Lonsdale residents will see a less than 3.1 percent increase in the city’s tax rate in 2022 compared to no change in 2021.
This comes as the mayor and city council unanimously approved the preliminary budget and property tax levy on September 30.
According to Lonsdale City Administrator Joel Erickson, the tax rate has remained the same the last two years, but needed to increase by 3.09 percent in the coming year. Overall, though, he said that the city’s tax rate has seen a 21.05 percent decrease since 2016.

The Montgomery City Council will have an open seat effective December 1 after its members accepted the resignation of Joy Svoboda in a special meeting on Monday.
Mayor Tom Eisert and City Administrator Brian Heck received Svoboda’s resignation on September 21. Heck said she is relocating outside of the city limits and is no longer eligible to serve on the council or the Economic Development Authority.
Svoboda is in the first year of her four-year term, which expires December 31, 2024.

For a day, almost 400 Titans became Ninja Warriors, and their transformation helped raise money for new playground equipment.
April Iverson, Treasurer for the TCU Montgomery Parent Teacher Organization, said for a week and a half, kids raised money from family and friends, and encouraged businesses to sponsor the event.
In all, the kids raised $20,502.
“That’s the most we’ve ever raised. We are so excited,” Iverson said.

The three public school districts that span the length of Le Sueur County have seen some positive COVID-19 cases and the quarantining of students and staff since the school year started.
Questionnaires regarding the status of COVID in the school districts were sent to the superintendents of New Prague Area Schools, Tri- City United Schools, and Waterville- Elysian-Morristown Schools last week. Of the three, New Prague reported the highest rate of positive student COVID cases, which accounts for 1.2 percent of the student body.

An audio recording circulated online last week of a Tri-City United Montgomery choir teacher disciplining his class. The recording was secretly recorded by a student and shared on social media and other news outlets.
In the audio, the teacher expresses frustration over some students’ behavior.

Most people in the stands at the Trojans’ homecoming football game could have probably named the quarterback who led the home team to victory.
Even more could have probably named the newly crowned king and queen, but the majority of people in the stands—on both sides of the field—knew the name of a local eighth grader who had been recently diagnosed with cancer.

Five people were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center Wednesday afternoon, October 6 following a two-vehicle accident in Lonsdale.
According to the Minnesota Highway Patrol, Kylie Maxa, 18, of Montgomery, and Jose Leonardo Herrera-Lara, 19, of Le Center, were taken by air ambulance to HCMC after their vehicle was struck on Highway 19 at 70th Street West shortly after 4 p.m.
Also hospitalized were Sutao Song Mccann, 41, of Farmington, and two female passengers, ages 10 and 12.

The Tri-City United School District is about to embark on another search for a superintendent.
This comes on the heels of an official announcement at a special school board meeting Monday, September 27, that Superintendent Lonnie Seifert will retire at the end of his two-year contract.
As standard practice, TCU board chair Marsha Franek read the list of employment endings and sought a motion to approve the names listed. This month, Seifert was the only one on the list.

The purpose is the same, but the event that celebrates survivors, remembers those who lost their battles, and raises money to fight cancer, will look a little different this year.
Sara Slavik, one of the organizers for the Le Sueur County Annual Relay for Life, said they have adjusted the relay so it will be more of a family event. It will be held Saturday, Sept. 25 instead of the middle of July when it was held on a Friday.

A Le Center man was one of 12 people injured Sunday, September 19 when a semi struck six passenger vehicles from behind on southbound I-35. The vehicles were stopped for a construction zone.
According to State Patrol incident reports, the incident occurred near milepost 73, just south of Elko New Market, at 7:52 p.m.
Rice County Sheriff, Northfield Fire, New Market Fire, Scott County Sheriff, and New Market Police responded.
Murray D Wood, 58, of Manitoba, MB, was driving the 2016 Kenworth T680 semi. He was wearing his seat belt and was not injured.

Students and staff in the TCU School District are celebrating good times as they hold Homecoming Week.
The annual event started Monday and runs to Friday, Sept. 24.
As part of the festivities, the high school announced the Homecoming Court on Friday in the Performing Arts Center in front of the student body. The candidates were Reice Narum, Dylan Hunt, Adam Henze, Caleb Whipps, Brendan O’Keefe, Molly Closser, Charlotte Houn, Kacie Traxler, Lauren Houn and Madison Dooley.

Tri-City United is going to “Celebrate Good Times” next week when it holds Homecoming Week, which runs to next Friday, Sept. 24.
The high school announced the Homecoming Court on Friday. The Coronation will be held on Monday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in the high school Performing Arts Center. The event is open to family, seniors, and juniors. There will be a life broadcast for the rest of the public.
Each school in the district will celebrate Homecoming with special events and dress-up days. At the high school, the theme is “Celebrate Good Times.

Pieces of Czech culture in The Czech Heritage Club’s exhibit, “A Kaleidoscope of Czech Heritage,” have been put away.
The display at the Montgomery Arts and Heritage Center, that ran during the summer, ended on Saturday, Sept 4.
The display, celebrated Czech costumes, glassware, art, crafts, and food, as well as the beloved pastime of mushroom hunting and some of the culture’s more colorful folktales. All together, the individual displays provide a vivid, multi-faceted vision of past and present Czech culture—a kaleidoscope of Czech heritage.

The little Irish City of Kilkenny, Minnesota, did it again. The town, which boasts a population of 168, hosted hundreds of visitors for another grand ol’ Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration on Saturday, Sept. 11. The day’s events included a car show, an Irish-themed parade, live music, food, local vendors, fireworks, and the ever-popular annual Toilet Bowl Races, which features teams of three racing down a street atop a rolling toilet and chugging beer (or root beer).

After a year off due to COVID-19, the Heidelberg Athletic Association’s annual event for its park and pavilion returned Sunday with strong support from area communities.
“It was the best turnout!” said Therese Hlavac, one of the event’s organizers. “Every dollar we earn goes into the Park, because all of the officers and workers are volunteers.”
The event had something for everyone. Inside of the pavilion were brats, burgers and more food for sale. Outside, there were several vendor booths selling a variety of items and equipment for the kids to stay entertained.

Proud Irishmen and women--and those who are Irish at heart--are shining up their shamrocks in anticipation for Kilkenny’s Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration this Saturday, September 11.
Dale and Kathleen Hamele, longtime Kilkenny residents and business owners, have been named this year’s grand marshals. The couple has owned and operated West Side Repair in Kilkenny for 30 years.