Tri-City United Schools FFA chapter will be out again trick-or-treating to collect non-perishable goods for local food shelves again this Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31. Teams from the chapter will be visiting all three towns in the school district -- Le Center, Lonsdale, and Montgomery. 

Residents are encouraged to gather items from their pantries in preparation for them Halloween late afternoon and early evening. 

Once items are collected, they will be centralized at the high school and divided up accordingly to be distributed in our communities.

Tri-City United High School students once again introduced Hispanic heritage to younger students at TCU Le Center PreK-8 School on Friday, Oct. 24, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The theme this year revolved around vaqueros (cowboys) with interactive opportunities. TCU Cultural Coordinator Mary Lou Velásquez said, “Kids learned how to line dance to a popular song played at many fiestas, ‘Payaso de Rodeo.’ They also had a chance to learn how to lasso a bull, draw butterflies, learn about popular candies and dance folklore.”

Our dearest Millie Margaret (Krocak) Jones passed away on October 22, 2025, surrounded by family. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just 2 months prior, her end-of-life was far too short, yet every moment was wrapped in courage, peace and love. She gave us her final “farm goodbye".

Donald S.

The duo of Cristina Cruz and Lexie Berger placed fourth in the Section 1AA Doubles Tournament last week in Rochester.

Cruz and Berger were the No. 5 seed in the tourney and they split four matches.

In their opener, the Titan duo defeated Maisey Tormoen and Isabel Tix of Simley (6-0, 7-6.

In the quarterfinals, Cruz and Berger defeated No. 4 seed Carmen Puente and Hannah Shepherd of Faribault (6-0, 6-2).

In the semifinals, No. 8 seed Bella Reeck and Tori Thompson of Winona defeated the local players (6-3, 6-4). The Winona duo ended up placing 3rd overall.

Cracker Barrel came out with a logo, and everyone hated it. I personally hate that they serve very few crackers despite the promise of having barrels full.

Why did people hate the logo? You could throw a dart at a board of reasons why people get angry at anything these days. Any answer you hit will likely suffice.

But why are there so many reasons people get angry these days? The vast majority of it is manufactured, whether folks are aware of it or not. Anger is the easiest route to engagement, and engagement is what drives the economy of social media.

In preparation for Thanksgiving, the Le Sueur County Veterans Office is providing $25 gift vouchers during the month of November to veterans. The office is partnering with O’Keefe’s Meat Market in Le Center to provide the gift vouchers, according to a press release from the Le Sue County Veterans Office.

Area veterans can stop by the Le Sueur County Veterans Office to pick up a voucher, while they last, said the press release. This is a benefit for veterans of Le Sueur County because of their service to our nation.

The Dakota-Rice-Scott League will have a slightly different look next summer when teams take the field and the St. Patrick Irish isn’t one of them.

The Irish, a Class A team, announced earlier this month they were leaving the DRS and joining the other Class A teams in the River Valley League. An announcement the team posted on social media noted the move puts the Irish in closer proximity with Class A RVL teams like Burnsville, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eagan, Prior Lake, Shakopee and Victoria.

Some people make golf, painting, photography, porcelain figurines or traveling to exotic places as a favorite hobby. Paul Bongers enjoys growing pumpkins in the backyard of his house in Lonsdale.

And for Bongers, bigger is unquestionably better.

He grows Dills Giant Atlantic pumpkins in his backyard. He started growing them in 2020. This year’s crop of three pumpkins ranged from 1,200 pounds when it split, a condition leading to rot, to 1,219 pounds and the largest of the three tipping the scale at 1,819 pounds.

James (Jim) Francis Kalina, age 90, of Lonsdale, MN, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on October 21, 2025. Jim was born in Wheatland Township, MN, on January 6, 1935, to Max and Emma (Cecka) Kalina. After high school, he served his country in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea.

Montgomery Chamber of Commerce and the Community Economic Development Association (CEDA) held a Business and Retention Engagement Conversation at the Montgomery Police Department on Monday.

Business owners and leaders of the community were treated to lunch and participated in open conversation about the climate of business within the city of Montgomery.

The Titans boys soccer team couldn’t muster a win at the Tuesday, Oct. 21, state quarterfinals game in Shakopee against the Academy of the Holy Angels. 
 

A strong, cold west/northwest wind worked to their disadvantage in the first period and helped somewhat in their second period.

Despite the cold and windy conditions, a crowd of over 100 Titan fans showed up to support the hometown team and were very audible the whole game. 
 

Paul Adolf Swidorski, age 87, of Montgomery, died on the morning of Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Belle Plaine Lutheran Home.

Tri-City United Boys Soccer Team is hoping for further advancement Tuesday, Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m., in the Minnesota State High School League's Boys Soccer Class A State Tournament. The quarterfinal game is being held at the Shakopee West Middle School's Vaughan Field, 200 10th Avenue East.

Spectators should park on the east side of the stadium, entering along Spencer Street South, and enter at the main entrance to the field on the north side. Additional parking will be available in the middle school's parking lot directly to the north. 

It was an action-packed, pleasant week for Tri-City United Schools homecoming week.

Festivities were kicked off Monday with coronation and the start of daily themed dress-up days. Wednesday was a flip of the sports with boys playing a volleyball game and the girls playing the powderpuff football game.

Leonard Kaderlik, age 87, of Faribault, MN, passed away on October 13, 2025, at United Hospital, St. Paul, MN.