Scott Pelava, owner of Lonsdale Auto Works, was chosen as the 2024 grand marshal for Lonsdale Community Days, happening on Saturday, August 10.
Pelava opened Lonsdale Auto Works in 2005, providing service to the Lonsdale area for 19 years so far. He has been an active member of the Lonsdale Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC), serving two terms on the board of directors for them. Chamber Executive Director Shanna Gutzke-Kopp says that he has been “constructively working with staff, committee members & business leaders.”

The Kolacky Days medallion has been found by the reigning royalty themselves. It was located at the Montgomery City Hall. The Kolacky Queen and her princesses spent time each day since the first clue given on Monday to locate it. Full information will be published in the print issue of The Messenger on August 1.
Look for The Messenger on newsstands starting Wednesday afternoon with a special 12-page section dedicated to Kolacky Days and all of its happenings!

The armed man who prompted sheriff’s deputies and police to shut down Interstate Highway 35 near Faribault Sunday, July 21, for nearly five hours allegedly had drugs in his vehicle, paraphernalia and equipment for packaging drugs.
The incident began at 2:52 p.m. and ended shortly after 7 p.m.

Bruce Davis, a jovial man, decided a few weeks ago to resign as head baseball coach for Tri-City United High School after 37 years in the position.
“I really don’t have any reasons to retire. I still love coaching. Last spring was as much fun coaching as any season,” said Davis.
Davis also hung up his hat as a teacher for TCU, starting in the fall of 1987 of the then Montgomery-Lonsdale Schools. He started teaching in Montgomery as a fourth grade teacher, spent one year as a third grade teacher, and the rest of his career as a sixth grade teacher.

With anticipation of Kolacky Days, a lot of work has gone into refurbishing the first fire bell for the city of Montgomery. Local Historian Dale Ruhland and a host of others have spent hours researching the origin, as well as coordinating funds and work to be done, on the fire bell that used to sit on a concrete pad alone in Memorial Park near the Settler’s Cabin.
The bell was first installed in the early 1880’s, either when the first fire hall was approved in 1880 for the city or shortly thereafter.

Two Montgomery Township residents were killed in a house fire early Sunday morning.
Roman Jindra, 76, and Betty Jindra, 73, were found in the kitchen area of a house on Jindra Lane in Montgomery Township around 1 a.m. Sunday, July 14. Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office dispatchers received a report of a structure fire at the house at 12:54 a.m. Betty Jindra called 911 and reported the house was on fire and she and Roman were trapped inside the residence, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.

Remember to check for road closures and detours due to recent area flooding.
July 4 • Lakeville — Fireworks in King Park at 10 p.m. • Mankato — Red, Hot & Boom! at Riverfront Park with festivities start at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 10 p.m.
• Montgomery - Music in the Park in Memorial Park at 6 p.m. with Loose Gravel — rock, country and folk music. No fireworks.

Crews will begin work on Highway 282 projects on July 8 that will result in narrow lanes and two separate road closures, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
At 7 a.m. Monday, July 8, crews begin replacing a retaining wall with an earthen slope along Highway 282 in downtown Jordan. Crews working on the project, between Highway 21 and East Street, require a temporary narrowing of Highway 282 lanes. Workers plan to continue the project from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, until July 30.

The office of the Le Sueur County election administrator announces that absentee ballots are now available to the public for the August 13 primary election. Individuals may vote in person at the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office at the Le Sueur County Government Center, 88 S Park Ave, Le Center, MN 56057, or fill out an absentee ballot application on-line, or mail in a request for an absentee ballot to Le Sueur County Elections, 88 South Park Ave, Le Center MN 56057, and a ballot will be mailed to them.

New Prague and other area communities will observe the July 4th holiday in many ways, celebrations including fireworks, parades, music and boat parades.
New Prague The evening of Wednesday, July 3, will be the New Prague Fireworks Show. Events will be held east of the New Prague Middle School, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be Kona Ice, Dawgs on the Run, face painting and free massages. The national anthem will be sung by Linda Fahrenkamp with the fireworks beginning 10:10 p.m.

A Level 3 Sex Offender has moved to Montgomery, and, as required by Minnesota Statute 244.052, the Montgomery Police Department is releasing information regarding the individual, a Level 3 registrant subject to public notification. He is living in the vicinity of Elm Avenue Southwest and 4th Street Southwest as of June 21. This individual has served the sentence imposed on him by the court, and is transitioning within the community. A Community Notification meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, July 1, at the TCU High School Gymnasium, 700 4th St NW.

Le Sueur County commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday, June 25, declaring the county in a state of emergency for conditions resulting from the flooding events beginning on June 17.

Memorial Park was once again host to this year’s Kolacky Days Meet and Greet. It was a chance to meet the candidates, some of the volunteers that put on the annual celebration in July, and find out and meet the 2024 grand marshals.
On a steamy but rain-free evening of Monday, July 24, members of the Montgomery Area Community Club handed out free kolackys, cookies and water, while Scott Smisek played his concertina. Shortly thereafter, the reigning Kolacky royalty spoke, followed by each of the seven candidates for this year — who were presented with their Little Sisters.

The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office has issued no-wake restrictions for all lakes south of state Highway 99 to include lakes Washington, Gorman, Sakatah, Tetonka, West Jefferson, Emily, Middle Jefferson, East Jefferson, German, Francis, Rays and Volney.
The restriction has been issued because of the abnormally high-water levels, which has created shoreline erosion concerns, submerged docks and excess debris in the lakes creating potential hazards.

For the third time in the last 10 years, the city of Waterville and surrounding areas have been deluged with excessive rainfall, causing the most prolific flood in the town’s history.
In 2014 the city received high waters which was considered the worst flood since 1965 when flood waters covered many of the downtown streets. In 2016 the city endured yet another massive rainfall which was nearly as bad as 2014. There was also some flooding in 2019.