At the New Prague City Council’s Monday, Dec. 7, virtual meeting they were informed that Public Works Director Glen Sticha would be retiring. City Administrator Mike Johnson said he had received a letter from Sticha on Monday, Nov. 23, that it was his intent to retire effective February 25, 2021.
Sticha has been employed by the City since July 27, 1980 and has been...
To see more on this story, pick up the December 10, 2020 print edition of The New Prague Times.

On December 9, 2020 at 6:02 am, Rice County deputies responded to the 5000 block of Hazelwood Ave in Webster Township, Northfield Ambulance and Northfield Fire/Rescue responded to a personal injury crash on CR 46 in Webster Township. 
Upon arrival, deputies located two vehicles involved with 2 victims.  The driver of a 2006 Audi A6, Miguel Angel Carreon Balderas, 27, of Owatonna was treated at the scene and transported to Northfield Hospital by ambulance. 

Eric Lind, Regional Director of Business Development of Monarch Healthcare Management, unloads food donations for the Peace Center food shelf that were collected at Mala Strana Rehabilitation and Assisted Living Center in New Prague the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 9. Monarch Healthcare Management, which operates Mala Strana, has partnered up with Moments Hospice for a statewide initiative, Warming Hearts and Hearths Food Drive, to help restock food pantries. Local donations are given to local food shelves. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times.

Santa greets the crowds during Santa’s Cruise Through New Prague on Friday, Dec. 4. Riding an engine from the New Prague Fire Department, Santa makes the turn onto Columbus Avenue near the start of the parade sponsored by the New Prague Chamber of Commerce that included emergency and city vehicles. The Santa Cruise made its way through neighborhoods with sirens sounding and lights ablaze on the vehicles. Families waved and children shouted with excitement as they saw Santa. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Due to the ongoing surge of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, Mayo Clinic Health System has temporarily suspended operations at the Belle Plaine clinic and will be temporarily suspending operations at the Mankato-Northridge, Le Sueur, Janesville and Waterville clinics as of Monday, Dec. 7.
The suspensions are necessary to reallocate staffing resources to other critical care needs in response to the COVID-19 surge. The closures are expected to last six weeks. COVID-19 testing is still taking place at the Belle Plaine Clinic.

On December 3, 2020, at 12:20 p.m., Scott County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch received a report of a body that had been located floating in the Minnesota River near Huber Park at 150 Fillmore Street North in Shakopee.
Sheriff deputies, with the assistance of personnel from the Shakopee Fire Department and Shakopee Police Department were able to recover the body.

The Elko New Market city council approved a motion at its Thursday, Nov. 19, meeting, authorizing its staff to negotiate the acquisition of property in the Woodcrest development.
City Administrator Tom Terry explained that the area under discussion is Woodcrest Lane, which is the only access to a subdivision of the Woodcrest development.

Though there have been no major or fatal accidents at the intersection that connects Highway 19, 3rd Street West and CSAH 4, the council would like to see it change in light of a project on CSAH 4 that Rice County will be completing in 2022. “That’s the worst intersection,” Lonsdale council member Steve Cherney said.

Those who shopped locally on Saturday, November 28 found numerous Small Business Saturday deals and complimentary goodies at various stores in downtown New Prague. Multiple business owners, who were unsure whether people would venture out to shop during the on-going pandemic, reported an uptick in customers and were excited to see their stores once again filled with customers.

Update
Traffic on Main St. was redirected as emergency crews dealt with an accident involing a vehicle, heading east on Main St. and a female pedestrian on Monday, Nov. 30th at approximately 11:15am.
 The female pedestrian was transported to the hospital by North Memorial Ambulance. The investigation into the accident has been turned over to the Minnesota State Patrol as Main Street is also State Highways 13/19.

New Prague KC Hall - 411 4th Ave. SW, New Prague
Mon. November 30. 2020
12:30 - 5:30 pm
New Market Town Hall - 8950 230th St. E, Lakeville
9am - 2 pm
Wed. December 2, 2020
Jordan Fire Station - 501 N. Varner St, Jordan
Thurs. December 3
1 - 5 pm
To sign up for an appointment for either locations go to:
https://www.primarybio.com/r/scottcounty

A man from Belle Plaine died in a boating accident on Saturday in Le Sueur County.
According to Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason, deputies responded to a call at 9:45 a.m. on November 28, 2020, at the Clear Lake public access in Lexington Township for a report of a capsized duck hunting boat.
Upon arrival deputies located Nicholas Jeffrey Brooks, 29, of Belle Plaine sitting on top of the overturned duck boat.
Jeffrey Ernest Brooks, 55, of Belle Plaine, was found floating in the water several yards from the overturned boat.

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague continued its tradition of providing Thanksgiving meals for families and individuals on Sunday, Nov. 22, but there were some changes. Due to the pandemic the church had people drive through the church’s parking lot where volunteers put the ready to make free meals in vehicles’ trunks.
“We wanted to do something this year since we couldn’t do the usual,” said Donna Galvin, Hospitality Coordinator at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.