Prom night returned this year for the Tri-City United School District, and students got to hang out with their friends, walk an extended Grand March, have dinner, but didn’t get to dance.
“I know for a fact a lot of people missed that portion (dancing) of Prom. It felt different without the music and energy that comes with dancing,” said senior Preston Anderson.
Students began the night with two...
To see more on this story, pick up the April 29, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Clayton “Cookie” George Kukacka, age 84, of Owatonna, formerly of New Prague, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in Medford at his daughter Deb’s home.
Visitation will take place Saturday, May 8, 2021, from 9  to 11 a.m. with a Memorial Service following at Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery. Interment will be in the Bohemian National Cemetery in Montgomery. Military honors will be provided by the Montgomery Area Honor Guard.

The Le Sueur County Board announced the finalists selected for the position of County Administrator.
On April 6, 2021, the Board selected four individuals to participate in an interview process that will take place on May 3, 2021. Liza Donabauer of DDA Human Resources, Inc., is the consultant hired to assist the County in the selection process.
Joseph Hatch
Joseph Hatch is currently serving as the Director of Human Resource Business Operations for the City of Minneapolis where he has served for approximately 13 months.

A 26-year-old woman from Kilkenny was flown to Mayo Clinic in Rochester after her vehicle rolled over in Shieldsville, Friday morning, April 23.
According to Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn, Phoenix Plaskett, 26, of Kilkenny was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester by Mayo helicopter with serious injuries. Dunn said Plaskett was driving a 2004 Mazda Tribute eastbound on Dodd Road by Le Sueur Avenue when the accident occurred at 7:29 a.m.

A new bundle of joy
My wife and I became new parents two weeks ago to a healthy, five-pound, four-legged bundle of joy that’s keeping us up at night and going through the developmental stages right before our eyes.
I was the instigator to bringing home another fur baby. We had just moved into a new home, out in the country, where there’s plenty of space for the new puppy to roam with our older dog.

Simulated reality introduces students to trade jobs
Students at TCU Schools immersed themselves into the world of augmented reality (AR) last week when the “Big Ideas Mobile Learning Trailer” stopped in Montgomery.
The goal of the mobile classroom is to...
To see more about this story, pick up the April 22, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

As calls increase this year over 2020, the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) continues to operate in its substandard facility that was built in 1974 as temporary housing.
The Montgomery City Council has been working toward a solution.
Mayor Tom Eisert resurrected the issue at the...
To read more on this article, pick up the April 22, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

The Tri-City United Varsity Baseball team is 0-2 after last week’s games, but Coach Bruce Davis, said the young and inexperienced team is learning the ropes.
Sibley East 15 - TCU 5
On Monday, April 12, TCU opened its season with a game against Sibley East at Memorial Field in Montgomery.
Sibley East led by a score of 6-5 in the fifth inning only to see TCU make four errors and go on to win 15-5. Collin Barnett was the starting pitcher for the Titans, and he took the loss.
Brody Rud, Max Krautkramer, and Nolan Readmond also pitched for the Titans.

A nine-block area of downtown Montgomery has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.
The National Parks Service made the...
To see more on this article, pick up the April 22, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Whether on the court or in the classroom, five members of the TCU Girls’ Basketball Team excelled this season, and have earned Academic All-State Awards.
The awards are given by the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association. Titans Jessica Dull, Samantha Lang, Isabelle Factor, Paige Johnson and Marissa Gare earned the highest award - the Gold Award, which is given for a team with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.75 and above.
The silver standard has been set at a team GPA of 3.50 to 3.74. TCU had a GPA of 3.902.

Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague has more than 200 available COVID-19 vaccine appointment slots available Thursday and Friday, April 22 and 23.
The vaccination site is located at the Mayo Clinic Health System clinic, 212 10th Ave. NE, New Prague.

Mayme Lucille (Dejcmar) Jindra, age 105 years 10 months and 6 days, passed away peacefully at her home in Montgomery on October 19, 2020.  Visitation will be held on Friday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery.  The Funeral Service in celebration of her life will also be held at the Church starting at 11 a.m. with Pastor Jason Pollington officiating.  

Carol Jean (Erkel) Svoboda, 85, of Le Center, passed away on April 16, 2021, at Mala Strana Health Care in New Prague with family by her side. 
Visitation will be on Thursday, April 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery. Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 30, at 11 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery with Pastor Jason Pollington, officiating.
Visitation will be held one hour prior at the church.
Interment will be held in the St. John Lutheran Cemetery.

Joseph Kline, 97, of St. James, passed away on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at the Good Samaritan Society – Pleasant View in St. James.
  A private Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at St. James Catholic Church in St. James with Father Timothy Hall as celebrant.
  Burial with military honors will follow at Trebon Cemetery in Montgomery, MN.
  Joseph was born October 30, 1923, in Erin Township, Rice County near Faribault, MN, the son of Frank and Katherine (Uhlir) Kline.

The Tri-City United Baseball Team opened its 2021 season with a conference loss to Sibley East on Monday, April 12. After five innings, the Titans fell 5-15 to the Wolverines. No other information was provided by press-time. Next up for the Titans is a conference game against Belle Plaine on Thursday in Belle Plaine. On Monday, they host Le Sueur-Henderson. Both games start at 5 p.m.

If you need a building permit, looking for assistance with your business or want to build a new subdivision, you’ll want to see the City of Montgomery’s new Planner and Economic Development Specialist.
Joshua Mankowski started his position on March 16, taking over part of the role held by Leah Petricka.
Currently, the city of Montgomery has only 14 buildable lots. In addition to issuing building permits, Mankowski’s planner position will have him working with developers and builders on creating new subdivisions and industrial areas.