Motorists on Highway 21 in Rice County at Shieldsville are encountering lane closures that began April 19 as crews start resurfacing, making intersection improvements and repairing culverts, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Work includes resurfacing approximately eight miles of Hwy. 21 from about one mile west of Interstate 35 to Highway 99. New turn lanes/bypass lanes will be installed at Shields Court, Mazaska Lake Trail, Lake Mazaska Boat Launch and French Lake Trail.

Last week Thursday was Earth Day!
Earth Day is an annual global event, observed on April 22, that celebrates the environmental movement and raises awareness about pollution and ways to maintain a clean habitat. It started in 1970.
Whether you agree with the notion of a climate crisis or not, we should all choose to be better and more respectful inhabitants of Earth. We can support environmental conservation for ourselves and for living things with whom we share the planet.

After missing out on last year, buyers and sellers were ready to wheel and deal at what has become the seasonal kick-off location to the swap meet season in the Midwest.
From Friday to Sunday, approximately 700 vendors gathered to sell their wares at the 44th Annual Le Sueur Pioneer Power Swap Meet.
“Everybody was happy to be out and among...
To see more on this article, pick up the April 29, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger, The New Prague Times or the LifeEnterprise papers.

A prescribed burn of a waterfowl area in Montgomery last week will ensure it continues to be a productive habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) conducted a prescribed burn at the Erin Prairie Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) on Tuesday, April 20. Erin Prairie WPA is a unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management District.

Artwork created by Tri-City United High School students is now on display at the Montgomery Arts and Heritage Center. The exhibit will be open to the public during the center’s regular hours, now through May 15. Pictured: TCU Art Team President Reagan Gaul (left) and Monserrat Ruiz put the finishing touches on the display. Both young women have pieces in the exhibit.

The Montgomery Area Community Club (MACC) is currently seeking Grand Marshal nominations for Kolacky Days.
Nominated individuals must be in good standing in the community, have displayed outstanding service, pride and commitment to the community, county, state and/or country, and should either live or work in the Montgomery area.

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.

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.