Prior Lake and Montgomery won spots in the Region 3C playoffs with two-game sweeps in their best-of-three DRS playoff series, while two other series are headed to a game 3 Friday, July 26.
The Prior Lake Mudcats defeated Webster 9-3 Thursday in Elko to win their series 2-0. Cole Bjorge and Lucas Pumper both homered for the Mudcats.
Montgomery traveled to Shakopee and claimed a 7-0 win. Rob Marshall had six strikeout and allowed three hits for the complete game win, Mike Flicek had four hits and Eric Iverson had a two-run home run.

Josephine Hatlevig, daughter of Travis and Nadine Hatlevig was crowned the 2019 Kolacky Days Queen at the Queen's Pageant. Joining her are First Princess Victoria Soukup, daughter of David Soukup and Denise Wondra. Also crowned was Sophia Franek, daughter of Dave and Marsha Franek. Sophia received two titles, Second Princess and Miss Congenialtiy. For more, see the August 1 edition of the Messenger. (Wade Young photo)

For years, Joe and Charlotte Kodada have worked behind the scenes of Lonsdale Community Days, however this year will be different because the life-long Lonsdale residents are this year’s parade grand marshals.
Earlier this month, the Kodadas received news from Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shanna Gutzke-Kupp. In her letter, the director said the couple was chosen because they have been an integral part of the community for years.

New Market, St. Patrick, New Prague and Faribault earned the top four seeds for the Region 3C playoffs and byes into the tournament, as the Dakota-Rice-Scott League finished play Sunday, July 21.
New Market and St. Patrick had already clinched the top two spots. The Irish defeated the Muskies at St. Patrick on Sunday. New Prague defeated both Prior Lake and Shakopee on the season’s final day, giving the Orioles a 14-9 season record to clinch the third spot.

DRS playoff results
Prior Lake, Montgomery, Union Hill and Lonsdale won in the first round of the DRS playoffs Tuesday, each taking a 1-0 lead in their best of three series. Action continues Thursday and, if needed, on Friday.
Results Tuesday, July 23
Prior Lake 2, Webster 1
Cole Bjorge and Jake Lehrer with solo home runs for the Mudcats, Topher Rose with the complete game win. Jarod Opsahl gives up just three hits in eight innings in taking the loss.
Montgomery 5, Shakopee 0

New Market, St. Patrick, New Prague and Faribault earned the top four seeds for the Region 3C playoffs and byes into the tournament, as the Dakota-Rice-Scott League finished play Sunday, July 21.
New Market and St. Patrick and already clinched the top two spots. The Irish defeated the Muskies at St. Patrick on Sunday. New Prague defeated both Prior Lake and Shakopee on the season’s final day, giving the Orioles a 14-9 season record to clinch the third spot.

When the new board of the Le Sueur County Historical Society took control on June 3, it inherited remarkable problems, among them old buildings with no heating/ cooling/ventilation and some with mold growing in the basement.

Members of the Tri-City United Trap Shooting Team competed in the National Trap Shooting Tournament in Mason, MI last weekend.
According to the National Championship website, usactgo. com, the TCU Squad 1, made up of Preston Anderson, Caleb Cihak, Jonathan Hurd, Gabe Robinson, and Turner Staupe, placed 42nd.
The second squad, which included Lukas Dietz, Wyatt Hurd, Wyley Petersen, Stuart Schatz and Andrew Trnka, placed 45th out of 207 teams.

It began with the desire to babysit.
Christine Skluzacek wanted to baysit her granddaughter, Marie Joy, but Marie’s parents - Makayla and husband James - encouraged Skluzacek and her family to take infant CPR. As luck would have it, the Montgomery Ambulance Service offered a free, noncertification refresher class last week. Skluzacek was excited and signed up with two of her boys, Luke and Connor.

Cancer survivors made the first lap at the 26th Annual Le Sueur County Relay for Life on Friday night, July 12, at the Le Sueur County Fairgrounds in Le Center. The event, which celebrates the fight against cancer, remembers those who lost their battle with cancer, and raises money for the American Cancer Society, will be held until midnight. The closing ceremony will be at 12:45 a.m.
Pick up a copy of this week's paper to read more about local teams and their fight against cancer.

DRS season enters final two weekends With just two weekends remaining in the Dakota-Rice- Scott League regular season, the surging New Prague Orioles have won seven games in a row and have moved into the top four of the league standings. New Market continues to lead the league with an 18-1 record, while St. Patrick has solidified its hold on a playoff bye.

The Minnesota Valley Bowling Association held a Hall of Fame induction recently at the New Prague Knights of Columbus Hall.

The restoration of Montgomery’s mural will soon come alive with the application of colorful paint.
The 40-foot mural is being redone in a warehouse in Montgomery. Victor Garcia, a retired painter who had lived in Montgomery for 18 years before moving to his home in Belle Plaine, knows the mural’s scene very well. He painted the original 25 years ago. However, weather took its toll on the masterpiece and its boards were taken down last fall.

The local Catholic community, including Most Holy Redeemer Church in Montgomery, St. Canice Catholic Church in Kilkenny, and St. Patrick Catholic Church in Shieldsville, is under new leadership as of July 1.
Fr. Victor Valencia, who has led the parish for five years, has transferred to St. Jerome Church in Maplewood.
Fr. Tom Niehaus (pronounced knee-house), who has most recently served at St. Columbanus Catholic Church in Blooming Prairie, has taken on the leadership role in the local Catholic community.

Ludmilla (Ludy) Korbel, 88, of Montgomery passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2019. Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 12 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. Mass of Christian burial will follow at 10:30 a.m. with Father Tom Niehaus officiating. Interment will be in St. Wencelsaus Cemetery in New Prague.
Ludmilla was born in New Prague on December 6, 1930, to Edward and Elizabeth (Minar) Korbel. She attended country school in rural New Prague and later graduated from New Prague High School.