The FOX 9 Town Ball Tour continues with a stop tonight (Wednesday) at St. Patrick’s Bonin Field, 24425 Old Highway 13 Blvd. FOX 9 will be broadcasting live from Bonin Field, where the St. Patrick Irish will take on the New Market Muskies at 6 p.m. In St. Patrick there’s the church, the bar and the ballpark. If it weren't for the church, there would be no ballpark. Back in the 1950s Father Leo Bonin made it happen and now the ballpark, Bonin Field, is named after him.

The Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce and the Lonsdale Community Days Committee announced on Wednesday, June 23 that Daryl Rieck has been chosen as the 2021 Lonsdale Grand Marshal.
According to a press release, Rieck has been an integral part of the community for more than 35 years. It listed Rieck’s commitment to Londale being the American Legion Commander, instructor for AARP Defensive Course Classes, member of the Veteran's Memorial Task Force, Memorial Day Service Organizer, and volunteer who always helps with BINGO on Saturday evenings at the Legion.

After a fierce six-week landscape design showdown set in the whimsical world of topiary, Minnesota-based botanical mosaic artist Meghan Petricka was crowned the "Clipped" champion of the freshest competition series on discovery+.
Judges crowned Petricka as the last topiarist standing, winner of $50,000 cash and bragging rights as the first-ever "Clipped" champion.
Petricka is a 2002 Montgomery-Lonsdale High School graduate, the daughter of Donald and JoAnn Petricka, and the 2001 Kolacky Queen. For more, pick up the print edition.

Spider-Man, left, was a surprise guest for Christian Stage at Home Town Bats’ Home Run Derby the evening of Friday, June 18, at Union Hill Ballpark, west of New Prague. Christian, the son of Nick and Joan Stage of Lonsdale, is a big fan of superheroes. His family are the beneficiaries of the annual fundraiser that features fun, food, games and members of the Dakota-Rice-Scott League slamming for the fences to get as many home runs as possible. For more see upcoming print issues of The New Prague Times and Montgomery Messenger. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

The New Prague City Council is hosting a Meet & Greet event at the New Prague Golf Club, 400 Lexington Ave. S., on Monday, June 28, 2021 from 4-6 p.m.  The purpose of the Meet & Greet event is for members of the public to meet the finalists selected for the position of City Administrator. The event will be an informal event allowing for attendees to visit with each finalist and provide written feedback of which will be shared with the City Council following their final interview on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. 

From left, New Prague Mayor Duane Jirik, Czech Heritage Club members Vi Chromy, George Mikiska, Jan Kubista, Deputy Consul General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, Marit Lee Kucera, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, Czech Heritage Club members Jim Simon and Fred Simon stand in front of the Brana on New Prague’s east side the morning of Thursday, June 17. Kubista was visiting New Prague and Montgomery with stops at historic sites. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Home Town Bats will be holding its fifth annual Home Run Derby at 6 p.m. this Friday, June 18, at Union Hill Ballpark, west of New Prague. The beneficiary of this year’s family friendly fundraiser is Christian Stage, the five year old son of Nick and Joan Stage of Lonsdale. He has three siblings, Preston, Anna and Brielle. Ted Nytes of Home Town Bats organizes Home Run Derby, which features batters from the Dakota- Rice-Scott League hitting for the fences to see who can slam the most home runs.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office reported that on Monday, June 14, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Scott County Deputies located a stolen bus that had refused to stop for Shakopee Police officers. A pursuit was not initiated and deputies followed this vehicle south on Marschall Road from the city limits of Shakopee. They continued following the vehicle south into the city limits of New Prague. The vehicle eventually pulled into the parking lot of Fishtale Bar & Grill, located at 200 County Road 37 in New Prague.

CVF Racing of New Prague briefly hosted about 30 Trans Ams and more than 100 people on Tuesday, June 15, who were participating in the Bandit Run, originally a re-enactment of the route taken in the movie, Smokey and the Bandit. It has now become a yearly tradition that travels to a different part of the country each year. CVF Racing was a quick pit stop for participants of the Bandit Run that was going from Worthington on their way to Red Wing. This year's Bandit Run started in Lincoln, NE, on Saturday, June 12, and will end in Wisconsin Dells, WI, on Saturday, June 19.

Due to high temperatures, extremely dry conditions and increased winds, the DNR and Rice County Sheriff’s Office instituted no open burning in Rice County on Thursday, June 17, 2021, starting at 5 p.m. until further notice.
The ban comes from Troy Dunn, Rice County Sheriff, and Jim Edgar, MN DNR Fire Program Forester.
The MN DNR has also put a burning ban on for Le Sueur County effective immediately. According to Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason, burning can resume tomorrow, Saturday, June 19.

Kathy Kramer has lived south of Lonsdale for more than 40 years, and she’s never eaten a Czech dumpling.
“Nope, never had one. I’m Swedish and German, and I’ve never had those dumplings either,” she said with a laugh.
Along with more than 30 other people from around the area, Kramer’s hands were deep in dumpling dough when the Czech Heritage Club hosted a free potato dumpling-making demonstration on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at Revival on Main in Montgomery.

On June 11, 2021 at 5:07 p.m., Scott County 911 Dispatch received a call of a pole shed on fire on the 26xxx block of Baseline Avenue in Cedar Lake Township.
Police and fire were dispatched and upon arrival, witnessed a pole shed fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire; however, damage to the building and the vehicles and farm equipment contained inside was substantial.
There were no people or animals inside the building at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries to the owners of the building or first responders.

John Pohland has been hired as New Prague High School’s new band director, pending approval by the New Prague School Board.

Montgomery Music in the Park tonight has been MOVED to the Montgomery American Legion Post at 7 p.m. due to the heat advisory!
Tonight's music will be by the Mary Guentzel Quintet. This group performs the great standards from the 30s and 40s, along with select favorites from more recent decades.
Organizers hope everyone can join them inside for some great music!

A Montgomery man faces felony charges after he and a female victim were found naked in Sand Creek in Jordan following a car crash into the creek on Wednesday, June 2.
According to a summary of the incident provided by the Jordan Police Department, Jared Scott Herman, 38, of Montgomery was arrested at the scene and is in Scott County Jail facing two felony charges—second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and felony terroristic threats.

New Prague Area Schools (NPAS) Early Learning received a $20,000 grant earlier this year from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), which will be used for several early learning initiatives. SMIF announced on April 27 that Early Learning will receive the grant.