Tucked at the end of a dirt road alongside rolling hills and nestled next to Circle Lake in Rice County lays a homestead begun in 1920 by the Trnka family.
For 100 years, five generations of the Josep Trnka family have called it home.
“It’s nice to see the farm sticking in the family,” said Joseph B. Trnka, who goes by Joe. “It’s not so common anymore. With the price of land and the cost of farming, it’s nice to be in my situation. I hope to pass it down to my kids some day.”

We are excited to announce the Fitness & Aquatic Center will reopen on Monday, June 15 at 5am! The cardio, weight and TRX rooms along with lap swim and water walking will be available to members via an online reservation system.
Group fitness classes & open gym will begin on June 22!

Main Street was to be CLOSED and DETOURED this coming Monday, HOWEVER the closure and detour has been POSTPONED to at least Monday, June 15th, at which time the project detour will go into effect (see attached and map on project website).

Eugenia B. Jones, 97, formerly of Montgomery, Minnesota passed away peacefully on Friday, June 5, 2020, at the Commons on Marice in Eagan. 
A private mass will be held on Tuesday, June 9, with Interment at Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery.
“Gene” was born on March 31, 1923, in Pulaski, Wisconsin to Peter and Catherine (Nowak) Czarapata. She graduated from Pulaski High School. After graduation she worked as a secretary at the high school.

Robert M. Foley Sr., 86, of Montgomery, passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at St. Francis Medical Center in Shakopee.
Visitation will be held on Monday, June 8 from 4 to 7 p.m. with KC Rosary to conclude the visitation at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery and continue Tuesday, June 9 from 10 to 11 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. with Fr. Tom Niehaus officiating.
Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery.

Governor Tim Walz today announced Phase III of the Stay Safe MN plan, including a gradual turn of the dial to allow cautious and safe re-opening of indoor dining, gyms, and entertainment venues beginning Wednesday, June 10, 2020. Customers and employees will be either strongly recommended or required to wear masks and will be required to adhere to appropriate social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
 

Life lessons are playing out in front of our eyes. Are we paying attention?
The death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in the custody of a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, has sparked outrage, protests, riots, violence, looting, and arson in Minneapolis and across the United States.

After much deliberation and careful monitoring of the current situation, the Lonsdale Chamber and Lonsdale Community Day Committee members canceled Lonsdale Community Day Festival 2020.
In a press release on June 2, Shanna Gutzke-Kupp, festival chair, said chamber and committee members had hoped it would be possible to bring the festival on August 8 with adjusted events, but too many unknowns from COVID-19 are making it impossible.

6/5/20 UPDATE The Highway 19 New Prague project has been postponed until June 15.
Motorists traveling Highway 19 through New Prague can expect a detour beginning Monday, June 8 as a major reconstruction of Main Street through the downtown begins.  A detour for Highway 19 traffic will remain in place until the end of the construction season and resume again in 2021, but access to the business district will be provided throughout the project.

This includes The New Prague Times, Montgomery Messenger and LifeEnterprise offices.
We look forward to seeing you!

Foreign exchange student Riccardo Foglio Para receives a certificate of attendance at the TCU Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 29. Foglio Para was one of 129 members of the Class of 2020 to have a “Graduation Experience” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Foglio Para was hosted by Brian and Lisa Berdan of Montgomery. His future plans are to continue school at Liceo C. Cattaneo, Turin, Italy. He is pictured with TCU Superintendent Dr. Teri Preisler and High School Principal Alan Fitterer, who congratulated each graduate during the 11-hour program.

After more than two months of its government buildings being closed to the public, Le Sueur County is reopening most of its offices and specific services on Monday, June 1, 2020 at 8 a.m. with the exception of Court Administration, which will be open to the public on June 8, 2020.
According to a press release Friday, the county is taking a cautious, phased approach to reopening and implementing new processes and procedures to protect the health and safety of employees and the community.

Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation and its impact on the community, the fair board has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Scott County Fair.   With the current restrictions and unknown future in regard to large group gatherings and required policies and requirements, our hearts are heavy knowing that we cannot come together for our annual celebration of agriculture, education and entertainment.

Minnesota Army National Guardsmen Andrew Harmon and Tyler Schroer, father and son, were honored with a deployment parade Thursday night. The men will leave June 1 for a year-long deployment to Africa.
Read more in the June 4 print edition.

Rosalyn C. Sembauer, 98, of Montgomery, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at Pleasant Manor in Faribault.
Family Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 1 at the Church of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Shieldsville at 10:30 a.m.  with visitation from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Interment will be held in St. John Catholic Cemetery in Montgomery.

As one city celebration after another has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 86th annual Kolacky Days will continue as mostly a virtual event.
In a press release sent to members of the Montgomery Area Community Club, board member Tom Washa said the board decided to hold the event in some fashion that keeps everyone safe and adheres to the Minnesota Department of Health and CDC guidelines.