Four-year-old Rosa Eileen Ruiz (above) opened a lemonade stand in Le Center on Saturday, March 13, during the community’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The little entrepreneur sold glasses of pink lemonade from her colorful stand for 50 cents each. Of course, all orders came with a big, adorable smile.

Sometimes, trying something new sparks new interests, ideas, and creativity.
Once a year, Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Montgomery holds unique mini classes for its seventh and eighth grade students. The week of big opportunities was held...
To see more on this story, pick up the March 18, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

There was a whole lot o’ fun in Le Center on Saturday. The town lucked out with the weather and enjoyed blue, sunny skies and warm temperatures for its annual St. Patrick’s Parade on March 13. Hundreds of festive lads and lassies of all ages grabbed their shamrocks, donned their green, and lined Main Street to celebrate all things Irish.

Montgomery was well represented at Le Center’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 13.
Kolacky Days royalty (left to right) Miss Congeniality Rachel Way, Second Princess Nikaija Young, First Princess Marissa Gare, and Kolacky Queen Rachel Rynda.

The 2021 Kolacky Days button design has been announced!
A regal design submitted by Sarah Dolejs of Apple Valley claimed the most votes and will be featured on this year’s Kolacky Days button.
The Montgomery Area Community Club (MACC) made the announcement during a drive-by Annual Membership Drive at Franke’s Bakery on Saturday, March 6.
A total of 10...
To read more on this story, pick up the March 11, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

The Public Works Advisory Board is planning to recondition the city’s water tower next year in a process that will take approximately five months.
The board heard the details during its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 4. Shane Oksanen, Public Utilities Supervisor, and Chris Cavett of SEH, said work on the 500,000-gallon tank is expected to begin...
To see more on this story, pick up the March 11, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

The Rice County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to be alert to a new scam hitting our area.  This is another form of mail fraud where you receive mail asking you to pay a fine for a traffic violation.  The latest scam states that you were caught on a DOT camera for a traffic violation.  The State of Minnesota does not currently allow photograph traffic enforcement, excluding body cameras or mobile vehicle cameras that are fixed to an officer or a squad car.    

After more than two months in the hospital, a redtailed hawk has a new lease on life at its home at Eggert Lake in rural Montgomery.
The bird, labelled 20-882, returned to familiar skies and hunting grounds on Tuesday, Feb. 23 after being cared for at the University of Minnesota Raptor Center. Its recovery and rehabilitation was thanks to local resident, Bob Krocak, who found the bird sitting on a fencepost on December 2, 2020.

The Montgomery City Council held a workshop on Monday. It’s only agenda item: discuss a new police facility.
Among the things the council talked about were locations for the department, new construction or remodel an existing building. Each member was given homework to search the city for possible locations.

Minnesota’s 1,781 townships will hold their annual meeting on Tuesday, March 9. Known as Township Day, these annual meetings are held every year on the second Tuesday in March.
Residents of the townships will meet to voice their opinions about local issues with other township residents and also vote directly on their annual tax levy; direct democracy in action. Citizens attending annual meetings also often discuss and vote on other local issues.
In addition, many of the state’s townships will hold their township officer elections on Tuesday’s Township Day.

The end of the rainbow will be found in Le Center on March 12 and 13 when the community hosts its annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.
According to posts on its social media page, the celebration will be held - with adjustments from the global pandemic and requirements put in place by the state.
The celebration’s Queen Candidate Talent Show will be held on Saturday, March 6 at the Le Center American Legion Post 108 by invitation only. It will begin at 3 p.m.

Rich spices, authentic tortillas, tempting treats, unique beverages, and fresh Latino foods are available at Montgomery’s newest business, Colima Market.
The market, which is located at 208B 1st Street North, is owned by Gaylord residents Saul Cardenas and his son, Eric. Their family members are currently helping them run the store, which opened December 20, 2020.

The Le Sueur County Historical Society has remained busy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The society recently finished repairs of the old Cleveland Methodist Church, which currently houses many of the society’s artifacts.
In late fall, the large, overgrown lilac hedge on the building’s west side was removed to give better visibility to the building’s exterior in an attempt to deter people from breaking in. According to LCHS, several breaches have occurred at the church in recent years, but none of the artifacts appear to have been taken or damaged.

Starting March 10, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Coborn’s, Inc., will begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine).  
  “The entire Coborn’s team is honored to be on the leading edge of providing the COVID vaccine to members of our communities,” said Jason Miller, Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager. “We strongly recommend that EVERYONE receive the COVID-19 vaccine when they are eligible to receive it.”

UPDATED: Wed., March 3, 2021
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office has released the names involved in the two-vehicle, fatal crash on March 2. 
                According to Steve Collins, Captain of Services and Support for the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Marcia Back, 32, of Morris, the driver of the Hyundai Elantra, died at the scene. Ryan Trcka, 20, of Montgomery, the driver of the 1995 Chevrolet pickup, was airlifted to North Memorial Hospital with serious injuries. 
                Calls to the hospital regarding the status of his condition, were not returned.

Due to a spike in number of coronavirus cases and quarantined students, TCU High School is returning to a hybrid learning model.
Superintendent Lonnie Seifert made the announcement Thursday after six confirmed covid-19 cases were reported, and 86 students were quarantined due to being identified as close contacts since Tuesday.
That total represents 18 percent of the high school population.
He added those numbers may increase because the district is waiting on other test results.