The 33rd Annual Torchlight Parade and Fireworks in downtown Montgomery on Thursday, Dec. 4, was definitely another bundle-up affair this year.

Temperatures hovered just barely above zero and all the hot foods and drinks along 1st Street were welcomed. As time progressed, the wind also picked up.

Santa Claus was there with his live reindeer again, letting all ages hop on the sleigh for a photo. The Amazing Hoopsters were back dazzling with fire and light-up hola-hoops before the parade in front of Frandsen Bank & Trust and in the parade.

This month’s Montgomery American Legion Post #79 Thank A Living Veteran focus is on Larry Parsons.

Parsons attended Kindergarten at Montgomery Public Schools before joining Holy Redeemer Catholic School through eighth grade. He completed high school in Amery, Wis., where he attended University of Wisconsin — River Falls after graduation for three years. It was during this time where he decided to enlist, and the U.S. Army was the first to have an opening.

The community’s biggest outdoor holiday event is tonight, Torchlight Parade & Fireworks.

Fun for the evening begins at 5 p.m. along 1st Street in Montgomery.

Entertainment by Schell’s Hobo Band, which will play downtown and at Park Manor (as well as the parade). Lakelanders Barbershop Chorus will stop by Traditions to sing some tunes as well as during the parade.

Most pre-events to the parade can be seen near the intersection of Vine Avenue and 1st Street.

Trust for Public Land (TBL) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the permanent protection of 200 acres of grassland, forest, and wetland habitat about 2 miles southeast of Lonsdale in Forrest Township within Rice County. The new Sungina Wildlife Management Area (WMA) rests between Union Lake Trail (Rice County 59) and Millersburg Boulevard (Rice County 1), and east of Garfield Avenue.

This newly established WMA will offer residents and visitors a green oasis to explore the outdoors, connect with nature, and enjoy recreation close to home. 

    There are a few ways you can give back this holiday season in our community beyond just shopping local. 

Foster Care Giving
    New this year, the Montgomery Fire Department will be collecting toys, new children’s clothes, and/or monetary donations ahead of the Torchlight Parade & Fireworks on Thursday, Dec. 4 for Lutheran Social Services Foster Care. 
    Firefighters will be stationed on the east side of 1st Street and Vine Avenue, just north of Frandsen Bank & Trust, to collect from 6-6:30 p.m.

Montgomery VFW Post #5340 in partnership with Le Center VFW #1803 and each post’s auxiliaries, announced their winners for this year’s Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen contests, and their Teacher-of-the-Year awards.

Voice of Democracy

High school students, three from each community of Montgomery and Le Center, had the opportunity to express themselves about freedom and democracy in this audio-essay contest.

Montgomery Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting at Montgomery National Golf Course’s newly built club building on Thursday, Nov. 13. Roughly 45 business owners and their employees attended the event.

The evening was started with a social period with heavy appetizers and live music downstairs. Attendees moved upstairs for a formal presentation from the chamber.

The chamber increased its membership by 14, with 80 members in 2025.

We are happy to announce this year’s Torchlight Parade & Fireworks grand marshals, Axel Goettl, 8, and Alice Cemensky, 7.

These two second grader friends are both from Le Center. This will also be their first time partaking in the parade and fireworks for Torchlight. When we told them that there would be fireworks, Goettl’s eyes got real big in excitement. Both of them said they were nervous as the days have gotten closer to this year’s event.

earance at the Minnesota State High School League’s State Girls Swimming and Diving Class A Tournament on Saturday in Minneapolis. She came home from the University of Minnesota’s Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center with a 4th place finish in the 50 yard freestyle and 7th place in the 100 yard freestyle.

The outstanding swimming career of Tri-City United (TCU) senior Ella Schmiesing has come to an end with more positive performances for the school’s top swimmer of all-time.

For the eighth time Schmiesing advanced to the finals at the Class A State Swimming and Diving Meet Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 16.

She competed at State for the fifth time in the 100-yard freestyle and for the fourth time in the 50-yard freestyle, advancing to the finals in both events.

Two downtown Montgomery businesses had cause for celebration recently — Quilter’s Dream changed ownership and held a grand re-opening, and a new business went in called Grandma’s Garage.

Quilter’s Dream

About 40 people gathered for the grand re-opening of Quilter’s Dream, 116 1st St S, on Friday, Nov. 7.

The $39.99 million bond for Tri-City United Schools was rejected by voters in the Nov. 4 election despite $7,982,004 being covered by the state Ag2School Tax Credit.

Tax impact on a $400,000 residential property would have been between $10.12-$10.66  a month, generally replacing a couple bonds that would be falling off over the next few years and not raising the current amount people were being taxed by much.

The start of November brought about the shutdown of funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP because of the government shutdown and the contingency funds not being used as they were meant to be for such an event. This left many people in the nation with a gap in essential food sources, even in our own backyard.

Caitlin Huiras teamed up with the Montgomery Public Library to try and provide those needs for anyone who might need them.

Scott County Veteran Service Officer and Honorably Discharged Army Veteran Derek Farwell, a Montgomery native, is set to speak at the Tri-City United High School Veterans Day Program. The public is invited to attend this program in the high school’s performing arts center at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11, entering at the north door (stadium side).

Along Montgomery’s Historic District, the streets were lined with monsters, dinosaurs, ninjas and so, so many princesses.

The annual Monster Mash on Main may have been on the eve of Halloween, but it brought no less of a crowd. Local businesses handed out candy and goodies, and kids, parents and the young at heart walked along 1st Street. There was also a trunk-or-treat area stationed at Frandsen Bank, for businesses who didn’t have a physical location along the street. The bank grounds also had games and activities for trick-or-treaters.

Ten members of the Tri-City United School’s FFA Chapter and one graduate spent Tuesday, Oct. 28, through Saturday, Nov. 1, on a trip to Indianapolis, Ind., to the 98th Annual National FFA Convention & Expo.

TCU FFA President Isaak Worm said that the members also partook in three separate educational site visits on the trip. “The first day we spent at ‘Caves of Mounds’ in (Blue Mound) Wisconsin on the way down,” said Worm. Caves of Mounds is a cave system known for its colorful formations as one of the oldest cave formations in the midwest, located west of Madison, Wis.