Effective Immediately....... Please be advised that the City of Montgomery has declared a snow emergency. Once a snow emergency has been declared it is unlawful to park a vehicle on any public street, excluding the Central Business District, until it has been fully cleared, curb-to-curb.

MANKATO, Minn. – (3:30 p.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation has closed highways in southwestern Minnesota due to numerous crashes and zero visibility including Interstate 90 from the South Dakota Border to Blue Earth. The closures are now in effect and include the following counties:

Blue Earth (Hwy 60 west of Hwy 60/169 junction only)
Brown (western portion)
Cottonwood
Jackson
Martin
Nobles
Rock
Watonwan
I-90 from South Dakota to Blue Earth

“Mom, I really like our Christmas tree. It’s not like other people’s trees... Ours doesn’t match.” ~ Ellen, age 8
Oh, the joys of Christmas!
My little redhead is correct. Our tree does not “match.”
It will never be featured in a magazine. It’s not much to look at, until you lose closely.
Every ornament is different, the star is made of cardboard and aluminum foil, and we still wrap our tree in multi-color lights (it’s not a “fancy” pre-lit one).
It’s a glorious hodgepodge of shapes and colors.
My ornaments from childhood hang...

Le Sueur County businesses will have the opportunity to receive money from the state and county.
The Minnesota legislature has approved more than $556,000 for grants to small businesses and non-profits to be administered by Le Sueur County for its citizens.
The county is continuing its contract with Next Stage, the firm that processed the CARES Act funds last fall. Le Sueur County has begun...
To see more on this story, pick up the December 24, 2020 print edition of The New Prague Times, Montgomery Messenger or LifeEnterprise.

Al Milgrom, the filmmaker who made the documentary “Singin’ in the Grain” has died at 98. Milgrom’s movie featured Minnesota's "Czech Triangle" (New Prague, Montgomery, Veseli and Lonsdale) and followed more than 40 years of the Eddie Shimota Band, including footage of the late Eddie Shimota Sr., his son, Eddie Shimota Jr., Jerry Minar and others from around the area. Milgrom was 96 when he came out with the documentary.

Two Le Sueur County officials submitted resignations during the Tuesday, Dec. 22 commissioners meeting. Darrell Pettis, full-time County Administrator will resign effective January 22, 2021. Joshua Mankowski, full-time
Environmental, Planning and Zoning Administrator in Planning and Zoning, will resign effective December 31, 2020. More on these resignations in the December 31 print edition of the newspapers.

St. Patrick’s Tavern north of New Prague is among three bars/restaurants that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office filed lawsuits against on Monday, Dec. 21. The other establishments are Pour House in Clarks Grove and The Interchange in Albert Lea. The lawsuits against the restaurants are for operating indoor dining in violation of the current COVID-19 restrictions.

James C. Lorence, Sr., 89, of Montgomery, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 at The Lutheran Home in Belle Plaine. Visitation will be held on Monday, December 28 from 9 to 10 a.m. at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery with Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. with Father Tom Niehaus officiating.
Military Honors will be provided by the Montgomery Area Honor Guard. Interment will be in St. John Catholic Cemetery.
Jim was born on January 6, 1931, in Montgomery. He served in the US Army in 1950 during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1952.

James F. Cleasby (Jim), 72 passed away on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
 Jim resided in Columbia Heights, MN. with his wife of 52 years, Faye (LaCroix).  Their two daughters, Heather Lucking and Mindy Murphy, (Joe)  live in the vicinity.
Jim was raised in Lonsdale, the son of Edward, (Ed) and Adeline Cleasby, (Herda).
Jim graduated from Montgomery High School, class of '66.  Lived and worked most of his life in the Minneapolis area.
Jim was preceded in death by his Father, Ed, brothers Paul and Mark, nephew Clinton, brother in-law Jim Kokoszynski.

Free help available for teens struggling with drugs, alcohol
Jeremy Gerres gets right to the point.
He’s a recovering addict.
Drugs and alcohol governed his life for many years. He knows the struggle, the pain, and the consequences.
Gerres opened Spirits at Rest, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Montgomery, earlier this year, but quickly identified a need for a program for adolescents.

A young woman’s cow painting just earned her some moolah.
Anna Prchal’s vibrant, acrylic painting of a purple cow claimed the People’s Choice Award--and $100--in the Arts and Heritage Center of Montgomery’s Celebrating Farmers and Agriculture window art contest.
The contest was made possible because of a grant from Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council and donations from the Bob and Mary Jo Loftus Foundation and Compeer Financial. Her painting, which she refers to as “Crazy Cow,” was displayed at...

Ask everyone what they’re getting the senior citizen in their life, and you’ll most likely hear: “I don’t know. They have everything.”
This is true for many folks. When you reach the golden years, you’ve lived a full life and have amassed a lot of stuff. Buying Christmas presents can be difficult.
The pandemic has made our choices harder when our senior citizens have been cut off from the outside world and human contact with loved ones. A new report by Senior Care asked 10,000 seniors if they could have anything in the world this holiday season, what would it be.

Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason announced Thursday, a $300 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of subject(s) involved in a series of damaged and stolen road signs, that occurred in the recent past, in Lanesburgh and Montgomery Township of Le Sueur County.
Mason said in the past three weeks, on different occasions, his office received reports from citizens and township board representatives about damaged and/or stolen road signs.
An investigation showed the damage was intentional.

Students shop for gifts at school’s holiday store
Holiday shopping got a lot easier for Most Holy Redeemer (MHR) students.
The spirit of Christmas was alive and well last week at a shopping event where gifts came to the school. It was organized by MHR volunteer, Neaner Kriha, who continued a tradition started decades ago by retired teacher, Marian Tuma, and the CCW.
“It used to be called the Mission Penny Sale. This is the second year I’ve organized it. I don’t know what I’ll call it …"

In alignment with Executive Order 20-103 announced December 16 by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Minnesota State High School League will begin in-person practice for winter sports and activities on Mon., Jan. 4, 2021.

Per Governor Walz, thanks to the hard work of Minnesotans over the last few weeks to keep each other safe, we are starting to turn a corner on COVID-19. But we’re not out of the woods yet. Today we announced a way forward that will bridge the gap to vaccination.
This plan will protect hospital capacity while prioritizing getting our kids back in the classroom and supporting Minnesotans’ quality of life.
Starting January 18, every elementary school in Minnesota may choose to operate in person with additional safety measures.