Like a child awaiting Christmas or a birthday, Elizabeth Johnson is looking forward to next Wednesday, the day elementary students return to class for the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

NP will face Brew crew tomorrow night

For much of Saturday’s Class C state tournament game against New York Mills, the Millers rotated pitchers each time New Prague completed a cycle through its lineup. It’s a strategy that almost worked as the Orioles rallied from a 1-0 deficit to claim a 4-1 win before an orange-clad crowd at Memorial Park in New Prague.

Bernice M. Tupy, age 95, of New Prague, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Mala Strana Rehabilitation Center in New Prague. Bernice Marie Ambroz was born on May 28, 1931, in New Prague to Frank and Emma (Shetka) Ambroz. She attended country school in New Prague.

She’s not one to openly discuss national or international politics or her opinions on how the administration is handling relations and trade balances with other countries.

Union Hill opened its state tournament run with the nearperfect blend of pitching, defense and offense in a 10-2 win over Princeton. It’s exactly what the Bulldogs wanted.

“We hit the heck out of the ball, played good defense and had good pitching,” said Union Hill coach Dusty Steinhoff. T

he Bulldogs finished with 14 hits, five for extra bases. Six players drove in runs, including Joe Becker and Nate Lee with two RBI each and Tomas Lee with three RBI.

Calvary Church of New Prague held outdoor Sunday worship services through the month of August with each Sunday service being blessed with good weather with sun and temperatures in the 80s most days. The tent was placed in a field south of Raven Stream Elementary School, which is land where the congregation plans to eventually build its church.

Richard Dale Lukes, age 72, of Champlin, MN, passed away June 1, 2026.

    Mild weather gave the Le Sueur Free County Fair time to shine last week. The 169th annual fair was held Thursday through Sunday. 
    The fair had a 1950s car theme, which was apparent in the style and the many competitions held throughout the week — from kids pedal pull to the truck and tractor pull. Young and old had a contest they could participate in, and many spectators came out to cheer them on.
    Of course, there was a car show, where actual 1950s cars could display their beauty. In all, 120 cars participated in the show.

Mary Sue “Sue” Ambroz, age 65, of New Prague, passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at her home in New Prague.

Sue was born on August 22, 1960, to Lawrence and Mary Jo (Chromy) Sirek in New Prague, MN. Sue graduated from New Prague High School with the class of 1978. She went on to earn a teaching degree from Mankato State University.

Levi Perry Schelhaas, age 15, of New Prague, Minnesota, passed away surrounded by family and friends on Friday, August 21, 2026, at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. Levi was born on May 3, 2011, in New Prague, to Zachary and Brittany (Mude) Schelhaas.

Kevin William Zwirner, age 38, of New Richmond, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026. Born on September 16, 1987, in Maplewood, MN, Kevin was the son of Sheila Sarafin and Bill Zwirner.

Kevin loved fishing, nature, playing with the dogs, and spending time with his nieces and nephews. He was a kind and gentle person with a big heart. Kevin saw the good in every single person he encountered and often had a smile on his face. He was an avid Timberwolves and Vikings fan and loved watching college sports.

New Prague starting pitcher Gavin Bergman blasted a three-run home run and held New Your Mills to one run through 7-plus innings as the New Prague Orioles topped the Millers, 4-1, Saturday at Memorial Park in New Prague.

NP's win in the opening round of the Minnesota Baseball Association's Class C state tournament advances the Orioles to face the winner of Glencoe-Howard Lake game Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m., at Memorial Park.

Without the funding needed to complete the full array of improvements planned for Highway 19 between New Prague and Highway 169, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is planning a comparatively short-term pavement improvement along the dilapidated roadway next year.

While the other members of the Scott County Board might not have agreed, Commissioner Barb Weckman Brekke did what she believed was the right thing to do when she publicly backed Rep. Angie Craig’s unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate post representing Minnesota.

Seeding games set the brackets for state tournament

After a summer of amateur baseball, five area teams have advanced to the Minnesota Baseball Association’s state tournaments beginning this weekend in New Prague, Shakopee, Jordan and Chaska.

In Class A, Elko and St. Patrick qualified for the state tournament. Union Hill and Webster made the Class B state field while New Prague is the lone area team in the Class C state tournament. See the special congratulations page for scheduling information in this week’s edition of The New Prague Times.