Le Center's Laynee Blashko was crowned Miss Shamrock for the 2026 St. Patrick's Day Festival at the coronation ceremony on Friday, March 13. Marissa Schroeder of Le Center was crowned Miss Irish Rose and Sierra McCabe of Cleveland was crowned Miss Leprechaun.
The parade and other festivities on Saturday afternoon went by without any issues from the impending blizzard.
Look for the full story in the March 19, 2026, Montgomery Messenger.
In last year’s legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law ending the shotgun-only zone for deer hunting in the southern and west-central counties of the state.
The action leaves each county currently in the shotgun-only zone with the decision of whether to pass an ordinance to maintain the ban on rifle hunting.
Le Sueur County can either do nothing and allow the rifle hunting ban to lift, or it can pass an ordinance to uphold the current law.
Sophie Smith, 20, of Montgomery, won this year’s 2026 Kolacky Days button design contest, chosen by the 248 members of the Montgomery Area Community Club (MACC) that runs Kolacky Days out of the 10 submitted designs.
Smith is an emergency medical responder (EMR) working towards being an emergency medical technician (EMT) for Montgomery Area Emergency Medical Services. She is a 2024 graduate of Tri-City United High School with plans to continue her education to do something in the health care fields.
Saturday, March 14, 5 p.m. Update
The National Weather Services (NWS) in Chanhassen, Minn., has issued a Blizzard Warning for our greater area from 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, through 4 a.m. on Monday, March 16. They are calling this a "historic March winter storm on track to bring extreme snow accumulations and strong winds."
The warning calls for a broad swath of 12 to 18 inches of snow over the region, with some area approaching two feet, with winds between 35 and 45 mph, with gusts to 55 mph, even after the snow starts to taper off.
Music students from Tri-City United High School participated in the Section 2AA Solo and Ensemble Contest last Wednesday, March 4.
The school’s jazz band and the Encore choir both received the highest rating, a superior, at the contest.
While St. Patrick’s Day was still a week away, festivities kicked off Saturday at the Le Center American Legion Post 108 with the Miss Shamrock Talent Show.
Three candidates are vying for the title of Miss Shamrock, Miss Leprechaun or Miss Irish Rose. The John Gregory O’Connell Scholarship will also be given to one of the candidates.
In September 2025, Community Development Asset Group (CDAG) out of the the Twin Cities proposed a 43-unit market-rate apartment complex at the end of the dead end 7th Street Northeast off of Elm Avenue. The for-profit company has submitted another proposal for the City of Montgomery to consider an apartment complex of 56 units now.
Business members and residents of the Lonsdale area were treated last Tuesday, Feb. 24, to the Lonsdale Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the Community. This year it was held at the new Lonsdale City Hall, moving from the Lonsdale Public Library.
About 50 invested people were present to hear Tri-City United Schools Superintendent Kevin Babcock, New Prague Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Andrew Vollmuth, and Lonsdale Mayor Tom Berg give updates in their respective areas.
Outside of pageantry or large community event duties, it’s not every day that you get two Princess Kay of the Milky Way in the same room.
Last Thursday, Feb. 26, Tri-City United High School was paid a planned visit of the current and 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way Malorie Thorson from Wright County. Thorson was invited by 70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Emma Kuball of Waterville.
Both princesses come from long-standing farming families and ones that have supported the dairy industry for some time.
Mollie Remhof had a typical start to her day after work when she arrived home late afternoon of Monday, Feb. 16. “I’d gotten home from work, and let them outside,” she said. “Just cleaning and whatever. You check on them once in a while, and they generally don’t go anywhere.”
Remhof has two dogs, Roxie, an eight-year-old golden retriever, and Harley, Roxie’s seven-year-old mixed-breed. “Her (Roxie’s) daughter came back all wet, not muddy but wet,” said Remhof. “Around here, it was all muddy, so I was like ‘Where were they? What were they doing?’”
Over 300 people showed up to show their support at the benefit for Mike Meyer held at the American Bar & Grill in Montgomery on Saturday.
Paulette “Polly” Bieber, coordinator of the benefit said, “It was a really great turnout. Really good support.” She said that a total of 32 businesses “from Belle Plaine to Montgomery and everywhere in-between” donated to the benefit, whether silent auction items or in-kind.
Gary West provided music for the event, and Odenthal Meats provided the pulled pork for the sandwich dinners.
VFW Department of Minnesota Commander Ed Keogh and Thumbprint Memoirs Dianne Traxler still have funds to record more history of Montgomery from you, the residents and businesses of Montgomery and the surrounding countryside.
Montgomery resident Erin Barry is a single mother of three children who took a journey for more than ten years of writing her first book titled simply, “Live Your Truth: Reconnect to Your Inner Wisdom. Create the Life You Love.”
Evan Skluzacek was named the 2026 Masopust King near the conclusion of Montgomery’s annual Masopust, or Czech Mardi Gras celebration, on Feb. 15.
The event was held at The Revival on Main with a large crowd attending.
Skluzacek was crowned by the past year’s Masopust King, Isaak Worm, who received a $500 scholarship from the Montgomery Lions Club for his reign.
City of Montgomery officials presented their updated plan to address what was a largely ballooning tax burden on the former timeline of the Street and Utility Improvement Plan (SUIP) and other infrastructure desires.
What was looming as a tripling of city taxes has now been knocked down to between 125% to about 175% of the current city taxes, evening the burden out for many years but adding to the overall cost long-term.
Saturday evening concluded the Snow Week fun at Tri-City United High School with a dance at Next Chapter Winery.
Thursday afternoon about a dozen students showcased their various talents during a talent show, and each day of the week students showed their school spirit with various dress up days.
