every spot he has ever hunted over the past 20 years before he goes to bed. I would fall asleep trying to do that. I don’t have a lot of my outdoor facts and figures written down. Mostly they…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyJanuary 18, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on July 7, 1905. Was a Grand Success Such Was Luverne’s Celebration of the Glorious Fourth 6000 People Were in Attendance Notwithstanding Preceding Unfavorable Weather Conditions, Luverne Observes Our Nation’s Birthday With a Notable Successful Celebration—Occasion Graced by Presence of Governor John A. Johnson Who Delivers Inspiring Address—…
By George Bonnema, Luverne HorticulturalistJanuary 18, 2022January … my least favorite month – cold, lots of cloudy days, short hours of daylight, nothing much to do except move snow and work on taxes. Well, maybe not the “nothing to do” part, because it is the perfect time to plan next year’s vegetable and/or flower garden. It is amazing that the day after Christmas, seed and nursery catalogs appear in my mailbox, and that continues for most of the…
January 11, 2022I finally became a Covid statistic just before the end of 2021 when I tested positive. Even though I was fully vaccinated, I still contracted the virus. I knew from the get-go that was a very strong possibility. The reason I went in for testing wasn’t because I was sick and had all the symptoms. It was more like I was a half a bubble off plumb on the feel-good level. Of course, Mary was…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyJanuary 11, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on July 7, 1905. Was a Grand Success Such Was Luverne’s Celebration of the Glorious Fourth 6000 People Were in Attendance Notwithstanding Preceding Unfavorable Weather Conditions, Luverne Observes Our Nation’s Birthday With a Notable Successful Celebration—Occasion Graced by Presence of Governor John A. Johnson Who Delivers Inspiring Address—…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 11, 2022The 2021 pheasant hunting season has come to a close, and overall it was a year I would consider only fair. I keep track of the number of birds I harvest each year. In fact, I have one tail feather from each rooster dating back to 1996 when I got my first trained hunting dog. This year my harvest total was down about 40 percent. There are several reasons for this, but the lack of roosters in…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 04, 2022A young family stopped in the Star Herald office just after Christmas to inquire about a subscription to the newspaper. The newsroom was busy sending pages to press, so I didn’t greet them at the counter, as much as I would have liked to. From across the room, I could hear our front office staff take down their address and subscription information while small talk unfolded. “So, you’re new to…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyJanuary 04, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on July 7, 1905. Was a Grand Success Such Was Luverne’s Celebration of the Glorious Fourth 6000 People Were in Attendance Notwithstanding Preceding Unfavorable Weather Conditions, Luverne Observes Our Nation’s Birthday With a Notable Successful Celebration—Occasion Graced by Presence of Governor John A. Johnson Who Delivers Inspiring Address—…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 04, 2022I was sitting in my garage over the New Year’s weekend having a few adult beverages with my neighbor when an all too familiar topic was raised. He expressed his angst about the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — that they are just too powerful. I then prodded for some additional details. I asked him to give me an example of what he thought was too powerful. He came up with a very vague…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterDecember 28, 2021I have a habit of inserting unsolicited local history into conversations with my friends, co-workers and students. Not helpful, insightful historical facts that people find interesting, but often random tidbits of how things used to be. It’s perhaps an occupational hazard for a history teacher living in his hometown and working in the school he graduated from. But more than that, it’s human…
By Rick Peterson, general managerDecember 28, 2021I suppose seeing how 2022 is knocking on the door, it’s probably time to jot down a few New Year’s resolutions. Well guess what? I’m not going to do the resolution thing this year. Frankly I don’t need the added pressure of trying to change my way of life or try something new. This year it’s “Keep it simple, stupid.” Sure, I might tweak a few things, but not to the point of stressing over it.…
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