The elephant in the room has appeared.
Starting on November 18, students of the Tri-City United School District will begin distance learning.
“The numbers in the county have gone up extremely fast,” said Lonnie Seifert, of the need to move to a different learning model as a result of the increased number of COVID-19 health pandemic cases in the area. “It’s an indication, the way the numbers are going, that things are going up. Two communities in the county that are getting hit hardest right now are Montgomery and Le Center.”

In their second match-up against the Sibley East Wolverines on Thursday, the Tri-City United Titan Volleyball Team was close to winning a set, but the team came up short, losing 0 to 3. The first time the Titans took on the Wolverines was at their season opener, when the score was 1 to 3 in the Wolverines’ favor.
To see more on this story, pick up the November 5, 2020 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Sunday, Oct. 25 was a special day.
After long and careful instruction, Bonnie’s and my son, Mecca, along with 11 others, were confirmed in St. John Lutheran Church.
The “affirmation of baptism” is a big event. It was supposed to be witnessed by a lot of family at the church and at home. However, due to this crappy coronavirus, family groups in church were limited to little more than a half dozen invitees.
No thanks to the dumb virus, we also pared down our family party to just a few members, instead of the clan of more than 40.

The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce reported having between 70 and 72 memberships, including two businesses, Rise and Shine Nutrition and Roots on Oak, who were recognized as new members at the Chamber’s Oct. 27 meeting. Franke’s Bakery was also recognized as having “rejoined.”

Sunday, Oct. 25 was a special day.
After long and careful instruction, Bonnie’s and my son, Mecca, along with 11 others, were confirmed in St. John Lutheran Church.
The “affirmation of baptism” is a big event. It was supposed to be witnessed by a lot of family at the church and at home. However, due to this crappy coronavirus, family groups in church were limited to little more than a half dozen invitees.
To see more on this story, pick up the November 5, 2020 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Free food giveaway serves 700 families
There IS such a thing as a free lunch - and breakfast - and dinner, thanks to a free food distribution event that was held for Le Sueur County residents on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The distribution was held at the county fairgrounds for those in need or newly struggling to make ends meet due to the COVID-19 crisis.
A total of 700 families were served, according to Tammy Stewig of Le Sueur County Emergency Management. Her department, and Le Sueur County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), hosted the event.

The Kolacky Days royalty was one of the many floats in the annual Anoka Halloween Parade on October 31.
The parade typically draws more than 60,000 people each year, but this year large group gathering restrictions prevented that from happening. Instead, organizers made the parade drive-by only and separated it into four different areas to spread people out.
To see more on this story, pick up the November 5, 2020 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Challenger Joy N. Svoboda unseated incumbent, city council member, Dennis Lambrecht in the November 3 general election.
Svoboda received 928 votes to Lambrecht’s 562 votes. Incumbent Bob Forcelle retained his seat on the council with 634 votes.
Other challengers included Benjamin Koeppen, 372 votes, and Bob Taraba, 177 votes.
Incumbent Mayor Tom Eisert ran unopposed. He was reelected with 1,467 votes. There were also 53 write-in votes for that position.

Kathleen “Kathy” Gessner, 79, of Waseca, died from cancer on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Waseca.
Born on January 30, 1941, in Richland Township, Rice County, Minnesota, Kathy was the daughter of Joseph and Marion (Slocum) Keilen. She grew up on a farm with her parents and her older brother, Jim, and graduated from Montgomery-Lonsdale High School in 1958. 

A line of voters was already forming Tuesday morning, 15 minutes after polls opened at 7 a.m. At the American Legion Post 79, (102 Elm Ave. SW) the new location for this year’s general election, line of voters stretched outside of the building and down the sidewalk. In addition to the office of President, competitive seats up for grabs are in the U.S. Senate, House, state legislatures, and local municipalities. The 2020 election also comes in a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, a deflating economy and civil rights marches across the country.

Leonard E. Beatty, Jr passed away at his home in Montgomery, MN on October 26, 2020, at the age of 82. He was born in St. Paul, MN on December 1, 1937, to Leonard Sr. & Bessie (Fitch) Beatty. 
Leonard was a graduate of St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Roseville, MN and of Cretin Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, MN
In February 1957, he married Kathryn Schwarzbauer at Sacred Heart Church in Wahkon, MN, and together they had six children. 

Eunice Bernice Washa, 81, of Fort Worth, Texas passed away on Monday, October 26, 2020. She was born in Lydia, Minnesota on November 19, 1938 to Emil Oldenburg and Lillian (Ebel) Oldenburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Alzheimer's Association via their website at alz.org. If you prefer, checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011.

Be sure to check where your polling place is.

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, hundreds of millions of Americans will exercise a very important right - the right to vote.
We will cast our ballot on a simple - yet important - piece of paper.
The ballot.
As long as this country has existed, people have had to fight and even die, for our right to vote. Everyone has the responsibility to stand up and vote to preserve this right and to honor those who went before us.
That piece of paper links us to the past as we fill in ovals to determine our future. It is an equalizer that gives every citizen a voice in governing.

Mildred Rose “Mick” Schallert, 93, of Montgomery, Minnesota and most recently of Gifford, Illinois passed away on Saturday, October 17, 2020. She was born on March 13, 1927 in Edgar, Wisconsin to the late Edward John and Mary Katherine (Bode) Schumacher.

Loretta Mae Wiskocil, age 88, of Montgomery, passed away on Sunday, Oct 25, 2020, at Ridgeview Medical Center in Le Sueur.
Visitation will be on Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. Mass of Christian Burial following at 11 a.m. with Fr. Tom Niehaus officiating. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery.
Loretta was born on November 6, 1931, in rural Kilkenny to Herbert and Emma (Polak) Grundhoffer. She attended Country School and was a graduate of Montgomery High School.