Margaret "Margie" Ann Mach, age 71, of Montgomery, died on the morning of Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at her Horizon Place home in Le Center.

    When people need help, they oftentimes call a firefighter. When firefighters need help dealing with the worst of the outcomes they face, Reverend George Jerome Grafsky was there to help.

Michael "Mike" P. Bohnsack, age 40, of Montgomery, passed away surrounded by his family on the morning of Saturday, April 18, 2026, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

    Earlier we were graced with the 2026 Kolacky Days button and now we finally get to meet this year’s Kolacky Days queen candidates.
    Parents and candidates met with the Kolacky Days Pageant Committee on Saturday, April 18, for the candidate registration and informational meeting. The committee gave a run-down of what is expected throughout the process, as well as learning about what happens if they are chosen as royalty.

    Thespians depicting roles of various fairytales were thrown into the pit this past weekend in Tri-City United High School’s spring play, “Dragon’s Lair.”
    Four “Dragons,” representative of  the Sharks on the popular television show “Shark Tank,” decided the fate of various fairytale characters and their ideas and products related to make them money. Those who didn’t make the cut were thrown into a pit with the Dragon.

    The Tri-City United (TCU) baseball team showcased its strong potential and grit this week, moving to 4-2 on the season with back-to-back victories over Waseca and Sibley East. Behind a masterful one-hit shutout and a power surge that included a key home run, the Titans' depth was on full display as the pitching staff kept opposing bats at bay while the offense may have found its stride.

    Tri-City United High School’s speech team had a good showing at the Section 1A speech finals in Byron last Friday. Four of the six section finalists will be moving onto the state speech tournament on April 25 at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park.

    Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC), which serves much of our readership area, held its annual meeting at Jordan High School on Tuesday, April 7, where over 200 members gathered.
    A total of 20 $1,500 scholarships to high school seniors were given out or a total of $30,000. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have a parent or legal guardian who are MVEC members, be enrolled to attend an accredited post-secondary institution as a full-time student, and have at minimum GPA of 2.0. 

    Montgomery American Legion Post #79 and its Auxiliary celebrated the Legion’s annual birthday party at the American Bar & Grill (formerly American Legion) on Saturday, March 28. 

    Adalyn Budin, 9, was chosen to continue her reign as the Montgomery American Legion Auxiliary Unit #79 Poppy Princess at the unit’s meeting Wednesday, April 8. She is the daughter of Mike and Angie Budin of Montgomery.
    Poppy Princesses are American Legion Auxiliary junior members between the ages of 6-12 who have a relative that is a current member or was a former member. Adalyn Budin was made eligible to be a junior member through her late grandfather Donald Budin.

    A doubleheader sweep of Worthington Saturday, April 11 helped the Tri-City United (TCU) softball team finish the opening week of the season with a 3-2 record.
    The Titans defeated Worthington 13-3 in six innings and 25-5 in five innings. They also opened the season with an 11-1, six inning win over Blooming Prairie March 30.
    In between the wins, the Titans were defeated by St. Peter, 11-8, April 7 and 8-1 by Belle Plaine April 9.

Ronald “Chubby” Prchal, 75, of Brownsburg, Indiana, passed away peacefully on April 19, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on October 2, 1950, in Faribault, Minnesota, to Stanley and Lucille (Heberle) Prchal, Chubby lived a life defined by grit, humor, and an unwavering devotion to the people he loved.

    Tri-City United High School was again host to the Section 2A North Visual Arts Festival. Schools within the subsection presented about 120 pieces of art in total, up from about 90 last year, according to TCU High School Art Teacher Tony Barnack.
    The Titan students, 15 in total, displayed the maximum allowed per school of 18 pieces, which included drawings, paintings, sculptures, crafts, digital photography, and ceramics.

Virginia I. Hickey, 84 of Springfield, IL, passed away at 9:44 a.m., Saturday, March 14, 2026, at The Arch of Sangamon Valley. She was born July 22, 1941, in Madison, WI, the daughter of the late Gordon and Jean Neff. She married John F. Hickey on January 28, 1961, and he survives.

Fr. George Jerome Grafsky, age 81, of Montgomery, Minnesota, died on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Cura Healthcare Center in Le Sueur.

Fr. George was born on March 10, 1945, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the only child of George and Rosemary (Hayne) Grafsky. He was raised in West St. Paul, where his Catholic faith took root at a young age and would remain the guiding foundation for his entire life. From childhood through his final days, his devotion to God and service to others shaped everything he did.

    The Lonsdale Ambassadors held their annual Easter Egg Hunt at Jaycee Park in Lonsdale this past Saturday. Snow showers, sometimes mixed with sleet and graupel, happened throughout the event. 
    Despite the less-than-ideal weather, about 250 people showed up. A soggy softball infield kept people avoiding that area as much as possible while egg hunting, and most wore hats, gloves and mittens in the cold weather.