Another Kolacky Days weekend is in the history books. It was indeed a hot one. It’s possible this year’s offering of Kolackys was simply baked by leaving them out in the sun for a few minutes.
    As an outsider, I’m always impressed by how smoothly the festival goes. There are so many unique things that this festival offers – from prune spitting to the Bohemian tractor pull – I find it to be the festival I talk about the most with my friends and fellow outsiders.

    Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota 2025-2026 Gianna Olsen from Stillwater attended the Miss Czech-Slovak US Pageant in Wilber, Neb., competing against 10 other candidates from around the country. She was given the Cultural Preservation Award by the judges.
    Olsen did a vocal solo for her talent at the event, which ran from Friday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 2, and coincides with Wilber’s Czech Festival. 

To the editor and Montgomery,
    There are moments in life when "thank you" simply doesn't seem like enough. As our family reflects on Neysa's journey, from serving as Montgomery's Kolacky Queen Ambassador to now having the incredible honor of representing our community as a 2026 Aquatennial Ambassador, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who have supported her every step of the way.

Hello again everyone:
    I could not help but to rebuttal Danny O’Keefe’s reason for running. 
    He says he is level-headed. So why did you make a motion and vote yes to double the outlet ditch to drain Lexington Lake faster and way earlier than ever!? 
    He says he is very knowledgeable of county ditches. What you did to Lexington Lake is the reason for a potential and pending lawsuit against Le Sueur County. 
    He says he uses common sense approach. Is that why three other people are running against you?

    The TCU Junior Legion baseball team capped off a thrilling 2026 summer campaign, cementing their standing as one of the premier programs in the region by capturing the Metro Junior Legion League Tier 1A Division Championship and earning a third place finish at the Tier 1A State Tournament. 
    Competing in Tier 1A, a division designated for high schools with grades 10–12 enrollments between 400 and 1,000, TCU put together a dominant, high-octane season built on relentless base running, clutch hitting, and deep pitching.

    Tri-City United Titan’s Head Coach Brian Miller said, “It was a great season for the TCU Titan 10AA Traveling Baseball team who capped off the season with earning a trip to the Minnesota Baseball Tournaments (MBT) State Tournament.”
    Titans ended up ranked second for Region 2, with a 10-4-0 record, falling just behind the Chanhassen 10AA Gold team. 
    The state tournament was held in Savage and Burnsville from July 17-19. TCU played three games at the tournament, sadly they lost all three games but put up a strong fight.

Veseli's Kyle Carlberg collected three hits in four at-bats, as Warriors defeated Gaylord, 10-2, Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Walsh Field.

Veseli hurler Nate Picka pitched the complete game allowing four hits while striking out eight Islanders.

The win advances the Warriors to a playoff series against New Prague beginning Sunday, Aug. 9, 2 p.m., at Memorial Park.

Montgomery beat Shakopee for series sweep

Monerah Roseann (Gassman) Montgomery, age 82, of St. Paul Park, was reunited in heaven with her parents, Alfred Sr. and Helen (Freid) Gassman, her siblings Nancy (Richard) DeCoux, Gerald “Jerry” Gassman, and Richard “Dickie” Gassman, and her oldest son Todd Kleist, on 7/22/2026. She joined her loved ones in heaven on the 16th anniversary of her son Todd's passing. 

    Lonsdale Community Days brings a day-plus of events for the family to enjoy, including a new laser light show at 10 p.m. on Saturday evening on North Main Street.
    This year’s grand marshal, Joe Peroutka, is most excited for the kid’s pedal tractor pull at 10 a.m. and Grand Parade at 1 p.m, which he and his family will be a part of. The full schedule of events can be seen on the ad on the back page of this issue of the Messenger.

    Library Assistant Karen Gustafson spent her last day at the Montgomery Public Library on Thursday, July 30, like it was any other day attending to the usual customers through closing time.
    Gustafson, now age 61, started working at the library in February 2006. “The first week was tough because the librarian was still getting her feet wet and so the two of us kind of had to figure things out on our own. It was kind of like a rollercoaster,” said Gustafson.

William Ernest Friedner, age 89, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 10, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

    Montgomery Farmer’s Market will celebrate National Farmer’s Market Week today, which is Aug. 2-8.
    Montgomery’s Farmer’s Market started this year’s Power of Produce or “POP” Club on July 14 and it will run this week as well. It is a program sponsored by Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) and the Knights of Columbus #1573 that gives kids, who come to the market and register with their parents, $5.00 to use on participating stands for fresh produce.

    The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatch center received a call from retired farmer Richard Peterson, age 75, at 3:09 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, saying that his attached garage was on fire at 23956 Dodd Road, a little over two miles south of Le Center on the southern edge of the Shanghai Lake Wildlife Management Area.

    Montgomery’s 2024 Kolacky Days Queen Neysa Anderson was crowned as a 2027 Minneapolis Aquatennial Princess this past week. She is the second only from Kolacky Days royalty to enter into the candidacy for potential honor and first to be crowned. Anna Franek in 2019 was the only other Kolacky Royalty to try.
    Anderson joins 2025 Anoka Ambassador Sydney DeRung, who is the other princess, and the prize title 2027 Minneapolis Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes, which was won by 2024-2025 Miss Sibley County Maryn Halverson.

Monday, July 20