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A resolution to execute a Quit Claim was approved by the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners during their regular meeting on Aug. 26. The land in question is the Le Sueur County Fairgrounds.
The approval to take action on the parcels was first approved at the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 6.
The resolution transfers ownership of the fairgrounds from Le Sueur County to the Le Sueur County Fair Association.

Fishing is father-son, brotherly affair in the Malecha house. Kevin Malecha, who helped start the Tri-City United High School’s Fishing Club, has been fishing with his boys since they were old enough to.

Residents of Montgomery were able to get a first look at the 2025 Street and Utilities Improvement Project (SUIP). The project will be a full overhaul of the public utilities, street, curb, gutter and sidewalks within the right of way.
City Engineer Jason Femrite, of Bolten & Menk, Inc., gave a presentation on the preliminary engineering report for the project at the Aug. 19 public hearing within the city council meeting.

It started as a fairly typical afternoon at Rail 19 Bar and Grill in Lonsdale on Monday, Aug. 12. Grant Fitterer, 17, and Jackson Pollock, 25, were busy attending to the grill, both cooks at the restaurant, about an hour into their shift.

A St. Peter woman, Nicole Straka, driving a pickup was injured in a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of 290th Street and 181st Avenue in Heidelberg this afternoon.
Nicole Preliminary information indicates the crash just south of the intersection around 1:30 p.m. The woman was extricated from the vehicle and rushed to the hospital by a North Memorial Ambulance crew.
A pole supporting power lines along the roadway was snapped just before the vehicle came to a rest near the driveway at 29080 181st Avenue.

Extreme heat and humidity will preside over the area today and an excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen until 8 p.m. this evening. Severe storms are also possible late this afternoon into this evening.
The following locations have been designated by Rice County Emergency Management & Rice County Public Health as community cooling shelters during extreme heat events.
Please contact the facility regarding hours of operation.
• Faribault Community Center
o 15 Division St W, Faribault, MN 55021
o 507-334-2064

There have been numerous questions on the status of Molter’s Fresh Market grocery store in town and whether or not the store is closing. Over the past month or so, shelves have slowly been getting emptier and emptier and the deli inside was closed for business last week permanently.
The store never brandished any permanent sign on the building, leaving the previous grocery store’s name, Mackenthun’s, on it for about six months before it was painted over and small temporary banners were placed below it.

Union Pacific, which owns and operates the railroad running from Montgomery through New Prague, has been working on a tie replacement project along the line to Jordan.
“We do that periodically to ensure safe transport of the items we ship,” said Mike Jaixen, senior manager of communications for Union Pacific. “Along with replacing the ties, the crews do ballast work. The ties will be set to the side of the track, and we have a different crew that will come by later and pick up the old ties.”

A shed fire on 270th Street East, east of Creeks Bend Golf Course, in rural Cedar Lake Township on the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 17, is a total loss. The shed was used to house equipment only. More information will be available in the print issue of the New Prague Times.

Beyond the hard work that those exhibiting animals have put in, fair foods and beverages, amusement rides, live music, and other events, the Le Sueur County Free Fair is also host to — drum roll please — the Ag Olympics!
The University of Minnesota Le Sueur County 4-H’ers pack in a fun time on Saturday, Aug. 17, at 1 p.m. in the show arena at the fair hosting the Ag Olympics. Events will include wheelbarrow races, feed sack relays, egg tosses, bobbing for corn, roping, and hog calling.

New Prague resident Phyllis Smith has been selected the Outstanding Senior Citizen in Le Sueur County.
Smith will be recognized at the Le Sueur County Fair during the Senior Citizens/Farm Family of the Year Program on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 1 p.m.
The individual that nominated Smith said this about the former elementary school secretary:

The 2023-2024 Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota Queen, Ellaina Novak, enjoyed her experience at the 2024 Miss Czech-Slovak US Pageant in Wilber, Neb., over the weekend. “It was great. I had a lot of fun with all the other candidates. Instead of competing against each other, we were competing with each other. It was a lot easier to go on stage knowing the other girls supported you,” Novak said.

Neysa Anderson was crowned the 2024 Kolocky Queen for the Kolacky Days 90th festival this Friday evening, July 26. The remainder of Kolacky Days royalty were also crowned as 1st Princess Olivia Skluzacek, and 2nd Princess and Miss Congeniality Tayla Kline. They have taken their place and will be seen over the next two days of Kolacky Days festivities, including the Grand Parade on Sunday at noon along 1st Street in Montgomery!

Scott Pelava, owner of Lonsdale Auto Works, was chosen as the 2024 grand marshal for Lonsdale Community Days, happening on Saturday, August 10.
Pelava opened Lonsdale Auto Works in 2005, providing service to the Lonsdale area for 19 years so far. He has been an active member of the Lonsdale Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC), serving two terms on the board of directors for them. Chamber Executive Director Shanna Gutzke-Kopp says that he has been “constructively working with staff, committee members & business leaders.”

The Kolacky Days medallion has been found by the reigning royalty themselves. It was located at the Montgomery City Hall. The Kolacky Queen and her princesses spent time each day since the first clue given on Monday to locate it. Full information will be published in the print issue of The Messenger on August 1.
Look for The Messenger on newsstands starting Wednesday afternoon with a special 12-page section dedicated to Kolacky Days and all of its happenings!

The armed man who prompted sheriff’s deputies and police to shut down Interstate Highway 35 near Faribault Sunday, July 21, for nearly five hours allegedly had drugs in his vehicle, paraphernalia and equipment for packaging drugs.
The incident began at 2:52 p.m. and ended shortly after 7 p.m.

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