Looking Back: New Hy-Vee and Sterling stores opened last year

One year ago

The new, 60,000 square-foot Worthington Hy-Vee store was due to open next week.

One of Worthington High School's two Knowledge Bowl teams, comprised of senior Isaac Wass and sophomores Nathan Landwehr and Gordy Moore, qualified for state competition after finishing in the top three at the regional meet.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D., issued flood warnings for the Des Moines River at Jackson and the Rock River at Rock Rapids, Iowa, until further notice.

After 18 months of planning and construction, Worthington's new Sterling Drug on 10th Street was set to open its doors Monday morning.

Sunday liquor sales could become a reality in Worthington and Luverne on an off-sale basis without a city-wide vote if a bill repealing Minnesota's "blue law" became law.

Oliver Wolyniec, son of Paula and George Wolyniec, was recently declared eligible to participate in the 2011 Minnesota Geographic Bee April 1, having scored highly enough on a qualifying test after winning the Worthington Middle School geographic bee in December.

Five years ago

The Luverne Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Home, Health and Garden Show at Luverne High School.

Leeta Gnotsavath won first place in the annual Optimist Essay contest, writing on the theme "I Want to Make a Difference Because..."

After seven months of planning and months of construction, the new Dingmann Funeral Home along U.S. 75 in Luverne was open. The 7,500 square-foot building featured a large visitation room able to accommodate up to 200 people.

Avera Worthington Specialty Clinic was recognized by the American Diabetes Association for its education program that helped patients to manage their own diabetes.

Heidi Heckenlaible was named Network Server Administrator for Minnesota West Community and Technical College, while Julie Stevenson was named Minnesota West Foundation Director.

10 years ago

The Worthington High School speech team placed sixth out of 20 teams at a tournament in Fairmont.

A severe winter storm forced the cancellation of the Wild Turkey Shootout for the first time in its 17-year history. The event, which annually brings about 600 young basketball players from 50 Tri-State area teams to Worthington, was the casualty of freezing rain that later turned to snow. Accompanying strong winds combined to create dangerous blizzard conditions. (Another storm occurred later the following week.)

Michael Morgan, former president of First National Bank & Trust, Pipestone, was charged in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis with one count each of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., misapplication of bank funds and mail fraud.

Plans for a new daycare center in Sibley, Iowa, were off to a good start with the announcement that Bright Beginnings of Osceola County would receive a $510,125 grant for a new 8,000 square-foot facility near Ben Franklin Elementary School.

25 years ago

First Bank System announced that, subject to regulatory approval, it had agreed to sell First Bank Luverne to 215 Holding Company. The sale also included the First Bank at Pipestone. The purchaser was a Minnesota corporation controlled by the family of the late Robert E. Short.

For the ninth time in less than 25 months, a bank in the local region was ordered closed. This time it was the Beaver Creek State Bank and its branch office at Luverne, closed by order of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. It was the second bank failure in the state this year and the 43rd in the nation.

"Doorbuster" specials this week at Worthington's Hy-Vee store included a 20-ounce can of Wilderness cherry pie filling, 88 cents; a one-pound box of Parkay margarine, 37 cents; a 12-ounce stick of Huisken Cervalot, $1.09; a one-pound loaf of cinnamon bread, 87 cents; a colossal size cauliflower, $1.88; and D'anjou pears, 49 cents a pound.

Featured recipes in Dorthy Rickers' "Mixing and Musing" column this week included Supremes de Volaille Au Porto, Carottes a la Vichy and Salade D'Hiver.

50 years ago

A massive blizzard isolated the area for a 24-hour period, with snow piled into huge drifts by 45 mile-per-hour winds. All roads were blocked, including main highways, and snowplow crews were called off the job during the day when visibility was reduced to zero at times. Ten-foot drifts were reported around Round Lake, 14-foot drifts were reported west of town, and one plow started for Wilmont and turned back when the driver found that his front V-plow couldn't cut the drifts since they were packed so hard by the intense wind.

The YMCA pool capital funds campaign achieved its goal and went over the top this week, ensuring that Worthington would get its indoor swimming pool. Campaign chairman Marvell Tripp announced that $212,346 had been received in contributions and pledges; the campaign's goal was $195,780.

Advertised specials this week at National Food Store of Worthington included two bags of carrots for 25 cents, a 10-ound bag of red potatoes for 49 cents, a quart jar of Miracle Whip for 49 cents, Betty Crocker cake mix for 33 cents, a half-gallon of Clorox bleach for 33 cents, a 400-count package of Scotties tissues for 21 cents, and Yankee pot roasts for 59 cents a pound.

75 years ago

Masonic ping-pong players gathered in the Masonic dining room to play off an elimination ping-pong tournament. Hardy Rickbeil was in charge of arrangements. Play started promptly at 7:30 p.m. on four regulation tables.

Fire which broke out around 8 a.m. totally destroyed the farm residence of G. J. Teerink Sr., four and a half miles east and north of Worthington. The fire department was powerless to save the doomed dwelling, due to the lack of water.

A convention of natural ice dealers from an extensive territory covering southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa was to be at Worthington on April 2. One of the principal topics was the distribution of a particular brand of ice refrigerators, for which Worthington was being considered as a central point.

Designation of a new trunk highway from Org to the Iowa state line over the route now occupied by Highway 59, but which soon would be abandoned as a trunk highway with the completion of the relocation of Highway 59 to Bigelow and the Iowa line, was not to affect or cause the abandonment of the present relocation of Highway 59.