NRHEG cheerleaders have experienced a lot of success the last two weekends, with both the varsity (above) and elementary squads placing second in state competition and the varsity finishing first in non-tumbling and second overall in the WOW Nationals at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Front from left: Lorelei Strom, Emma Klemmensen, Anna Bailey, Hailey Westrum, Lizzy Hagen, Nicole Edon. Row two: Taylar Tieskotter, Kyra Possin, Grace Logan, Grace Lewison, Tali Wayne, Avery Hill, Bri Podratz-Waters, Laura Worrell. Back: Corrie Powell, Jessica Nafe, Abby Wacholz, Abby Christopherson, Torrie Stencel, Taytum Ihrke, Bayli Possin, Michaela Besser, Lillian Bell, coach Kari Buendorf. (Submitted photo)

Ardella Frances Dinneen, age 101, of Wells, MN died Saturday, February 6, 2016 at Parkview Care Center in Wells. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, February 11 at 10 a.m. at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells, MN, with Fr. Andrew Vogel officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, February 10 from 4-6 p.m. at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home is Wells, and for one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at St. Joseph’s Community Cemetery in Waldorf, MN. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is handling the arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.brussheitner.com

Ardella Frances was born October 18, 1914 to William and Mary Buschow in Matawan, Minnesota.

Memorial services for Roger Craig Solberg of Hartland, MN, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 13, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland, MN., Pastor Paul Andree will officiate. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in St Olaf Cemetery, New Richland, MN.

Roger died Saturday, February 6, 2016 at St Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. He was 71 years of age.

Roger was born March 1, 1944 in Waseca, MN, the son of Joseph and Alma (Sigurdson) Solberg Sr. He graduated from public high school and attended Mankato Commercial College and the Waseca Ag School for Horticulture. Roger was united in marriage to Cathy Chicos on October 25, 1961 in Mankato, MN. He was an active member of the Trinity Lutheran Church where he had served on Church Council and volunteered many hours on various projects.

With family at her side Mary Ann (Peterson) Knutson, age 76, died peacefully on February 2, 2016 at the Avera Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls from a brain tumor.

She was born on May 14, 1939 at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, MN, the eldest child of Stanley Waldemor Nathanial Peterson and Anna Mae (Jacobson) Peterson and reared to adulthood on a three-generation Minnesota Centennial Farm near New Richland, MN. She attended the one-room District 48 rural school for eight years and graduated from New Richland High school in 1957 with her desire to become a nurse. She was awarded the American Legion Citizenship Award.

James Spence and Solveig Stafford react after Spence is announced the third-place finisher in the NRHEG Snow Week talent show Friday, Feb. 5 in the high school gymnasium in New Richland. Spence was too shy to perform his act in front of the crowd, instead singing "Dock of the Bay" from behind the curtain. Lillie Nielsen and Ben Witikko were awarded first place. Second went to Tanner Smith-Vulcan. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)

Because of the severe weather warning of -20 degrees with -45 degree wind chills for Sunday, January 17, Genie and I go grocery shopping on Saturday, Jan. 16. We load up on the basic items—soup, coffee, milk, etc. to last for a few days—and head home. After putting away the groceries, Genie says we have a telephone message. The message is from two young relatives in St. Peter. They ask us to check our e-mail messages as they have sent us a very, very important message.

Genie prints the message and hands it to me. It reads: “We would like you to join the NOS-SIC. We know you qualify, but to join you must go nowhere tomorrow.”

We send an e-mail back saying, “Thanks, but we plan on going to church tomorrow.”

Sunday weather lives up to the forecast. Just like many of you, no church due to the severe cold. On Sunday evening, we send them an e-mail asking if we can join as we didn’t go anywhere that day. A reply comes back stating we are now members of the NOS-SIC and an embossed plastic membership for each of us along with the membership rules will be sent to us in the mail.

A few days later the card with the rules arrives in the mail. NOS-SIC is short for “Norwegian Over Seventy Stay Inside Club.” Two rules for eligibility are: 1. Be over seventy and either be Norwegian or know a Norwegian. 2. Stay inside for at least 24 consecutive hours when a severe weather warning is issued for your area.

In checking with the youngsters’ parents, we find out that this is a “Random Act of Kindness” program in their school. The idea is to keep in touch with the Norwegian, over-seventy qualifiers that didn’t go south for the winter.

More good news to certain people. I am a chocoholic. When Genie hides chocolate in the house, I can find it within 10 minutes—especially dark chocolate. The good news is, a British research group has published their findings in the British Medical Journal “Heart.” The study shows that chocolate reduces stroke and heart disease rates. (I am now eating only chocolate made in Great Britain.)

Another study, as put out by the American Parking Lots Association, shows most parking lot accidents are caused by people backing out of where they were parked. The new recommendation is to park such that you can drive out when you leave the parking lot.

Welcome “Hometown Pizza & BBQ” to the Top of the Hill in Ellendale. A suggestion to the Helle family owners: delivery to both hard water and soft water fishermen at the boat ramp on Beaver Lake.

The front page picture in the Star Eagle paper showed Virgil Thofson and the new owner of the Village Inn of Hartland. The caption was “An Old Favorite Returns to Hartland.” Virgil, we all know you’re old, but we didn’t know you’ve been gone!

Did you know, about one out of three boy babies born the weekend of January 22-24 on the East Coast were named Jonas?

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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.

ALBERT LEA — Take time for yourself and learn about women’s health issues at Mayo Clinic Health System’s eighth annual Women’s Health Care Symposium, Saturday, Feb. 27 at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club, 2200 W. 9th St., in Albert Lea. Mayo Clinic experts on bone, heart and mental health will present insights and tips to help you stay at your best.

The symposium will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon and is free with complimentary breakfast, but registration is required. Please register by calling 507-668-2046. Doors open at 8 a.m.

This symposium may be worth three contact hours and has been designed to meet the Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education requirements. It is the responsibility of the participant to determine if this meets the criteria for continuing education for their profession.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

If you added up all the points scored by Wagners for the NRHEG girls’ basketball team, you’d probably need a calculator.

Junior Marnie Wagner is the latest to join the 1,000-point club, joining sisters Carlie and Maddie, as the Panthers pounded JWP 84-46 last Monday in their first of three wins for the week.

The Panthers, 17-4 overall and 7-2 in the Gopher Conference, have won eight games in a row heading into Thursday’s showdown at conference-leading WEM.

NRHEG 84, JWP 46

Wagner scored her 1,000th career point as the Panthers won easily Jan. 25 at Janesville.

Panthers win in overtime at Triton

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

In the last couple years, the Maple River Eagles have been a tough crew to beat for the NRHEG boys’ basketball team.

The trend continued last week.

The Panthers hosted the Gopher Conference leaders and defending section champs and kept it close for a half before falling 59-42 at New Richland Tuesday, Jan. 26. They bounced back for a pair of wins Thursday and Friday, improving to 15-7 overall and 6-3 in the Gopher Conference.

Maple River 59, NRHEG 42

The Eagles dominated early, building a 14-0 lead before the Panthers got on the scoreboard. NRHEG battled back to take a 23-21 lead at halftime, but the Eagles opened it up in the second half to run their record to 18-2.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG wrestlers traveled to Mapleton last Friday with hopes for a win and a chance for a share of the Gopher Conference title.

Unforeseen factors changed things.

An injury in their lineup forced the Panthers to wrestle differently than planned and they went on to lose 45-30 to Maple River Jan. 29.

“This match,” said Panthers coach Shawn Larson, “was a heartbreaker.”

Bonus points were the difference.