A free food distribution for those in need of food or newly struggling to make ends meet due to the COVID-19 crisis is being held Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. (or while supplies last) at First Lutheran Church, 116 Inner Drive, Le Sueur, MN.
The event is being hosted by the Le Sueur Food Shelf (LSFS) and Le Sueur County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) with food provided from the COVID Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

It’s a win-win situation.
Using a $10,000 grant awarded by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), the Montgomery Community Foundation (MCF) printed $10,000 in Monty Bucks that were distributed to people in need.
Tri-City United School social workers, local clergy, the local food shelf, and other individuals helped disperse the 400 $25 checks—for free—beginning in September.
Each recipient received a note explaining...
To see more on this story, pick up the December 10, 2020 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Breakfast with Santa adapts during pandemic
Christmas time is family time, and TCU’s community education and early childhood programs promoted that Friday with the annual “Breakfast With Santa … at Night.”
The event, which has traditionally been held on Saturday morning, was changed to a Friday night, on December 4, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The contactless drive-thru event was held in front of TCU High School. Natalie Eckstein, TCU Early Learning Coordinator, said it was her department’s goal to...
 

Sheriff’s department donates decorated tree to family in need
The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Department is making magic.
On Friday, Dec. 4, Sheriff Brett Mason and his staff delivered a fully decorated Christmas tree to a Le Sueur County family in need. “Project: Believe in the Magic of Christmas” was organized by Mason, The Mounted Posse, and The Sheriff’s Youth Project.

On December 9, 2020 at 6:02 am, Rice County deputies responded to the 5000 block of Hazelwood Ave in Webster Township, Northfield Ambulance and Northfield Fire/Rescue responded to a personal injury crash on CR 46 in Webster Township. 
Upon arrival, deputies located two vehicles involved with 2 victims.  The driver of a 2006 Audi A6, Miguel Angel Carreon Balderas, 27, of Owatonna was treated at the scene and transported to Northfield Hospital by ambulance. 

The Montgomery Volunteer Ambulance Service needs aid.
Last week, Thursday and Friday, it was taken out of service due to staffing shortages, which meant local emergency calls were answered by North Memorial Health out of New Prague.
According to City Administrator Brian Heck, previous staffing issues have been worsened by the pandemic.
“We were having issues with staffing before covid hit, but now we are in real tough shape,” he said during a city council meeting on Monday.

Due to the ongoing surge of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, Mayo Clinic Health System has temporarily suspended operations at the Belle Plaine clinic and will be temporarily suspending operations at the Mankato-Northridge, Le Sueur, Janesville and Waterville clinics as of Monday, Dec. 7.
The suspensions are necessary to reallocate staffing resources to other critical care needs in response to the COVID-19 surge. The closures are expected to last six weeks. COVID-19 testing is still taking place at the Belle Plaine Clinic.

Memories of past plays and musicals made up a gift to Tri-City United’s theater director last week.
Sarah Mejia, who teaches language arts, celebrated her 15th year as a director at TCU this year. On Tuesday night, November 24, she received a special one-of-a-kind quilt from her Class of 2020 theater students.
“The seniors wanted to do something special for me, so they put together t-shirts, and quotes, and got a drama mom to sew (a quilt),” she said.
To see more on this story, pick up the December 3, 2020 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Let there be lights!
It has been dark for years, but on Saturday, the Montgomery Community Foundation (MCF) relit the town’s Christmas tree.
Feeling down in the tumultuous times facing the world as it deals with the coronavirus outbreak, the Foundation board enlisted in community and city support and purchased lights for the community Christmas tree, which is located on the south side of Center Stage Dance/Snap Fitness parking lot. Foundation board members and other residents strung the lights Saturday morning.

The Elko New Market city council approved a motion at its Thursday, Nov. 19, meeting, authorizing its staff to negotiate the acquisition of property in the Woodcrest development.
City Administrator Tom Terry explained that the area under discussion is Woodcrest Lane, which is the only access to a subdivision of the Woodcrest development.

Though there have been no major or fatal accidents at the intersection that connects Highway 19, 3rd Street West and CSAH 4, the council would like to see it change in light of a project on CSAH 4 that Rice County will be completing in 2022. “That’s the worst intersection,” Lonsdale council member Steve Cherney said.

New Prague KC Hall - 411 4th Ave. SW, New Prague
Mon. November 30. 2020
12:30 - 5:30 pm
New Market Town Hall - 8950 230th St. E, Lakeville
9am - 2 pm
Wed. December 2, 2020
Jordan Fire Station - 501 N. Varner St, Jordan
Thurs. December 3
1 - 5 pm
To sign up for an appointment for either locations go to:
https://www.primarybio.com/r/scottcounty

A man from Belle Plaine died in a boating accident on Saturday in Le Sueur County.
According to Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason, deputies responded to a call at 9:45 a.m. on November 28, 2020, at the Clear Lake public access in Lexington Township for a report of a capsized duck hunting boat.
Upon arrival deputies located Nicholas Jeffrey Brooks, 29, of Belle Plaine sitting on top of the overturned duck boat.
Jeffrey Ernest Brooks, 55, of Belle Plaine, was found floating in the water several yards from the overturned boat.

Dallas Jerome, son of Charles and Leona (Honza) Horejsi, was born March 25, 1948, at the hospital in New Prague. He had four brothers and three sisters—Dennis, Donald, twins Donna and Duane, Dalleen, Darrell, and Diane.
As a young farm boy, Dallas grew up about four miles southeast of Montgomery and attended Montgomery Elementary School and later Montgomery High School (through 10th grade).

Third graders in TCU Lonsdale received supplies last week that will help them with distance learning.
Approximately 50 Titan third graders in Jennifer Tuma and Lydia Gurthridge’s classes each received a whiteboard mat with an x/y axis on one side and a whiteboard marker from the Lonsdale Lions.
Lonsdale Lions President and TCU High School Principal, Alan Fitterer, said giving the kids these supplies instead of the usual dictionary made more sense. The supplies were passed out last week before the district went to distance learning.