Rodney Joseph Soukup, 82, passed away at home on June 23, after a 10-month-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Faribault, Minnesota, on March 9, 1939, Rod grew up in Montgomery, Minnesota, and received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Ralph G. Hendrickson, age 82 of Kilkenny, MN, died at his home on Thursday morning, July 1, 2021.  Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 17 from 9am to 11am at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery. Memorial services will be at 11am all at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery.  Interment will be held at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Montgomery. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to St. John Church Steeple repair or Le Sueur County Relay for Life (American Cancer Society).

The last couple of months have been like a breath of fresh air.
Life after the pandemic seems like it’s getting back to normal. We have had some events with face-maskless (is that a word?) people and more are coming up!

The Tri-Legion Baseball Team’s bats have been swinging over the past week. The team played Waterville on June 25, Le Sueur on June 28, and Kenyon-Wanamingo on June 29.
On June 25, the team beat the Waterville Legion Team by a 2-0 score. The Tri-Legion team put its first point on the board in the second inning when Dylan Hollum scored off a Chris Johnson hit.
In the sixth inning, Jayson Macho doubled, and was batted home by Johnson.
“That was a great, great game,” said Coach Tim Moravec. “The kids played really well.”

Amateur baseball doesn’t see a ton of home runs.
Very few hitters hit more than one, or possibly two in a game.
Union Hill shortstop Nathan Berg put on a power hitting show which probably has not been seen in many, many years.
Berg struck out in his first at bat Wednesday, June 30 against New Market. He then proceeded to hit home runs in four of his next five at bats, including a solo home run which provided the Bulldogs with the winning run.
To make Berg’s game even better, he closed out the contest in the bottom off the 10th, picking up the save in a 7-6 win.

This weekend Generations Theatre Company will present Shrek Jr., a production that was all set to go in 2020, but was cancelled on its opening night due to COVID- 19 restrictions. There are three shows that will be performed at the New Prague High School auditorium, 221 12th St. NE. The first is 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 9, the next two are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 10. Cost is a donation to Generation Theatre Company’s scholarship fund.

Le Sueur County’s new Public Health Director Megan Kirby hit the ground running April 26th when she officially stepped into the position.
“I was fortunate enough to have multiple weeks with our previous director, Cindy Shaughnessy, to train and learn the role a little more in depth,” stated Kirby, who has a background working in community health along with a Master's Degree in Public Health, a Bachelor's Degree in Community Health Education, and an Associate's Degree in Psychology.

Motorists should plan for the Intersection of Highways 19 and 21  (Main Street & 4th Avenue NW) on the west side of New Prague being closed to thru traffic Thursday, July 15 – Friday, July 16 during scheduled milling and resurfacing work.  Although this schedule could be adjusted based on weather conditions, through traffic should follow any temporary detours.
 The current detour for the reconstruction project in downtown New Prague is expected to stay in place until the project completion, scheduled for this October. 

A man was found dead in a Le Center home Tuesday morning, July 6, following a 10-hour long standoff with law enforcement.
The man, who has been identified as 38-year-old Michael Lee Elie of Le Center, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
According to a press release issued by the Le Sueur County’s Sheriff Office, law enforcement officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of South Cordova Avenue in Le Center for a reported domestic assault at 9:19 p.m. Monday night.

The Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce and the Lonsdale Community Days Committee announced on Wednesday, June 23 that Daryl Rieck has been chosen as the 2021 Lonsdale Grand Marshal.
According to a press release, Rieck has been an integral part of the community for more than 35 years. It listed Rieck’s commitment to Londale being the American Legion Commander, instructor for AARP Defensive Course Classes, member of the Veteran's Memorial Task Force, Memorial Day Service Organizer, and volunteer who always helps with BINGO on Saturday evenings at the Legion.

The Tri-City United Softball Team finished its season with an 11-10 record, ending in the Elimination Bracket Round 1 of the Section 2AA playoffs with a 3-4 loss against Maple River.
But the team still had successes post-season.
Three members of the team were named Academic All- State softball players. They are Rachel Rynda, Nikaija Young, and Isabelle Factor.
Two members were also named All-Conference by the Minnesota River Conference. They are Ellaina Novak and Brooke Blaschko.

According to information from the Rice County Sheriff’s office, Sergeant Justin Timothy Hunt, age 40, of Faribault died in his sleep while on vacation with his family. His obituary states he passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, June 23 in Arthur, WI, following a sudden illness.

Only one game separates four teams vying for second place in the DRS Amateur Baseball Standings after games played Sunday, June 27.
St. Patrick, winners of 10 games in succession, is in first place with a 12-3 record. Prior Lake (9-4), Faribault (9-5), New Prague (8-5), and Union Hill (8-5) are battling for the second spot heading into the final month of the season
Faribault and New Prague have each won their last two games. The Orioles are 4-1 after a 4-4 start.

The Le Sueur County Board received a report from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) June 15 explaining the 10- year district work plan.
There are many road projects scheduled in the next 10 years which will affect residents in most of the communities within the county.

Le Sueur County and the City of Montgomery approved a permit by Joshua and Jonathan Beulke last month for establishing a mental health clinic at the former Lakeside Supper Club.
The application by the Beulke brothers was approved Tuesday, June 22 by the Le Sueur County Board, and in a special meeting by the City of Montgomery on June 7.
The outpatient clinic, which is currently at 100 Oak Ave. SW in the City of Montgomery, will be moved to the former supper club on Lake Pepin.

The Montgomery Community Foundation (MCF) supported two local projects that are building a stronger community when it awarded two grants totally $1,800 on Friday night.
The first recipient was $800 to the local Girl Scouts for their Community Silver Garden project. The second was $1,000 to the Memorial Park Log Cabin Restoration Project.