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It was an extremely hot day on Sunday, July 26 for the Kolacky Days Grand Day Parade with temperatures reaching in the upper 90's by parade time and dew point temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70's. This kept a few of the over 110 parade units from attending this day and announcer Larry Jindra and KCHK announcers scrambling in their lineup sheets.
One of the longest running Minnesota County Fairs is celebrating its 169th year next week.
The Le Sueur County Fair begins Thursday, August 20 at the fairgrounds in Le Center, and runs through Sunday, August 23. It is the last county fair before the Minnesota State Fair.
Every year the fair board approves improvements to the grounds and this year will be no different, with many new spruced up areas.
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The 92nd Annual Homemade Kolacky Days Baking Contest winners for each category receive $50 for first, $25 for second, and $15 for third, each in Monty Bucks. This year’s youth winner was the only entrant.
Best Tasting Traditional Kolacky
Must be prune or poppyseed. Judged on looks, smell, taste, and texture.
1st Mary Holtz (Prune)
2nd Janell Franta (Prune)
3rd Ceske Damy (Prune)
One of the longest running Minnesota County Fairs is celebrating its 169th year next week.
The Le Sueur County Fair begins Thursday, August 20 at the fairgrounds in Le Center, and runs through Sunday, August 23. It is the last county fair before the Minnesota State Fair.
Every year the fair board approves improvements to the grounds and this year will be no different, with many new spruced up areas.
Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota 2025-2026 Gianna Olsen from Stillwater attended the Miss Czech-Slovak US Pageant in Wilber, Neb., competing against 10 other candidates from around the country. She was given the Cultural Preservation Award by the judges.
Olsen did a vocal solo for her talent at the event, which ran from Friday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 2, and coincides with Wilber’s Czech Festival.
Monday, July 27
Tuesday, July 28
Crews will close northbound Highway 169 to traffic between County Road 59/Delaware Avenue in St. Lawrence Township and Creek Lane in Jordan from 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10. The closure is necessary to complete storm sewer work, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
The posted detour will be County Road 59 (Delaware Avenue) to County Road 66 (Old Highway 169 Boulevard) to Highway 21 (Broadway Street). All construction activities and traffic impacts are weather dependent and subject to change.
Lonsdale Community Days brings a day-plus of events for the family to enjoy, including a new laser light show at 10 p.m. on Saturday evening on North Main Street.
This year’s grand marshal, Joe Peroutka, is most excited for the kid’s pedal tractor pull at 10 a.m. and Grand Parade at 1 p.m, which he and his family will be a part of. The full schedule of events can be seen on the ad on the back page of this issue of the Messenger.
Library Assistant Karen Gustafson spent her last day at the Montgomery Public Library on Thursday, July 30, like it was any other day attending to the usual customers through closing time.
Gustafson, now age 61, started working at the library in February 2006. “The first week was tough because the librarian was still getting her feet wet and so the two of us kind of had to figure things out on our own. It was kind of like a rollercoaster,” said Gustafson.
Montgomery Farmer’s Market will celebrate National Farmer’s Market Week today, which is Aug. 2-8.
Montgomery’s Farmer’s Market started this year’s Power of Produce or “POP” Club on July 14 and it will run this week as well. It is a program sponsored by Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) and the Knights of Columbus #1573 that gives kids, who come to the market and register with their parents, $5.00 to use on participating stands for fresh produce.
The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatch center received a call from retired farmer Richard Peterson, age 75, at 3:09 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, saying that his attached garage was on fire at 23956 Dodd Road, a little over two miles south of Le Center on the southern edge of the Shanghai Lake Wildlife Management Area.
Two local 4-H youth are stepping into one of Minnesota 4-H’s most prestigious leadership roles. Le Sueur County is one of only five counties in the state to have more than one State Ambassador selected.
Elizabeth Holicky of Le Center and Audrey Keltgen of Le Sueur have been selected as members of the 2026–2027 Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador Team, joining 30 other outstanding young leaders from across the state.
A big thank you to all Summer Reading Program participants! Grand prize winners will be announced soon. Good luck to all!
