A curb stop in front of the Monty Bar sprung a leak on Saturday, July 27. Because it was Kolacky Days and fixing the curb stop requires turning off water to the business, it was decided to monitor the leak until Monday morning, July 29, when a crew was able to more easily access the area, explained Montgomery City Administrator Brian Heck. A portion of First Street was closed Monday morning while the repairs were being made. (Lisa Ingebrand Photo)
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.
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.
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.
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.
A herd of hundreds (of people) visited the Pieper family farm in rural New Prague on Saturday, June 29, as part of Rice County American Dairy Association's free Day On the Farm event.
Visitors were treated to a free lunch, milk shakes, kids' games, and tours of the approximately 890-head dairy farm that proudly produces an average of 34,000 pounds of milk a day.
The farm is owned and operated by Ray and Bridget Pieper with help from five of their 10 children, Tim, Brian, Nick, Dan, and Emily.
Tri-City United High School Assistant Principal Jeff Eppen has been named Southwest Assistant Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP).
Local dentist Dr. Mark Brahs, who has provided dental care in Montgomery for 43 years, has hung up his tooth explorer tool and mouth mirror and is settling into retirement.
“I was fortunate to have a good career,” stated Brahs, who officially retired on May 30. “I’ve had the privilege of seeing patients as young as two years old, up to 103… I’ve seen some families for three generations, possibly four. I’m grateful for those who have put their trust in me over the years.”
Thursday, July 4, is celebrated as the birthday of the United States, and many area communities will be celebrating Independence Day with fireworks and other festivities. In the immediate area, New Prague, Lonsdale and Veseli will hold their traditional fireworks displays, as will other communities in Scott, Le Sueur and Rice counties. Here are some of the highlights.
Patrick Goggins of New Prague has been appointed a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District by Governor Tim Walz.
Goggins will be replacing the Honorable Martha Simonett and will be chambered at Le Center in Le Sueur County.
Jim and Patti Mladek are going to see a lot more of Kolacky Days this year.
They were bestowed the honor of being named Grand Marshals at the Montgomery Area Community Club’s Meet and Greet Monday.
The couple is no stranger to volunteering. Before they were introduced to a crowd that packed the City Hall (rain forced a venue change from Memorial Park), MACC President Tom Washa read a part of their volunteer history.