
Submitted photo
Branko Schoenbauer stands with his flute inside Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis before his performance there with the 2024-2025 All-State Band in February.
Tri-City United High School musician Branko Schoenbauer was chosen last year for the 2024-2025 All-State Concert Band as a flutist.
All-State members are chosen through an audition process of recording a couple numbers and submitting them to a judging panel. “We had a lot more time than I expected...

New Prague firefighters and other first-responders worked to care for the drivers of three vehicles involved in a crash Monday afternoon shortly after 5 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 13 and 247th Street in the hamlet of St. Patrick northeast of New Prague. A woman from Cedar Lake Township was killed in the crash. (John Mueller photo)
A Cedar Lake Township woman was killed in a crash at the intersection of Highway 13 and East 247th Street in the area of St. Patrick Monday, April 28, which was reported at 5:10 p.m.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported Fedora Isabelle Formuzal, 70, of Cedar Lake Township, was killed in the crash....

Jarrod Schoenecker photo
Crews continue to extinguish the fire in rural Rice County.
A house fire near Hunt Lake in rural Rice County, south of Vintage Escapes Winery & Vineyard, is ongoing but under control. Multiple fire agencies are attending to the fire. Initial reports are that the house is a total loss, but not verified. More details will be in May 1 Montgomery Messenger.
Le Sueur County is in the process of updating its land use and zoning code plan and will hold an open panel discussion on Le Sueur County’s VISION 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan will be held tonight, Thursday, May 1, 6:30 p.m., at the Le Center American Legion, 97 S. Park Ave.
The initiative,...

WEM seniors Clara Nuetzman. left, and Halle Fessel, right, pose for a picture with their Art teacher Kelly Stanton-Nutt after advancing to the State Visual Arts Festival.
WEM students have produced some outstanding artwork during the course of the 2024-2025 school year.
Two of those students have been judged to be among the best in the State of Minnesota.
Seniors Halle Fessel and Clara Nuetzman were selected to have their artwork displayed at the State Visual Arts...

Curt Bohlen, center, was honored for his 50 years of membership in the Waterville Lions Club. Right, Lions Club President Joe Christenson presented Bohlen with his award.
Eighty short years ago a new club was chartered in Waterville and since that date in January of 1945, the Waterville Lions Club has been one of the finest organizations not only in Waterville, but in the State of Minnesota.
The Lions Club observed their 80th year with an event recently at Classic’s...

Photo courtesy of Jana Freiband
Pictured, from the left, are Kilkenny Mayor Tammy Holicky, Kilkenny Council Member Theresa Ferch; visiting family from Kilkenny Ireland — James O’Reilly, baby Julia O’Reilly, and Monica O’Reilly; and Janice Sellner.
Kilkenny forming a historical society
A group of special visitors from Kilkenny, Ireland, visited Kilkenny, Minn., on Wednesday, April 16 — husband and wife James and Monica O’Reilly, and baby Julia O’Reilly. They spent the afternoon touring the town and exchanging historical information.
They were...

Chart of crashes at the intersection of Le Sueur County Roads 3 and 28 over the past 10 years.
The two-vehicle crash on Thursday, April 10, at the intersection of Le Sueur County Roads 3 and 28 appears to be because of a failure to stop, according to the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
A 911 call came in at 4:18 p.m. for the crash. The incident report states that Aiden...
The Elko New Market City Council authorized a study by Bolton & Menk, the city’s engineering firm, to evaluate three sites and to recommend a final site for a proposed new water tower, which will help increase the city’s elevated water storage capacity. The work will also include an update to...

New Prague’s Rotary Club celebrated its 80th anniversary Thursday evening, April 17, at the New Prague Golf Club with guests and members. From left are New Prague Mayor Duane Jirik, Rotary Club member Shannon Brusseau, Rotary Club President Nathan Brusseau, featured speaker R.T. Rybak and Rotary Club member Jim Terwedo. Rybak holds a picture of New Prague’s brahna that was presented to him. (Patrick Fisher photo)
R.T. Rybak was club’s featured speaker
New Prague’s Rotary Club marked its 80th anniversary Thursday, April 17, with a dinner and guests and featured speaker R.T. Rybak, former mayor of Minneapolis and whose family has roots in New Prague.
More than 30 people attended the event at the New Prague...