Spring Load Restrictions on Rice, Le Sueur and Scott County State Aid Highways and County roadways will go in to effect at 12:01 a.m., Friday, March 6, 2020.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued a notice that Spring Load Restrictions on the state highway system in the south, southeast and metro frost zones go in to effect on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Ending dates for spring load restrictions are variable and based on how weather is affecting roadway strength.
The Spring Load Restriction map is posted on the MNDOT website at mndot.gov/loadlimits.

The New Prague Adapted Floor Hockey team continued its unbeaten winter season with a pair of wins last week.
The Trojans defeated South Suburban, 11-1, Tuesday, Feb. 18 and Winona, 13-1, Thursday, Feb. 20.
In the win over South Suburban, Dylan Raaen scored five goals, Leo Fahey scored three goals, and Mathew Boike added two goals.
Garrett Gagner had four assists and Seth Dorner had three assists.

Minnesota will join Super Tuesday this year — and 13 other states, including Texas and California, in perhaps the most consequential day of the presidential primary season.
It’s new in Minnesota. It’s our first presidential primary since 1992 and only the fourth in state history. Here are some rules.

The Montgomery Food Shelf and Salvation Army have a new home.
The two organizations moved from former convent at 105 3rd St NW to the former MVEC building on 151 Elm Ave. E, across from the Post Office.
Over the past several weeks, volunteers have moved refrigerators, freezers and built pallet shelves for storage. Pictured is one of the commercial freezers being moved Friday, Feb. 28.
The food is scheduled to be moved Saturday, Feb. 29 by several organizations, youth groups, and family volunteers.

Milliseconds.
Nanometers.
The blink of an eye.
Those flashes are the measures of the most significant events in our lives.
We have all experienced them - and they usually happen when someone passes away. One minute they are here. The next, they’re not.
In a blink.
The lives of many people were changed last week when a Lonsdale family and the Tri-City United family - again - lost one of its own. Blake Ryan Asher, age 17, died tragically in a car accident on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020.

A new proposal that would solve many of the city’s aging building problems was presented at a city council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Resident Bill Marek introduced his plan after he recently toured city buildings with Mayor Tom Eisert and City Administrator Brian Heck.

Tri-City United is sending four wrestlers to the state tournament after the Section 2AA competition last weekend.
Caleb Whipps (138 pounds), Brody Rud (170 pounds), Riley O'Malley (182 pounds), and Jose Reyes (195 pounds) will begin the competition in the first round of individuals for Class AA at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 
See more in the print edition.

The Hwy 21 bridge replacement project in Jordan begins in two weeks and will continue through November to replace two bridges and to build a trail for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Beginning Mon, March 9, construction crews will close Hwy 21 between Mill St. and south of the Sand Creek bridge to:

Replace two bridges over Sand Creek and the Union Pacific railroad
Build a trail for pedestrians and bicyclists between Mill St. and the Sand Creek bridge
Reconstruct Hwy 21 between Mill St. and south of the Sand Creek bridge

Patricia Ann (Rotter) Wells of New Brighton, passed away unexpectedly on February 20 at the age of 76.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, Feb. 28 starting at 11 a.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1900 7th Street, NW, New Brighton. Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church.
Pat was born in Montgomery. She graduated from Montgomery High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in medical terminology. After she graduated, she went to Europe for three months, which fueled her love of travel.

From Epiphany until Ash Wednesday, the people in the Czech Republic celebrate a season of merrymaking and masquerading called Masopust, which literally means "good-bye to meat.”
Montgomery’s version was celebrated on Sunday to a full house at the American Legion Post #79.
This pre-Lenten Carnival includes dancing, celebrating and eating. It also includes the naming of a new ambassador. That title went to Preston Anderson, son of Kris and Dawn Anderson of Montgomery.
Read more in the print edition.

Evelyn L. Vlasak, 92, of Montgomery, died on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 at Mala Strana Rehabilitation Center in New Prague. Visitation will be held Thursday, Feb. 27 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, Feb. 28 at ­­­11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church with Father Tom Niehaus officiating with visitation one hour prior at the church. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery.

The Le Sueur/Rice County Drug Task Force was very busy in 2019.
Le Sueur County Chief Deputy Nick Greenig presented information about the work completed by the drug task force within the county during the Elysian City Council meeting Feb. 11.
Last year there were 64 cases opened, 55 search warrants were issued, and there were 61 arrests made.
A total of $18,020 in cash was seized as were nine firearms.
More than 3.4 million dollars in street value worth of controlled substances were seized.

(Editor’s note: Bill Marek has lived in Montgomery for close to 46 years. As an attorney, he and his brother, Scott, own Marek Law Office & Tax Services. In the mid-2000s, Bill was instrumental in the idea of changing the former elementary school on Highway 13/2 to a high school and creating an elementary and middle school campus on Second Street.)

Blake Ryan Asher, age 17, of Lonsdale, died tragically in a car accident on Tuesday, February 18, 2020.  Blake was born on November 7, 2002 in Northfield to Ryan P. Asher and Jennifer Kassa Jones.  He was raised in the Farmington/Lonsdale area and was currently a junior at Tri-City United (TCU) School, where he was a member of the speech club.  Blake was loved by everyone with his bubbly, funny, goofy personality.

A youth from Lonsdale, and junior at TCU High School, died in a single-vehicle accident due to icy roads on February 18.
According to TCU Superintendent Teri Preisler through a school-notification, Blake Asher died at the scene of a one-vehicle accident on Le Sueur County Road 28, east of County Road 3.
In a press release, Sheriff Brett Mason said Asher’s vehicle, a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, was traveling eastbound on County Road 28 when he lost control due to ice/snow packed on the road. Le Sueur County Deputies responded at approximately 4:46 p.m.

Alvia Ann Koubele, 96, of Montgomery, died peacefully on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 at home.
Visitation will be held Saturday, Feb. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery.
Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30 a.m. with Father Tom Niehaus officiating. Interment will be in St. John Catholic Cemetery in Montgomery.
Alvia was born on September 20, 1923, to Edward and Sophia (Springer) Zellmer. She was united in marriage to Frank G. Koubele in Montgomery on March 4, 1946.