Mary Kay Freid, 72, of Montgomery, passed away on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. with Father Tom Niehaus officiating. Interment will be held in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Montgomery. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred.
Mary Kay was born on November 11, 1948, in St. Peter to Theodore “Ted” and Mary (Kucera) Blaschko. She was a Le Center High School graduate.

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.

The Minnesota State High School League’s (MSHSL) Board of Directors on Thursday, Dec. 3, approved a flexible plan for the restart of winter activities when clearance is provided by state governmental leaders. Executive Order 20-99 is currently in place, a directive that mandates a four-week pause in activities designed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. That is scheduled to expire on...
To see more on this story, pick up the December 10, 2020 print edition of The New Prague Times, Montgomery Messenger or the LifeEnterprise papers.

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...
 

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.

Justin J. Deutsch, age 99, died peacefully on Monday, December 7, 2020 at Mala Strana Rehabilitation Center and Assisted Living.  Less than a month shy of his 100th birthday. 

Mary Agnes Dorzinski, 93 of Le Center, passed away on Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, in New Prague. Private family interment will be at the Fort Snelling Cemetery.
Mary Agnes was born on September 1, 1927, in Belle Plaine Township, Scott County, MN to Lawrence and Mary (Schipreth) Reak. She was united in marriage to Edmund Joseph Dorzinski on August 28, 1954, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lexington. They had one son, Edward Joseph, born on December 22, 1960. 

Donald R. McClune, 85, of Lonsdale, passed away Monday, November 30, 2020, at Three Links Care Center.
Don was born the son of John and Esther (Spitzack) McClune on July 5, 1935, in Kilkenny, Minnesota. He attended elementary school up through the 8th grade. At that time, his Dad had gotten ill, so Don was needed to help take care of the family farm.

John E. Ruhland, age 79, of Montgomery passed away at Mayo Clinic Health System Hospital in New Prague, on Tuesday, December 1.
John was born on August 30, 1941, in Montgomery, MN to Frank Ruhland and Dorothy (Dvorak) Ruhland. He was their only child.
John graduated from Montgomery High School in 1959, attended Mankato State, and was in the Army Reserves from 1960 to 1965.

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.

Ronald Zelenka, age 75 passed away December 1st, 2020 at the VA Hospital in Des Moines, IA.

Jordyn Brownlee, a Tri-City United High School senior volleyball player has been named to the Minnesota River Conference (MRC) All-Conference Volleyball Team.
Brownlee, the daughter of James and Melissa Brownlee, was an outside hitter and setter for TCU. She was a captain this season, a three-year starter, and MRC Honorable Mention All-Conference for the 2019 season.

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.