Seneca held a 100th year anniversary celebration of the canning facility last Wednesday, May 27, which was originally opened in 1926 as Minnesota Valley Canning Company.
    On display was a pair of harvesters and a pup wagon they currently use for corn and pea harvest, a couple of five foot tall replica cans of sweet corn and peas, and a long display of memorabilia of the plant’s history by Duane Jindra.

    Tri-City United High School track team members set a record at the Minnesota State High School League’s Class AA State Track and Field Tournament today at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
    The 4x200 meter relay team of Jillian Houn, Carly Hartwig, Cami Hartwig, and Kaitlyn Hartwig ran a 1:37.90, beating the previous Class AA record was 1:39.43 — set by a Monticello team in 2024. They are the 2026 state champs.

    Tri-City United High School’s graduation ceremony on Friday, May 29, was a send off for both graduates and some staff.

    A total of seven Tri-City United (TCU) track and field athletes have advanced to the Class AA State Meet, which will be held Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6 at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
    Advancing are juniors Corday Freeman and Kaitlyn Hartwig, sophomores Jillian Houn, Eric Borchardt, and Carly Hartwig, freshman Nyadak Ruei, and eighth grader Cami Hartwig.    

    Child’s Play Theatre (CPT) is hosting two shows of “Footloose,” the youth edition, at Tri-City United High School’s performing arts center Friday, June 5, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
    It is being directed and choreographed by 2026 TCU High School graduate Dakota Meadows, who said rehearsals started May 12th at TCU Montgomery PreK-8 School’s auditorium before moving to the high school this week. She is also assisted in directing by CPT founder Andy Velishek.

    Montgomery remembered it’s fallen soldiers on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, with a prayer service, ceremony, and a run.
    Mass was said at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church at 8:30 a.m. in memory of all deceased veterans.
    A formal ceremony was conducted at the American Bar & Grill hall at 9:30 a.m. Montgomery Area Veterans Honor Guard member Steve Flicek acted as the master of ceremonies with fellow member John Grimm sprinkling the ceremony with a cappella vocal selections throughout the program, such as “Sleep, Soldier Boy” and the “Star Spangled Banner.”

    Welcome, everyone. Thank you for being here today as veterans, as family, and as a community to observe Memorial Day 2026.
    To many across the country, this weekend is often marked by backyard barbecues, the opening of neighborhood pools, and the unofficial start of summer. But for those of us gathered here right now, we know that today is not a holiday of celebration, but a day of solemn remembrance. We are here to pause, reflect, and honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States.

    Lucas Wolf, owner of The Wolf Den, 300 South 1st Street, hopes his new passion project will be a safe haven for area families surrounding Montgomery, as well as a trading card shop for the region.
    The Wolf Den opened with a ceremonious ribbon cutting last Thursday, May 21, with family, friends; city staff, council and board members; and some excited customers present to check it out.

    Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School (MHRCS) graduated seven 8th graders last Friday morning. The day started off with a graduation Mass at 8:30 a.m. where some of the students sang numbers during the service.
    Following the Mass, a formal graduation ceremony was held in the church with family and friends present. Individual graduates stood up at the pulpit and expressed their gratitude to their parents and teachers, giving their parents a flower after speaking.

    A number of Tri-City United High School track members qualified for state tournament this week. Eric Borchardt (200 meter dash), Kaitlyn Hartwig (200 meter dash), Carly Hartwig (200 meter dash); Kaitlyn Hartwig, Cami Hartwig, Carly Hartwig, and Jill Houn (4x200 meter and 4x100 meter), Cami Hartwig (long jump), Nyadak Ruei (high jump), and Corday Freeman (shot put). 

    Two individuals stopped by to present further information to Montgomery’s Planning and Zoning Commission regular meeting, Nate Dorr and Breanne Kennedy. Dorr is the senior program manager of rural and tribal building capacity for the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF), and Kennedy is the owner and founder of Thrive Consulting.
    Kennedy presented on removing barriers to housing development with a land use audit, which was carried out by the GMHF for free, valued at about $5,000. 

    Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School’s (MHRCS) spring concert on Friday, May 15, filled the cafeteria with relatives and friends. Unlike most other concerts in some years past, the entire student body sang as one for the concert with the exception of the Singing Angels group singing one song by themselves.
    Also unique to this performance was that there were a few student accompanists on keyboard for different numbers and Rev. Timothy Sandquist also accompanied on his guitar for a few numbers.

    The Southern Minnesota Initiative Fund (SMIF) has been donating and distributing paint in its region since 1997, even though the Paint the Town Grant didn’t officially start until 2015. Since 1997, SMIF has donated over 11,822 gallons of paint to 354 projects.
    Last year, Kilkenny was a recipient, receiving eight gallons of paint. Their project was to paint their “Twinning” mural showcasing their sister city in Kilkenny, Ireland, and it debuted in time for Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration.

    It was a bad day for clay pigeons and a great day for the Tri-City United High School trap shooting squads. 
    A total of 22 five-person squads from 12 area schools participated in the 4th Annual Montgomery Sportsmen’s Club High School Trap Shoot Invitational on Saturday, May 16, at the Montgomery range on the south end of town. The weather was very pleasant with sunshine and the breeze behind shooters’ backs.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the May 14, 2026, Montgomery Messenger at a newsstand to find within the 2025-2026 Tri-City United High School Arts and Activities Section within and to check out all the local advertisers that help support these types of sections. Without them, local journalism and featuring these students wouldn't be possible!