Lonsdale residents hear status updates from community leaders

    Business members and residents of the Lonsdale area were treated last Tuesday, Feb. 24, to the Lonsdale Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the Community. This year it was held at the new Lonsdale City Hall, moving from the Lonsdale Public Library.
    About 50 invested people were present to hear Tri-City United Schools Superintendent Kevin Babcock, New Prague Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Andrew Vollmuth, and Lonsdale Mayor Tom Berg give updates in their respective areas.
    Chamber Executive Director Shanna Gutzke-Kupp welcomed everyone as people lined up for a provided pulled pork lunch.

Lonsdale
    Mayor Berg started the event, highlighting the long list of things that happened in the community over the past year. He noted the city’s police force having department issued firearms for the first time and the Lonsdale Public Library having 2,013 registered members for the first time, up about 180 from 2024. The library put on 138 programs in 2025, according to Berg.
    Berg also said that over the course of the year, the city was awarded over a $182,000 grant to finally have both police squads and officers outfitted with dash cameras and body-worn cameras. 
    “A portion of that funding goes to the fire department for 800 mHz encrypted radio,” said Berg. “The fire department had a rather large significant year of calls, almost totaling 500 calls.” 
    The city’s planning and zoning board is revisiting the comprehensive land use and zoning plan to reform it, said Berg...

Please pick up a March 5, 2026, Montgomery Messenger at a newsstand to read this article in full.

Schools
    New Prague Area School’s Superintendent Vollmuth highlighted New Prague Area School’s thankfulness for the communities passing of this past year’s levy to help fund the districts needs going forward in the near future. He said that the school is New Prague’s biggest employer, having 630 staff, which includes the staff that drove the 819,177 miles for bussing within the district and the 694,584 meals served by the school district in 2025.
    Tri-City United Schools Superintendent Babcock reinforced the need for housing and praised Lonsdale for their additions to housing in the community, helping families as well as teachers continue to grow and stay within the communities.
    “Housing has probably been the most difficult point for TCU,” said Babcock. “There really isn’t much affordable housing for teachers and staff. Teachers and staff do not make that much money... 

Please pick up a March 5, 2026, Montgomery Messenger at a newsstand to read this article in full.

Montgomery’s State of the Community
    The Montgomery Chamber of Commerce and Montgomery Community Foundation are holding their annual State of the Community on Thursday, April 2, at Hilltop Hall from 12-1:30 p.m. Free registration is required and a meal will be provided. Montgomery Mayor Thomas Eisert and Superintendent Babcock will be speaking at that event. More about Montgomery will be covered at that event.