A house fire broke out on the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 16, on Kilkenny Road, also known as Le Sueur County 168, in rural Kilkenny Township about one mile south of Kilkenny.
The house is a total loss, leaving at least one man homeless for the holidays. It appeared that other buildings, possessions and/or vehicles outside the home were also impacted.

The 32nd Annual Torchlight Parade & Fireworks in Montgomery on Thursday, Dec. 5, really went off with some bright floats and a spectacular fireworks display.
Businesses throughout Montgomery and its downtown area held specials on food and beverages, and entertainment was provided at area assisted living and senior homes.
Montgomery American Legion offered hot brandy, a special treat for the night. White Front Saloon offered vomacka, a local favorite.

The Tri-City United (TCU) boys basketball team opened their 2024-2025 season with three straight losses.
Belle Plaine downed the Titans, 73-51, Tuesday, Dec. 3. Norwood-Young America (NYA) defeated the Titans, 71-25, Thursday, Dec. 5. Friday, Dec. 6 Waseca came to Montgomery and downed the Titans, 86-16.
In the loss to Belle Plaine, Theodore Schatz scored 19 points, hitting 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Jaylen Nhem added nine points and eight rebounds. Dylan Fink scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Frosty was the keyword entering Saturday’s annual Frost Fest event held along Lonsdale’s Main Street.
Frosty was the best way to describe the weather for the event. Temperatures were in the low teens, and gradually dipping throughout the event. A slight breeze added additional chill to the air.
Lonsdale was prepared, however. Fire pits were set up in front of participating businesses to warm or roast marshmallows, sometimes both.

Montgomery’s 29th Annual No Tap Battle of the Bars Bowling Tournament, held Saturday, Nov. 23, at Pla Mor Lanes, was won by the Happy Hour Bar team consisting of Char Napper, Jeff Winship, Steph Brockway, Timmy Karstens, Andy Gillard and Colton Hintz. They scored 4,644 with a 414 handicap.
The Brass Rail team took second honors, with 124 pins short of Happy Hour’s.
The card run that followed the tournament was won by the Monty Bar team.
Four perfect 300 games were bowled by Dan Bosacker, Dan Skluzacek, Barry Popp and Andy Gillard and tied high scores for men.

Riley Kamm scored the game-winning goal Tuesday, Nov. 26, giving the Minnesota River boys hockey team a 3-2 win over Dodge County.
Kamm’s goal broke up a 2-all tie at the 13:10 mark in the third period. It was his first goal of the season and Maxwell Hollerich assisted on the goal, his first assist of the year.
Tyson Fredrickson scored his first goal of the year in the third period.
Scoring for the Bulldogs started early in the first period when Logan Fahey scored on an assist by Josiah Juarez 2:09 into the contest. Both the goal and assist were season firsts.

November brought with it the spirit of gratitude, reflection and anticipation of the holiday season. It is a time when many of us turn our attention to giving. When we think about where to direct our charitable donations and volunteer efforts, I believe we should first consider the places where we live, work and raise our families: our local communities.

TCU Robotics Club held an open house at the Le Center school on Tuesday, Nov. 26, with a full house from the 5 p.m. start time to beyond its end time.
Many may see robotics as a nerdy adventure, and in a lot of ways, it probably is. But, nerdy is cool, and the open house and students interested in participating in robotics is proving that.
Some students, such as Jake Ripp, started with a curious mind at a much earlier age than some. “At age three I got him a robotics kit,” said his mother, Suzi Ripp. “He’s done a lot of kits. The last one he did was a solar climber.”

Steven Jakes passed away on November 29, 2024 in Minot, ND, at the age of 65.
A Celebration of Life will be at a later date.

David Patrick Holicky, age 77, of Le Center, passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at Bayside Manor in Gaylord. Prior to that he lived at Pheasants Ridge Memory Care in St. Peter. Dave’s journey has ended after living with ALZ for 10 years. Visitation will be held on Monday, December 9, from 9-10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at German Lake. Funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Pastor Richard Jorgensen, officiating. Interment will be in the St. Paul’s German Lake Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by the Le Center area Veterans Honor Guard.

Union Hill Bar & Grill owner Ryan Klein of New Prague pled guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol, and admitted to crashing his vehicle shortly after leaving his bar on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 28, according to a Le Sueur County Sheriffs Office incident report and court records obtained.

Anna Tobacco and Smoke Shop Montgomery had a soft opening on Saturday, Nov. 16., with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Nov. 20. This opening date is a little later than the owner, Zahed Mohibullah, anticipated, originally thinking it would be operational by the end of October.
This is Mohibullah’s fifth store in Minnesota that he owns solely. He is also partner in six other stores.

Overnight Closure Alert: Highway 169 South of Jordan Dec. 5, 6
Highway 169 in one direction closes overnight (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) from Park Blvd to Highway 282 / Scott County Road 9 on Dec. 5 and 6. Northbound Highway 169 will be closed 12/5; Southbound Highway 169 will be closed 12/6. See Detour Map for temporary alternate routes.

Arthur Joseph Jindra, age 87, of Montgomery, died on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at Mala Strana in New Prague. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 6 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. with Memorial Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. all held at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery with Fr. Timothy Sandquist officiating. Interment will be held in Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery. Military Honors provided by the Montgomery area Veterans Honor Guard.

Violet Irene Pauline Kolander Kaisershot, age 98, of Cleveland, passed away peacefully at home with family by her side on Monday, November 18, 2024. Services were held on Tuesday, November 26.