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Spotlight: teen suicide
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Editorial Assistant
In the state of Minnesota, suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens; in the United States, it’s the third leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In southern Minnesota alone, there have been six teen suicides this summer, and thousands of teens across America commit suicide every year. What is causing this? What can we do to prevent it?
Suicide is not a subject to be taken lightly, and although people of all ages do it, it’s most commonly attempted by those aged 15-24 years old. Teenagers have many stressors in their lives, including school, sports/extracurricular activities, friends, family, their appearance, cliques, jobs, trying to fit in, the pressure to excel in whatever they do and the fear of failing and disappointing not only themselves, but those close to them.
Combine that with the hormones that come with adolescence which make it even harder to handle all of the emotions that come with being a teenager. The result can be a feeling of hopelessness and having nowhere to turn to deal with your problems.
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Ellendale City Council
By SCOTT GROTH
Contributing Writer
The Ellendale City Council met Thursday, September 13 with Mayor Engel and all council members present. Eric Haefner of Bolten & Menk, Roger Swearingen, City Maintenance, Steve Louks, City Clerk, and Pete Paulson, Municipal Liquor Store Manager were also in attendance.
The agenda was approved as presented.
The first item on the agenda was the Road Improvement Plan. Haefner was recognized to go over the plan with the council.
Haefner and his firm have been putting together a plan for the city to improve streets, and has been working with maintenance to review street conditions within the city.
Haefner’s firm then prioritized them according to condition. The council went over the plan with Haefner and gave their input.
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THE SPOT — From left, Cynthia Butler, Ella Butler and Michael Butler are among area youth enjoying The Refuge at Ellendale’s Assembly of God church on Friday night. (Star Eagle photo by Rachel Rietsema)
By RACHEL RIETSEMA
Staff Writer
Ellendale’s Vibrant Life Assembly of God church members have always had a strong yearning to get involved in the lives of teenagers.
And now, through the planning of Pastor Patrick Stitt, Alicia Butler and many other members of the congregation, this soulful longing of theirs will be fulfilled.
“All year round (starting September 14), on Friday nights, 7-12th graders can come here to the Refuge and hang out, after a parent consent formed is signed,” Butler said. “They can come and go as they please, and we will of course have adult supervision.”
Kids in this age bracket can even show up last minute, and bring home a consent form to fill out and return the following week. Anybody is welcome to join in on the good old-fashioned fun.
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Long family opens 5th Avenue Pizza in Ellendale
AT YOUR SERVICE — Ricky and Sarah (Lundberg) Long have renovated the old Maggio’s Pizza building and turned it into the 5th Avenue Pizza Shoppe in downtown Ellendale. (Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen)
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
Who doesn't like pizza, especially since there are so many choices to choose from and it is so easy to find?
Ricky and Sarah (Lundberg) Long recently decided to open the 5th Avenue Pizza Shoppe, on the top of the hill in Ellendale at 301 5th Avenue West.
Ricky is originally from West Texas, where his dad works for a natural gas company and his mother was a stay-at-home Mom for his brother, sister, and him. Sarah is a New Richland native who went to college at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, where she and Ricky met. She plays piano and writes songs, while Ricky is a drummer. They attend and are active members of Vibrant Life Assembly of God Church in Ellendale.
Ricky and Sarah moved to Ellendale in 2006 and purchased a home there in 2007. Ricky worked for the previous pizza restaurant, Maggio’s, for four years.
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Multi-agency effort results in dozens of arrests during weekend music festival
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, cocaine and, of course, marijuana.
Freeborn County Sheriff Bob Kindler has seen it all, including overdoses, and more of it seemed to be happening at Harmony Park, a low-profile but high-traffic rural sanctuary located between Geneva and Clarks Grove.
So a crackdown was inevitable.
The result was dozens of arrests for drug violations last weekend. Members of the South Central Drug Task Force — including deputies from Waseca, Faribault, Steele and Freeborn County and several police departments — conducted the enforcement. Charges ranged from possession of drug paraphernalia to felony drug possession. Most of the arrests were the result of traffic stops, though some arrests were made at Harmony Park.
The extra enforcement was an effort to reduce illegal drug traffic and sales, according to Kindler. It continued throughout the weekend festival, Shangri-La, presented by WookieFoot.