UPDATED March 13, 2020- The Adapted Floor Hockey games scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14 will NOT be played.

Thursday, March 12, 2020 UPDATE
MANKATO, Minn. – (3 p.m.) Highway 93 from Highway 169 to Henderson is expected to reopen by 6 p.m. this evening, Thursday, March 12, after being closed since March 8 due to flooding on the Rush River.  Crews have been working to clear debris off the road and make repairs to shoulders and culverts.
 The shoulders of southbound Highway 93 are extremely soft due to exposure to the floodwaters. MnDOT is advising no travel on the shoulders until they dry out and repairs can be made.

A Las Vegas homicide suspect is in police custody after being located in Rice County.
Mark Doocy, 60, of Blooming Prairie, was arrested on March 4 at the Flying J Truck Stop at I-35 and Highway 19. According to Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn, Doocy was arrested and forced to leave his vehicle after he refused to cooperate with officials.

In a three-to-one vote, Lonsdale’s city council has opted to move forward with selecting a new garbage collector for weekly trash services.
Every five years the city advertises for bids for this service, historically selecting just one company to handle all the refuse services within the city.
Since 2005 the city has gone with Waste Management. But, starting April 1, pending final contract negotiations and council approval, West Central Sanitation, Inc. will take over the refuse and recycling collection.

The Le Sueur County Board cruised through a very light agenda Tuesday, March 3.
The regular meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes, but was followed by a special road and bridge work session.
A number of items which were dealt with during the regular meeting involved the highway department.
A couple of final payments were approved for work done this past year.
Crane Creek Asphalt received final payments of $148,200.72 for the CSAH 15 project from CSAH 22 to CSAH 26, and a payment of $69,056.47 for the CSAH project near Heidelberg.

Spring Load Restrictions on Rice, Le Sueur and Scott County State Aid Highways and County roadways will go in to effect at 12:01 a.m., Friday, March 6, 2020.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued a notice that Spring Load Restrictions on the state highway system in the south, southeast and metro frost zones go in to effect on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Ending dates for spring load restrictions are variable and based on how weather is affecting roadway strength.
The Spring Load Restriction map is posted on the MNDOT website at mndot.gov/loadlimits.

Minnesota will join Super Tuesday this year — and 13 other states, including Texas and California, in perhaps the most consequential day of the presidential primary season.
It’s new in Minnesota. It’s our first presidential primary since 1992 and only the fourth in state history. Here are some rules.

The Montgomery Food Shelf and Salvation Army have a new home.
The two organizations moved from former convent at 105 3rd St NW to the former MVEC building on 151 Elm Ave. E, across from the Post Office.
Over the past several weeks, volunteers have moved refrigerators, freezers and built pallet shelves for storage. Pictured is one of the commercial freezers being moved Friday, Feb. 28.
The food is scheduled to be moved Saturday, Feb. 29 by several organizations, youth groups, and family volunteers.

A new proposal that would solve many of the city’s aging building problems was presented at a city council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Resident Bill Marek introduced his plan after he recently toured city buildings with Mayor Tom Eisert and City Administrator Brian Heck.

The Hwy 21 bridge replacement project in Jordan begins in two weeks and will continue through November to replace two bridges and to build a trail for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Beginning Mon, March 9, construction crews will close Hwy 21 between Mill St. and south of the Sand Creek bridge to:

Replace two bridges over Sand Creek and the Union Pacific railroad
Build a trail for pedestrians and bicyclists between Mill St. and the Sand Creek bridge
Reconstruct Hwy 21 between Mill St. and south of the Sand Creek bridge

From Epiphany until Ash Wednesday, the people in the Czech Republic celebrate a season of merrymaking and masquerading called Masopust, which literally means "good-bye to meat.”
Montgomery’s version was celebrated on Sunday to a full house at the American Legion Post #79.
This pre-Lenten Carnival includes dancing, celebrating and eating. It also includes the naming of a new ambassador. That title went to Preston Anderson, son of Kris and Dawn Anderson of Montgomery.
Read more in the print edition.

The Le Sueur/Rice County Drug Task Force was very busy in 2019.
Le Sueur County Chief Deputy Nick Greenig presented information about the work completed by the drug task force within the county during the Elysian City Council meeting Feb. 11.
Last year there were 64 cases opened, 55 search warrants were issued, and there were 61 arrests made.
A total of $18,020 in cash was seized as were nine firearms.
More than 3.4 million dollars in street value worth of controlled substances were seized.

A youth from Lonsdale, and junior at TCU High School, died in a single-vehicle accident due to icy roads on February 18.
According to TCU Superintendent Teri Preisler through a school-notification, Blake Asher died at the scene of a one-vehicle accident on Le Sueur County Road 28, east of County Road 3.
In a press release, Sheriff Brett Mason said Asher’s vehicle, a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, was traveling eastbound on County Road 28 when he lost control due to ice/snow packed on the road. Le Sueur County Deputies responded at approximately 4:46 p.m.

The Montgomery Fire Department raised more than $1,400 for the American Lung Association (ALA) over the weekend.
Eight members from the department participated in the ALA’s Fight for Air Climb in Minneapolis. Participating were Fire Chief Kenny Pavek, Sean Benz, Joe Anderson, Rick Sembauer, Bryan Ehlers, Isaac Schugel, Dave Gaul, and Travis Rose.
Pavek said the money raised came mainly from donations from friends and family and people out in the community.
“We are very thankful for all the donations!” he stated.

WHAT...Dangerously cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 40 below zero. * WHERE...Le Sueur County. * WHEN...From 9 PM this evening to 9 AM CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Avoid outside activities if possible. When outside, make sure you wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.

The Montgomery Historical Society’s information session has been changed to February 20.
It is being held to explain a state grant that could establish a historic district designation for a large part of First Street. The public meeting for First Street property owners and the community will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. at City Hall.
The event was changed due to the weather and distance the consultant needed to travel.