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Editorials

  • December 04, 2024
    The events and activities of Sunday night in Luverne were another great reminder of all the wonderful opportunities at our fingertips in this community. We’re lucky to have world-class events at a small-town scale all year round, but Sunday night was another reminder of how lucky we are. The Star Herald photographed the events and visited with people standing in line to see Santa and mingling…
  • November 26, 2024
    On four days each year, all Minnesota state parks and state recreation areas offer free admission to everyone, with no vehicle permits needed. Friday, Nov. 29, is the next free parks day, and it couldn’t come at a better time, considering Thanksgiving celebrations are typically all about food and sedentary gatherings. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in gravy and pumpkin pie, we could…
  • November 20, 2024
    On Monday night the Luverne Area Community Foundation hosted its annual “Friends of the Foundation Celebration of Philanthropy” at Take 16. The event recognizes and celebrates businesses, nonprofits and individuals who benefit from and support the foundation’s mission of strengthening the community. Among the groups and individuals at the packed Take 16 event center were people from diverse…
  • November 13, 2024
    Even a joyous holiday season can be stressful, and many turn to alcohol as a stress reliever. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly nine in 10 Americans say that concerns such as not having enough money, missing loved ones and family conflict cause them stress during this time of year. Unfortunately nearly two in five adults who experience stress during the holiday…
  • November 06, 2024
    By the time our Star Herald subscribers read this, the 2024 general election will be in the books, and voters will be acclimating to results and their expected impact. As with every election, we can participate, but we can’t control outcomes. What we can control is how we respond to those outcomes. Will we trust our free and fair elections? Will we respect our local elections officials if the…
  • By Kari Voss-Drost, assistant director, Southwest Crisis Center
    October 30, 2024
    As we close out October and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I would like to reflect on several terms and definitions surrounding domestic violence, intimate partner violence and coercive control. By defining something, we validate it and the reality it represents. The term coercive control encompasses a pattern of power, control, intimidation and oppression that one experiences at the hands…
  • By The League of Women Voters, Minneapolis
    October 23, 2024
    As voters seek information on candidates, they are inundated with misinformation (false or inaccurate information) and disinformation (false information deliberately intended to harm and mislead). Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon calls disinformation “the conscious spread of knowingly false information” which shouldn’t be confused with political “disagreement.” When weaponized, Simon…
  • October 23, 2024
    Opinion vs facts in campaigns To the Editor: As we have observed and been engaged in the local election cycle, we can’t help but notice a difference in the approaches to campaigning. Some have called it “partisan.” We call it a stark difference in philosophy on spending, specifically the level of appropriate government spending. On one side you have the “challengers” who have been putting out…
  • October 16, 2024
    We observed National Newspaper Week last week, and it’s the time of year we consider why the Star Herald is worth the price of a subscription. •We are the only news outlet that covers your school boards, city councils and Rock County Board of Commissioners. These elected officials, dear readers, are the ones who spend your tax dollars and take action on building projects, commercial…
  • October 09, 2024
    This week is National Fire Prevention Week, and the 2024 campaign focuses on educating families about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. “Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but…
  • October 02, 2024
    Wednesday night’s candidate forum, livestreamed from our Star Media studio, was a milestone for our Star Herald We knew it could be done, but we didn’t know if we could do it. We wanted to do it. So we practiced doing it, and we practiced again and again. We wrote a script, read it out loud, rewrote it, read it again, and rewrote it again. We solicited candidate questions from the community…
  • October 02, 2024
    Linda M. Rust, age 66, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, passed away Friday evening, Sept. 27, 2024, at the Sanford Hospice Cottage in Luverne, Minnesota. Visitation was from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, also at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids, with Fr. Sunny Dominic officiating. There will be a…
  • September 25, 2024
    We at the Star Herald understand elections can be confusing, and we know there are many competing voices trying to influence votes. That’s why we publish candidate questionnaires in the paper and online for voters to read, and that’s why we host candidate forums for voters to learn from conversations live and recorded in podcasts. Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian is being challenged by Isaac DeBoer…
  • By Marcel Gemme, Substance Abuse Prevention Education
    September 17, 2024
    During National Suicide Prevention Month in September, it’s important to recognize the connection between substance use and suicide. Drug and alcohol addiction significantly increases the risk of suicidal ideation, attempts and death, and they are generally the most implicated substances in suicide risk. The risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior is elevated with acute alcohol intoxication and…
  • September 11, 2024
    September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness of an urgently important crisis. The goal this month is to shift public perception, spread hope and share vital information with people affected by suicide. Ultimately, we want to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. How can you help?…
  • September 04, 2024
    When Luverne voters cast ballots in the general election this fall, they will have choices in local leadership. Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian is being challenged by Isaac DeBoer for the privilege and responsibility of guiding city government. Two open seats on the Luverne City Council will be contested on the general election ballot. Josh Gangestad is challenging longtime council member Dan Nath…
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