New Prague American Legion Post 45 will host a Blood Drive for Memorial Blood Centers from 12-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The Blood Drive will be held inside the Club Room at the American Legion, 300 Lexington Ave. S in New Prague. To sign up, go to www.mbc.org/searchdrives and enter sponsor code 4900 or call 1-888-448-3253 or contact Alicia at 612-283-7150. To save time, people can complete a health history questionnaire online on the day of their donation at mbc.org/donate.

NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers a variety of free online peer support groups for adults and young adults living with a mental illness, their families, friends, spouses/partners, as well as parents of children and teens. Led by trained peer facilitators, the support groups help individuals and families learn coping skills and find strength through sharing their experiences.

Mary Johnson, who resides at Traditions of Waterville, has been busy helping others throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using her own “stock piles” of fabric, she uses her sewing machine to...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 20221 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

The WINTER STORM WATCH has now been elevated to a WINTER STORM WARNING which will go into effect TODAY (Thursday) at NOON through FRIDAY evening at 6 p.m.
Key Points:
- Snow is expected today, with total snow accumulations of 6 to 9 inches possible.
- Winds may gust as high as 35 miles per hour.
- Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.
- If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

Lynden James is New Year’s Baby
 
Montgomery’s New Year’s Baby arrived just seven days into 2021 at Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague. Little Lynden James, a girl, claimed the honor. She is the daughter of Peter Clark and Madisen Ziebell of Montgomery.
 
Lynden is the couple’s second child. Her big sister,...
 
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Tri-City United elementary schools were full of students on Monday, Jan. 11.
Not since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic began in mid-March, 2020, have the schools had full classrooms.
Following guidance from Governor Tim Walz’s Safe Learning Plan, TCU schools laid out its...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Residents unharmed, but pet perishes
Two residents in Montgomery escaped an early-morning fire on Wednesday, Jan. 6, but sadly, a pet dog did not. The fire broke out at the two-story, single-family home at 201 Boulevard Ave. NE. The Montgomery Fire Department responded to the scene just before 1 a.m. When Fire Chief Kenny Pavek arrived, he found the house fully...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Does your family set a goal each year?
In 2021, my family will be focusing on basic life skills.
Throughout the past year, we, like many families, have hunkered down and spent more time at home together. And, over the course of this pandemic, my husband and I have come to realize...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Scott County Public Health will be continuing to hold testing for COVID-19 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Prague through the month of January. There will be two more testing dates at the KC Hall, 411 11th Ave. SW, next to the Dairy Queen in New Prague. The remaining two dates are Monday, Jan. 18, and Monday, Jan. 25, both will be held from 2-5 p.m. The testing is open to everyone age 2 or older, whether or not they have symptoms and are free with no insurance needed.

A Montgomery man experiencing cardiac arrest was saved by responders from four different agencies on December 2, 2020.
Those agencies (Montgomery Ambulance, Police, Fire and North Memorial Ambulance), and the 18 members at the scene, were recognized Saturday by South-Central Minnesota EMS Regional System (SCEMS).
A special guest at the awards presentation was the patient, Leonard “Lenny” Lingsweiler of Montgomery, and his family and friends.
Mark Griffith, Director of SCEMS, said the outcome of a case like Lingsweiler’s is rare.

Christmas is over.
You’ve unwrapped your gifts.
Now you have to decide what to do with the things you were given. Some gifts are easy . A soft blanket or throw, clothes, books, or garage tool rack are great gifts that are easy to put to use.
However, sometimes we receive something we’re not quite sure what to do with. Yes, it was a thoughtful, generous gift, but will we ever use it?

A young man’s failure to use his turn signal and noncompliance with law enforcement led to his arrest and eight criminal charges filed against him, including three felony drug charges.
According to Le Sueur County Court documents, Kody Benjamin Glende, 19, was pulled over shortly after midnight on Saturday, Dec. 19 in Montgomery for failing to use his turn signal.
An officer approached the Ford F450 to find...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 7, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Restoration and car sales are at Swede Rides
Scandinavian influence has come to Czech Country.
Swede Rides Customs & Classics opened in December at 409 4th St. NW (former Skluzacek Oil, Co.). The business is a speciality auto dealership that performs restoration, customizing and building cars from the 1920s through the 1970s.
According to owner Mike Nielson, the service will be...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 7, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

The new year may be ushering in a slight sense of normalcy with the announcement Monday that school will be back to in-person learning as early as next week.
At a special meeting held on January 4 to discuss the proposed transition plan presented by the superintendent, the Tri-City United School Board unanimously...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 7, 2021 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

Recognizing Minnesotans’ sacrifice and commitment to their communities over the holiday season that helped change the COVID-19 pandemic’s trajectory and save lives, Governor Walz announced measures on Wednesday that loosen restrictions on important parts of daily life while urging Minnesotans to protect the progress we’ve made.

A fire in the early morning hours on Wednesday, Jan. 6, destroyed a home in Montgomery.
The fire happened at 201 Boulevard Ave NE. According to public records, it was owned by Mitchell Dappen. It had been the home of the late Stanley Busta.
The Montgomery Fire Department was called to the scene around 2 a.m. to find the house engulfed in flames. The New Prague Fire Department was also called for assistance.
No other information is available at this time.
The story is developing.