The possible renaming of Rutledge Street in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. was brought up at Monday’s Luverne City Council meeting, and residents said they weren’t informed of the change.

“No one was told that Rutledge Street was considered being changed,” said Gwendolyn Darget, a resident of Rutledge Street who attended the meeting along with Fannie LaRue Youngblood, another resident of the street.

“I asked the residents if anyone had asked them, and no one had polled them,” Darget said. “I asked them if they wanted it changed and also everyone said, ‘No.’ “

Darget said she had called residents of the street, and she presented a list of names of those who were against the change.

“We’re asking that you find another street,” she said. “Rutledge Street is not the street for that.  He [King] deserves more than that.  We hate to bring a negative idea to a positive one, but we had to.”

Mayor Joe Rex Sport said that changing a street name requires the changing of addresses and telephone directories.

“It was brought up and discussed at the last council meeting, but we hadn’t gotten a report back [from Councilman Charlie Johnson],” Sport said.

Johnson, who represents the district where Rutledge Street is located, was not in attendance at Monday’s meeting.

“As far as I’m concerned, each person needs to get a letter [about a possible change],” said Councilman Kip Smith.

Sport said that no action was taken by the council, and the issue was left standing.

In other business, it was announced that registration for Parks and Recreation baseball is expected to begin in February, with the season beginning in April.