rock county
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 14, 2024Rock County Commissioners on Feb. 6 unanimously adopted three changes to the 10-year-old, countywide tobacco sales and use ordinance. The changes allow the newly-opened Kwik Trip convenience and gas station to sell tobacco products on South Highway 75 beginning March 1. Kwik Trip joins six other businesses in Rock County licensed to sell tobacco products. Three people spoke to commissioners at…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 03, 2024Barb Verhey looked away from the book shelves Friday afternoon, shaking her head, resisting the urge to straighten the crooked spines. Instead, she took the advice printed on the cookies served at her retirement party: “Retired – It’s your problem now.” Verhey, the assistant librarian at the Rock County Community Library in Luverne, officially retired Dec. 29, after assisting local children and…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 03, 2024Rock County’s levy will increase 3.6 percent for taxes payable in 2024, according to action taken at the Dec. 26 Rock County Board meeting. Commissioners set the levy at just over $7 million, which is $245,910 more than what was levied for 2023. The county plans to spend just over $15 million in 2024. Increases in state aid allow the county to complete several building improvements.…
By Lori SorensonDecember 27, 2023A Rock County man has been arrested in connection with the Dec. 13 fatal hit and run of a pedestrian in rural Rock County. An arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 22 for 36-year-old Lucas Strassburg, Kenneth, who was taken into custody on the evening of Dec. 24 on felony charges of criminal vehicular homicide. He is accused of driving the pickup that struck and killed 76-year-old William Krotzer,…- By Lori SorensonDecember 06, 2023Rock County townships are joining an increasing number of other townships statewide questioning how $830,000 disappeared from the Minnesota Association of Townships Insurance Trust (MATIT). At the library in Luverne Friday, local township officials asked questions at their annual Rock County Association of Townships meeting. Gary Burdorf, president of the Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT…
By Mavis FodnessDecember 06, 2023Work continues on the $1.3 million bridge replacement project on County Road 1 in Kanaranzi Township. Completion is expected to take 12 to 14 weeks, with a finish in early 2024 expected. Prahm Construction of Slayton began work in November and finished removing the 1961 wood pile bridge. Workers are now preparing the banks of Kanaranzi Creek for the new concrete bridge. County Road 1 remains…
By Mavis FodnessNovember 29, 2023Rock County Commissioners approved a one-time allocation of $20,000 for the Rock County Agricultural Society to complete three projects in time for the 2024 Rock County Fair. The county annually appropriates $20,000 for the four-day event in late July. Ag Society president Lee Sells and board member Al Aanenson asked for the additional $20,000 at the commissioners’ Nov. 21 meeting. Sells said…
By Mavis FodnessNovember 26, 2023After a 33-year hiatus, the city of Luverne once again qualifies as a State Aid City and will take control of certain streets back from Rock County. County commissioners passed a resolution Nov. 7 returning 2.72 miles of hard-surfaced streets back to the city of Luverne to receive the direct maintenance funding under the Municipal State Aid for Streets (MSAS) program. About 5 miles of Luverne…- November 26, 2023The USDA began mailing ballots last week to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) committee elections. Elections are occurring in certain local administrative areas for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 15, 2023Rock County is one of 13 counties in the state chosen to pilot an electric vehicle (EV) in 2024. Commissioners approved $15,300 toward the $91,000 vehicle at their Nov. 7 meeting. County engineer Mark Sehr supported piloting the federal program. “It’s a test run for all of us counties to see if it’s even viable for us to use,” he said. “We are the only district to be using them so far.” All…
November 08, 2023The Rock County DFL completed an Adopt a Highway service project on I-90 Wednesday, Oct. 25. Pictured are (from left) Carol McDonald, Lona Klosterbuer, Suanne Ohme, Rhonna Jarchow, Rich Morgan, Shirley Klosterbuer, Carol Morgan, Connie Connell, Larry Nelson, Carol Serie, Dave Svingen, and Keith Erickson. Not pictured is Carol Svingen.
By Mavis FodnessSeptember 13, 2023The soybean harvest in Rock County is starting ahead of the state average, as early-maturing varieties are becoming ready for the 2023 harvest season. Soybeans are turning color, with 67 percent of the state’s crop showing signs of maturity five days ahead of last year and two days ahead of the state average. The USDA Minnesota Field Office reported on Monday that 31 percent of the state’s…- By Mavis FodnessSeptember 13, 2023Rock County will not be home to the Nature Energy biogas plant that considered expanding locally earlier this year. Nor will any other place in the United States after Shell Petroleum purchased the Denmark-based Nature Energy company. Nature Energy officials visited Luverne and Rock County in January seeking a location for one of 15 renewable natural gas refineries they planned to build in…
By Mavis FodnessSeptember 06, 2023Thirty-two 4-H’ers from Rock County traveled to St. Paul to compete in the 2023 Minnesota State Fair. Fourteen of those 4-H’ers competed at the livestock encampment on Aug. 23-27. Their animals were among the 2,562 brought to this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together. Danette Leenderts of Hills took the champion ribbon for her British slick shorn steer. She was also a finalist in the beef…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMay 19, 2020Rock County will celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year. The news will be the history of Rock County, townships, and communities. The following appeared in the Rose History of Rock County, printed in 1911. County and Township Organization — 1870-1878 (continued from 05-14 edition) Dover (Denver) One of the townships comprising the original Gregory township had seceded until with…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMay 05, 2020Rock County will celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year. The news will be the history of Rock County, townships, and communities. The following appeared in the Rose History of Rock County, printed in 1911. County and Township Organization — 1870-1878 (continued from 04-30 edition) Riverside (Battle Plain) In the early summer of 1877 Major D. E. Runnals and others asked that the…
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