The tradition where residents make Christmas special for the needy was again a success in 2021.
According to Eileen Segna, the coordinator for the Sharing Tree program, all of the recipients who had tags on the tree, received gifts. She said people were generous with their gifts to the people who are mostly local senior citizens.
“I’m so happy. There’s a lot of people who buy over (the suggested amount) what’s on the tag,” she said.

The Lonsdale City Council has approved another no-frills budget and property tax levy for the 2022 fiscal year.
“I know there are no frills in this budget,” said Lonsdale City Council Member Kevin Kodada. “I know we won’t end up in a surplus like the state did.”
Lonsdale City Administrator Joel Erickson echoed Kodada’s statement as he went over the budget and property tax levy proposed for approval at the December 9 council meeting.
“The whole city budget is as basic as it gets,” Erickson said.

The Tri-City United Wresing Team won a tournament last weekend, for the first time ever. According to Coach Shaun Timmerman, the team won the Larry Severson Raider Invitational in Northfield.
"We haven't won this tournament before, so it's a nice experience to come, wrestle well against some teams that we haven't seen before, and walk away as the tournament champions,” Timmerman said.
Individual champions went to Caleb Whipps, Caden O’Malley and Marco Reyes. In second place were Christopher Johnson, and Carter O’Malley.

Montgomery has a new church.
Life Church, a new non-denominational church, has served the Montgomery religious community since early November, but the church’s beginnings started on a lakeshore in rural Le Sueur County.
According to Executive Pastor Doug Pint, the church began meeting in open-air spaces on Lake Volney during the summer. Life Church, which promotes helping one another as a family, now has a new, physical home at Hilltop Hall, 206 First Street N.

The holiday classic, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," made its way to St. John Lutheran Church on Sunday, Dec. 19. The program, which features Charlie Brown trying to find the Christmas spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree, was presented by the church’s Sunday School youth. In addition to the play, the production also included songs, “Christmastime is here,” “Joy to the World,” “O Christmas Tree,” “Away in a Manger,” and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

The great gift dilemma. We’ve all gone through it.
Especially at this time of year, a common quandary is what to give someone who has everything. If you don’t get a list of suggestions from the recipient, how do you choose something that allows you to communicate your feelings and appreciation for them?
You talk to people close to the recipient to get ideas.
You can guess what they’d like and attach a gift receipt with the present.
Or you buy the last resort - a gift card.

The Minnesota River Bulldog Hockey Team had an upand- down week last week. The team hosted Redwood Valley on December 14 and cranked out a definitive 8-1 victory.
Three days later, the boys traveled to Dodge County and lost to the Cobras by a score of 1-13.

After a couple of close losses to Fairmont 44-47, Belle Plaine 35-61, and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 38-40, the TCU boys’ basketball team cranked out a 65-52 home win over Sibley East on Friday, Dec. 17.

A number of school districts around the country, including Tri-City United, are responding to an anonymous threat on TikTok that seemingly warns against students attending class on Friday.
The threat, or "challenge,"reportedly calls on students to commit acts of violence on Dec. 17. It does not name a specific school or district.
According to TCU Superintendent Lonnie Seifert, there have been no threats that the district is aware of that specifically identify TCU schools as a site for violence.

The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office, with other area law enforcement, held its Shop with a Cop the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 8, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Prague. There were 23 children that participated in the annual event that allows children to find gifts for family members and something for themselves.

Lawrence “Chappy” Plonsky, 88, of Heidelberg, passed away on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Fairmont. Visitation will be held on Monday, December 20, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery with Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at St. Scholastica Catholic Church in Heidelberg. Interment will be held in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lexington.

James A. “Jim” Pumper, age 62, of New Prague, died unexpectedly at his home on Monday, December 13, 2021.  Jim was born on August 11, 1959 to Myles and Dorothy (Moll) Pumper.  He grew up in Le Center and attended Le Center High School.  Jim was a self-taught mechanic, learning many of his skills through watching and with the help of his father.  Many knew Jim personally from the various automotive repair shops in the area.  Even in retirement, he spent his time doing various automotive tasks for family and friends.  He married Laurie J.

Jim Pumper, age 62, of New Prague, died unexpectedly at his home on Monday, December 13, 2021.
Wife, Laurie; Mother, Dorothy; Sister, Sue.  Services are pending.

Donald William Coughlin, age 82, of Montgomery passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2021. Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 17, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation starting at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. Interment will be held at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Montgomery.
Military Honors will be provided by the Montgomery Area Veterans Honor Guard.

Thomas J. Shriver, age 87, of Montgomery, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. A celebration of life will be held in spring 2022.
Thomas was born to Michael Raymond and Agnes Loretta (Reedy) Shriver on September 10, 1934, in Watertown, SD. He married Dorothy Hillstad on April 2, 1954, and they raised a family of five children.

Le Sueur County received $3.7 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), part of a $2.2 trillion federal economic stimulus bill that was passed in March 2020 in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, how did the county spend those dollars?