Monday evening was a history lesson for the Kolacky Queen candidates for this year at the Arts and Heritage Center.
Local historian Dale Ruhland, seen at the left in the group photo and next to the current royalty, briefly spoke about a few historical items, and Jim Mladek followed with a more thorough wrap-up of Kolacky Days throughout the years. Mladek said, “My challenge to you (candidates) is to do some of your own research on your own heritage.”

The Le Sueur County Fairgrounds in Le Center was host to the Sixth Annual Tri-City United FFA Alumni and Friends Truck and Tractor Pull on Friday evening.
    There was plenty of muscle to go around on a very pleasant evening, with a good portion of the crowd of approximately 800 opting to purchase pit passes to be closer to the loud, sometimes smokey action. Spectators were treated to a total of 66 hooks on the straightaway. 

Scott County Highway 9/Carver County Highway 11/Jordan River Crossing (Jordan/Sand Creek Township): The Jordan River Crossing will close Thursday, June 20, at 2 PM due to flooding.

From the Minnesota Department of Transportation
Highway 19 east of Henderson to Highway 169 closed at 12 p.m. today, June 19, due to flooding from the Minnesota River.
Traffic is detoured to Highway 19 west of Henderson, Sibley County Road 17 (391st Avenue), Sibley County Road 8 (336th Street), and Highway 169.
Motorists should monitor www.511mn.org for current road and detour information.
Other crossings closed

Volunteers, homemakers and staff of Aging Services for Communities (ASC) were honored for their dedication to helping senior citizens and people with disabilities at a special recognition event Wednesday, May 15.
Approximately 70 volunteer drivers, homemakers, their guests, the Montgomery office staff and guests were treated to a full meal and door prizes at The Little Dandy in Le Center.

Earlier this month, six Tri-City United High School students loaded a bus and headed to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport to board a plane for Chicago to participate in the 2024 Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference, May 10-14. 
Over those five days, they were able to meet over 6,000 students from around the United States and compete against them for the right to be called the best in the U.S. 

As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, a very personal collection of various mediums of art is on display at the Arts and Heritage Center in Montgomery. Joe Deutsch’s collection of art, never intended to be in any sort of gallery or on display, found its way to the center by means of knowing the president of the board of directors for the Arts and Heritage Center, Maureen Gunderson. Gunderson suggested that he should display his art, knowing his story with it. Gunderson’s husband, Deutsch’s high school shop teacher, also encouraged him.

Memorial Day
Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, events remembering our veterans will start with a religious service and a parade — leading east on Vine Avenue from Most Holy Redeemer Church, south on 1st Street, and west on Elm Street and stopping at the American Legion.
The Legion will feature a program with Guest Speaker Amy Larsen, who is the American Legion 3rd District Vice Commander, member of the Department of Minnesota National Security Team, Commander of the Lonsdale American Legion Post 586; and Vice Commander and Chaplin of Lonsdale Post 586 Honor Guard.

Friday night into Saturday morning was a spectacle of the skies, even those within the city limits and outside of direct light, as the aurora borealis or northern lights put on a show for all to see.
People as far south as the Bahamas and southern California were able to see them outside of light polluted areas. Even within the Twin Cities metropolitan area the aurora was visible to the naked eye.

Seneca Foods Corporation in Montgomery has been issued a citation by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (MNDLI) and issued a penalty of $156,259 in regards to the incident which happened in the early morning hours of October 5, 2023, where 58-year-old worker Jose Luis Alvarado had items in a warehouse fall on top of him and he died from his injuries.

Air quality is expected to reach the red AQI category in southern Minnesota, which is unhealthy for everyone
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has extended the air quality alert for southern Minnesota. The alert now remains in effect until 11 p.m. on Monday, May 13. The affected area includes the Twin Cities metro, Albert Lea, Marshall, Worthington, Rochester, Winona, Mankato, and the tribal nation of Prairie Island.

A Shoreview man, a passenger in a 2011 Hyundai, was killed Thursday afternoon, May 9, in a crash on Le Sueur County Road 3, just north of its intersection with County Road 29 in Lanesburgh Township.

“The Enchanted Bookshop,” by Todd Wallinger, will have performances at the high school’s performing arts center at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3.
A well-rehearsed cast of 4th through 6th grade children are ready to make the bookstore characters of Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Dorothy Gale, Pollyanna, Tom Sawyer and more come to life — at least while the bookstore keeper is not around.

“We talked about putting together an event like this,” Montgomery Community Foundation Chair Mick McGuire explained in his opening comments to a small crowd at Hilltop Hall on Saturday morning. “Everybody has a State of the Union, State of State, State of the City programs. Our thought was to do a State of the Community.”
Speaking at the event were Montgomery Mayor Tom Eisert, Tri-City United Superintendent Kevin Babcock, Montgomery Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Caitlin Huiras and Montgomery Area Community Club (MACC) Executive Director Jessica Westerman.

Austyn Menk, a 2016 graduate of Tri-City United High School and Le Center native, is releasing a jazz album with some of his colleagues on May 3.
The self-titled album, “IRIS,” is the first release of the professional jazz quintet out of the Chicago area. If the band’s name sounds familiar, it may be because the past two years of TCU’s Jazz Fest, they have been the featured professional group that played and also did workshops with the TCU High School students.