Norman “Norm” Turek, age 82, of Montgomery passed away battling the awful disease of Lewy-Body Dementia on Sunday, March 24, 2024, in the arms of his wife at Elysian Senior Home in Northfield. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 2, from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.  with Memorial Mass of Christian Burial following at 11 a.m. all held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Shieldsville with Fr. Tom Niehaus officiating. Interment will be held in St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Lewy-Body Dementia Association.

**UPDATE 03/25/24 as of 9 a.m.** The snow emergency has been lifted.
 
SNOW EMERGENCY DECLARED FOR THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY
Last Updated: March 24, 2024 - 9:38am

An enthusiastic, energetic group of Tri-City United second-grade students recently completed their first season of organized basketball.
Practice began in November 2023, focusing on basic fundamentals and understanding the game. As the season progressed, the young boys took part in four third-grade tournaments, and played 12 games in the process.
The boys improved every time out and gained valuable experience, according to Coach John Rynda. Rynda said, “At their last tournament in Mankato, a rival coach remarked, ‘They’re only second-graders? Wow!’”

There are some nights when things just don’t go well.
Tri City United (TCU) head boys basketball coach John Rumpza said their game Feb. 26 against Blue Earth Area (BEA) was one of those nights.
BEA defeated TCU, 71-48 in the regular season finale for the Titans. They finished with a 10-16 overall record heading into the Section 2AA North Sub-Section Playoffs which started Tuesday, March 5 against Glencoe-Silver Lake (GSL). TCU was seeded sixth and GSL third.

Residents/businesses can sponsor a tree
Residents have taken to both social media and talking to their neighbors about the abundance of activity with trees being removed in two of Montgomery’s parks — professing that they were rather unpleasant about the removals.
The City of Montgomery hired contractors to remove a total of 129 ash trees in Memorial Park and Northside Park in the last few weeks. The truth is, the trees would have likely died within the next few years anyway.

Gargett breaks her own school record
Tri-City United weightlifters placed in the one-two-three top ranks in their weight class at the state competition in Cannon Falls this past Saturday — all of them girls.
Varsity lifter Halee Gargett is a two-time state champion now, placing first. She lifted a total of 75 KG in the 45 KG weight class.
Varsity lifter Anastasia Stasney is a three-time state runner-up, placing second. She lifted a total of 79 KG in the 49 KG weight class.

Gargett breaks her own school record
Tri-City United weightlifters placed in the one-two-three top ranks in their weight class at the state competition in Cannon Falls this past Saturday — all of them girls.
Varsity lifter Halee Gargett is a two-time state champion now, placing first. She lifted a total of 75 KG in the 45 KG weight class.
Varsity lifter Anastasia Stasney is a three-time state runner-up, placing second. She lifted a total of 79 KG in the 49 KG weight class.

A 22-year-old Gaylord man was arrested on March 20 for his role in supplying fentanyl pills to a Montgomery 18-year-old girl who died as a result of a suspected overdose on Jan. 8, according to a press release by the Cannon River Drug Violent Offender Task Force (CRDVOTF).

Wm. R. (Bill) Simonette, CFP, age 73, of Mankato, passed away on Monday, March 18, 2024, at home. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 23, 2024, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 632 S. Broad St. in Mankato, with Fr. John Kunz, Celebrant. Military honors will be held immediately following services.
The Simonette family will greet friends on Saturday morning for one hour prior to services at the church. All are invited to lunch and fellowship following the service. In lieu of flowers please buy a nice lunch for a neighbor or two.

Sandra M. (Skluzacek) Tuma, born January 18, 1955, and formerly of Lonsdale, passed away March 16 after a hard fought battle against cancer. Preceded in death by her father Rudolph, she is survived by her mother Arlene of Lonsdale, her son Chad (Julie), daughter Amber (Chris) Gehrke and son Dustin (Leanna) and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Also survived by sisters Sharon (Ken) and Laure (Mike) and brothers Lyle (Sandi), Brian (Angie), Bruce (Lisa) and Eric (Bobbie).

Helen Drentlaw, age 98, of Montgomery, passed away on Friday, March 15, 2024, at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:30 a.m., all at Most Holy Redeemer Church in Montgomery. Interment will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery.

A Waterville woman was arrested Saturday, March 16, after holding sheriff’s deputies and police at bay in a several-hour standoff on the 100 block of Sakatah Boulevard.
Saturday morning at 12:04 a.m., Ande Bremmer, 30, advised police in several phone calls she was upset how officers handled a domestic disturbance at the residence earlier in the night and she began making comments about shooting law enforcement and advised she had firearms and ammunition, according to a press release from the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office.

“It’s art for art’s sake,” TCU Art Teacher Tony Barnack told a group of students participating in Tri-City United’s 9th annual Art Night on March 1.
    “Art is two things,” Barnack continued. “Art is us. We make art for us. We want to have that connection to our work. Art is also communal, and we make art in a communal space. That’s what tonight is about.”

In an eerie foreshadowing statement, the Montgomery Fire Department put out the message Sunday on Facebook saying, “Despite the super nice weather this weekend, please consider NOT burning anything this afternoon. With the elevated fire conditions this afternoon, it would be highly unsafe to burn anything.”
    Temperatures soared into all-time record territory for March 3, with temperatures being broken across the state for the day. In the Twin Cities, it reached 74 degrees, which broke the old record of 65 that was set in 1905.

Tri-City United (TCU) freshman Tucker Skluzacek showed great poise and competitiveness as he competed in his first Class AA State Wrestling Tournament Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2.
    Skluzacek won four of his six matches, placing fifth overall in the Class AA 114-pound weight class. He finished the season with a 48-7 record and became the highest placing freshman in TCU history.