The longstanding American Legion building, 102 Elm Avenue Southwest, is now under the new ownership of Robert Krautkremer and Dione Bast of New Prague, renaming it The American Bar & Grill. 
    “This place came available. We looked at it, talked about it and saw some potential there,” said Krautkremer. Their first day of business, a soft opening, was Friday, Jan. 29. 

Montgomery city officials held their first of three town halls regarding the updated Street and Utilities Improvement Plan (SUIP) and the long-term budget of the city, as well as gave more details about the new Memorial Park playground to be installed in 2026. Only two residents showed up to this first town hall.

    Tri-City United High School’s one act thespians’ season didn’t pan out quite what they wanted to, but it was a great show none-the-less by the students.
    Students competed at the 2A sub-section one act competition on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the school’s performing arts center. This coming after their Thursday, Jan. 22, public performance was postponed until Thursday, Jan. 29, due to cold temperatures. Temperatures that evening and the following day dipped to around 20 degrees below zero. 

A small number of Tri-City United (TCU) wrestlers competed at The takedown on 22 Wrestling Tournament Saturday, Jan. 31. Those who wrestled did quite well.
    Five different Titans claimed top five finishes, led by Trista Gessler who won a championship.
    Gessler placed first in the girls 112-pound weight division. Gage Factor placed second in the 139-pound weight class. Tucker Skluzacek placed 2nd in the 145-pound weight class. Griffin Lemieux placed 3rd in the 127-pound weight class. Owen Delander placed 5th in the 121-pound weight class.

    With the increased spotlight on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presence in Minnesota, it seemed pertinent to see how our local community is responding to it and what presence of the taxpayer activities has been locally. 
    
TCU Schools

    Eleven bowlers from Tri-City United Schools competed in Mankato for the Minnesota Special Olympics State Bowling Tournament Nov. 22-23, 2025. It was one of eight sites containing a total of 792 volunteers and 4,106 athletes. 
    The TCU competitors had been playing and practicing since the end of September as a part of the TCU Titan Special Olympics Program that practiced at Pla Mor Lanes in Montgomery.

Kathleen “Katie” Scheel was a beautiful wife, devoted mother, and cherished grandmother, among the many roles she carried with quiet strength and grace throughout her life. A woman of deep integrity, unwavering faith, and boundless kindness, Katie lived her values rather than simply speaking them. Her love was steady, her compassion sincere, and her actions, always thoughtful and selfless, spoke far louder than words ever could.

Firefighters from at least New Prague Fire Department and Montgomery Fire Department extinguished a fully-engulfed separated garage fire Thursday, Jan. 29, during the evening hours at Number One Auto north of Heidelberg in rural Lanesburgh Township in Le Sueur County. Temperatures at the time were only about five degrees above zero.

Three Tri-City United Schools middle school students performed this past Saturday, Jan. 24, as a part of the Hope Lutheran High School’s inaugural 2026 Southeast Minnesota Middle School Honor Choir.

Gohan Ruiz, Chris Traxler, and Zoey Lien represented TCU after being nominated by their teachers to do so.

Ruiz and Traxler come from Le Center, and Lien from Montgomery.

Faced with a deteriorating infrastructure, the City of Kilkenny is looking to rehabilitate and modernize its water systems.

The city met with Kyle Renneke of the engineering firm ISG Monday to go over details of the project. Particular focus is given to the well house. The 90-year old structure is in critical disrepair.

“It has a concrete roof that could collapse at any time,” said Kilkenny Mayor Tammy Holicky said.

Republicans and Democrats in Le Sueur, and Rice counties interested in participating in the early stages of the process of selecting their respective party’s candidates and platforms at upcoming precinct caucuses can do so on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. at various locations.

Randall “Randy” Lee Ellman, aged 64, of Charles City, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at his home.

Born on April 11, 1961, in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Randy was the son of Vincent and Delores (Johnson) Ellman. Randy enjoyed many activities, including spending time with his loved ones, camping, fishing, gambling and eating ice cream with dots every evening.

Evelyn Elizabeth Barabash, age 79, of Montgomery, passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at St. Mary Hospital in Rochester.

Evelyn was born on March 5, 1946, in Minneapolis, to David and Louise (Corbine) Belille. She was raised in New Prague, where she attended St. Wenceslaus Catholic School. Among her siblings and cousins, she was lovingly known by the nickname “Paper Doll”.

Matthew Eugene Robert Kadrlik, age 50, a lifelong resident of Montgomery, passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, January 23, 2026, surrounded by his loving family, following a brief but courageous battle with cancer—one he faced with remarkable strength, quiet determination, and without complaint.

“Terrible things are happening outside. At any time of night and day, poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. They’re allowed to take only a knapsack and a little cash with them, and even then, they’re robbed of these possessions on the way. Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared. Women return from shopping to find their houses sealed, their families gone. The Christians in Holland are also living in fear because their sons are being sent to Germany.

Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School (MHRCS) middle school teacher Jennifer Floyd of Lonsdale was awarded the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year for grades 6-8 for Minnesota.

Floyd is the fourth winner sponsored by the Montgomery VFW Post 5340. Prior winners included Heide Veazie, Christine Trcka, and Michael Bass-Smith.

She teaches language arts for 7th-8th grade, Spanish for grades 3rd-8th, and art for all of the middle school at MHRCS where this is her second year there and 35th year as a teacher.