From left, Tim Price of Faith, Recovery & Music, Deb Bodensteiner of The Well, Jim Reeder of Downtown Sound music store and music teacher Rick Hanzel were at the local Youth Ministry Teen & Youth Center on Thursday, Sept. 10, for a presentation of four acoustic guitars that teens and children can use to learn to play. Price, through his ministry of Faith, Recovery & Music, raised donations for the guitars. Reeder helped put together the packages, which included guitar stands and other articles and Hanzel donated his time in adjusting the instruments.
New Le Sueur County Veterans Service Officer Mark Roemhildt was asked to provide some helpful information for county veterans. Veterans Service Office Le Sueur County
The Le Sueur County Veterans Service Office (CVSO) is a county government department of Le Sueur County, located in Le Center, Minnesota.
The CVSO consists of the director who is appointed by the County Board of Commissioners as the County Veteran Service Officer, one professionally accredited Veteran Benefits Counselor, and an administrative assistant.
Students at Raven Stream Elementary School in New Prague were back to school on Thursday, Sept. 3, although there were changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and teachers were wearing masks or face shields, plus students were in smaller classes. New Prague Area Schools is also doing a hybrid program where students are in two groups. On Thursday students in group A were starting classes. On Friday, Sept. 4, students in group B would be starting classes. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)
Work continues on the new Hy-Vee Dollar Fresh grocery store, which will be in the former Shopko Hometown Store at 200 10th Ave. SE. New Prague city staff and Hy-Vee officials are working on a revised plan for the building.
A group of about 20 people offer prayers at New Prague High School on Sunday, Aug. 30, for the upcoming school year. The New Prague School District reached out to area churches to come and offer prayers at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
New Prague area churches that participated included Hillspring, Highpoint and NewDay. Other schools where there were prayer circles included New Prague Middle School and Falcon Ridge Elementary School.
Elko New Market expects to have a new building for its police department later this year as construction on the new structure is progressing on schedule. Greystone Construction of Shakopee is the main contractor on the project, which will add approximately 6,360-square feet to Elko New Market’s City Hall.
Installation of utilities along New Prague’s Main Street is continuing as one section was recently completed.
S.M. Hentges & Sons, Inc. of Jordan, general contractor of the project, completed installation of the new sanitary sewer main and water main between Third Avenue NW and Second Avenue NW the week of Monday, Aug. 17. Work crews have now moved to the west side of the railroad tracks to install the sanitary sewer main between the tracks and Highway 21.
Elko New Market’s roundabout at the intersection of Main Street and Natchez Avenue, which are also Scott County Highways 2 and 91, respectively, is on schedule. If the work on the partial multi-lane roundabout continues as scheduled the roundabout will open on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
City Administrator Tom Terry said a ribbon cutting for the project will be held after lights are installed.
The filing for local elections closed at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, creating several races for the city councils in New Prague and Elko New Market. For the New Prague School Board there are six people running for five seats. Area residents will decide who will serve in the general election on November 3.
New Prague Area Schools announced today (Monday) that it will start the 2020-21 school year in a hybrid model for grades K-12. The school district came to this decision in consultation with the Minnesota Department of Health and after examining COVID case data for the three counties the school district is located in (Scott, Le Sueur and Rice). Families can read the school district’s updated Return to School Guide at https://drive.google.com/…/11ECSJLKMlvoo0MvRy4Pu1QMC5k…/view. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times.
Testing for COVID-19 has continued with the public health departments in Scott, Le Sueur and Rice counties helping where they can. Reports from the counties and Mala Strana Rehabilitation Center and Assisted Living are as follows.
In the primary elections on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the two big winners for the Minnesota Senate race were Republican Jason Lewis and Democrat Tina Smith. Lewis garnered 78.13 percent of the vote from his party, beating back four challengers. Incumbent Senator Smith received 87.15 percent of the vote out of five challengers in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party. Voters will decide between the two in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. For more see an upcoming print issue of The Times.
The New Prague Chamber of Commerce announced in a newsletter on Thursday, Aug. 13, that due to the COVID-19 pandemic they have come up with some unique ways to celebrate the 36th Annual Dožínky Festival and Classic Car Cruise “virtually” from Friday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 20. The Chamber will have other things in the days leading up to the virtual celebration. The Chamber said unfortunately the Classic Car Cruise, street dance, and Parade of Farm Pride have officially been cancelled.
Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn has reported the death of a one-month-old infant in Erin Township.
Dunn said his department received a call on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 5:29 a.m. for an unresponsive baby at a residence on the 14000 block of Shields Lake Trail in Erin Township.
Staff at New Prague’s Coborn’s Marketplace serve people meals to go as part of the store’s Customer Appreciation Dinner on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Held from 3-6 p.m. the drive thru meals were adult dinners that included BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and kids dinners that included hot dogs. In the first hour 59 meals had been served. The meals were cash or check only, with pre-orders and pre-pay of meals available. All proceeds from the meals are to be donated to the Peace Center, New Prague’s food shelf. For more see a print edition of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)