In staying on track with their desired timeline, the Lonsdale City Council approved a firm to provide architectural and planning services for the new police facility to be operational in 2021.
After interviews with a handful of firms and further discussion, the council unanimously voted to move forward with Wold Architects and Engineers at their meeting on June 25.

In preparation for the 86th annual Kolacky Days Queen Pageant, the 2020 queen candidates practiced their interview skills Thursday, June 25, at the Next Chapter Winery. They are wearing special face masks made by Maureen Franek and adhering to social distance guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured are (from left) Nicole Sorenson, Nikaija Young, Rachel Rynda, Rachel Way, Marissa Gare, and Chloe Triden. The Queen Pageant will be held in a modified format with live judges on Friday, July 24, in the TCU Performing Arts Center.

Sheriff Brett Mason led members of Le Sueur County Historical Society (LCHS) Board on a tour of the county’s now-vacant, 108-yearold jail and sheriff’s residence and the recently vacated 1978 jail on Tuesday morning, June 23.
According to County Administrator Darrell Pettis, the county is looking for ways to preserve and use the iconic brick building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Eric Steinhoff may have hit 31 homers to win the Home Run Derby, but little Analise Tveitbakk ruled the ballpark on Saturday.
The two-year-old happily ran the bases, took pictures with the batters, and picked out sweets at the concession stand during Home Town Bats' Home Run Derby at the Union Hill Ballpark on June 27. The fourth annual fundraising event benefited Analise and her family.

The detour for the Highway 19 construction project in downtown New Prague is set to start Monday, July 6.  The recent permitting and scheduling issues have been resolved.
Motorists are reminded that the first stage detour for motorists traveling westbound through New Prague consists of 10th Avenue NE, 7th Street NE/NW, and Highway 21.  Eastbound traffic will be detoured south on Highway 13, Le Sueur County Road 29, and 10th Avenue SE.  Motorists desiring to go to downtown businesses will need to watch for special signing.

Highway 93 between Highway 169 and Henderson just closed due to flooding from the Rush River and as a result motorists using the Highway 111/22 Nicollet to Gaylord east detour will be rerouted within 24 hours.
For the second time this construction season, official route for traffic using the east detour changes to  included Highway 169 at St. Peter, Sibley County Roads 8 and 17, and Highway 19 until further notice.  The west detour between Nicollet and north of Nicollet CR 1 remains Highway 14, Highway 15 and Highway 19.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has reported a cluster of positive COVID-19 cases in South Central Minnesota among young adults in their 20s who reported visiting bars and restaurants June 12 and 13, the first weekend they reopened.

If you mailed in your registration renewal and have not received your tabs due to processing delays, please contact use using this form: https://dps.mn.gov/…/Pages/dvsforms-registration-tabs-plate…
You will receive a verification letter via email to use as proof of registration renewal until your tabs arrive.
We also notified law enforcement that some Minnesotans will not receive their registration tabs before they are required to display the tabs on their license plates.

Fund areas within the 2020-2021 Tri-City United School District budget are going to have deficits and all areas are going to need to be revised as events change, according to the district’s director of business services.
“Budgets are estimates based on assumptions,” said Jean Kopp, TCU’s Director of Business Services. “There are so many unknowns that we are planning for.”
Kopp presented her request for approval of the fiscal year 2021 budget to the school board at its regular meeting on June 8.

During these trying times, families may be experiencing trouble making ends meet.
Whether it be paying a bill or putting adequate food on the table, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many. Hundreds of families from throughout Le Sueur County were the recipients of some goodwill from Second Harvest Heartland and a group of more than three dozen volunteers Friday, June 19.
The Le Sueur County Fairgrounds in Le Center was the site of free food distribution.
Second Harvest contacted the food shelf’s in the county and said they had extra food to distribute.

Area residents will still have a chance to celebrate the Fourth of July in 2020. While the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in parades and other activities being cancelled, people will still be able to enjoy a few festivities and see the night sky lit up with a multitude of colors.

Recently during a special mass at St. Scholastica Catholic Church in Heidelberg, Rose Marie Hauer was recognized for her 50 years as the church’s lead musician and organist. She was presented a Certificate of Appreciation signed by Father Eugene Theisen and Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
“It doesn’t seem that long,” said Rose Marie about serving her church that long. While she and husband, Don, live in Philipps Square senior apartments in New Prague now, they began the journey of music and faith together.

St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church recently announced that Fr. Eugene Theisen has been named pastor of the New Prague church, effective Wednesday, July 1. Fr. Theisen’s Installment Mass will be held at 5 p.m. on July 1, at St. Wenceslaus Church, 215 Main St. E. The Mass will be live streamed on multiple platforms through the church’s website, its Facebook page and YouTube.

Youth sports games and scrimmages can resume June 24 or later for outdoor sports, and July 1 or later for indoor sports.
The guidance seeks to balance the goals of minimizing disease transmission and allowing young people to engage in sports activities that have important physical, emotional, and social benefits. It also provides additional clarifications and recommendations for adult sports competitions this summer.
View the new sports guidance and answers to frequently asked questions at Community Settings: COVID-19.

The detour for the construction project along Main Street (Highway 19) in New Prague’s downtown has been postponed until further notice as a permit to work in the railroad’s right-of-way is experiencing a delay. Work through the railroad right-of-way is the critical first stage of project construction.

On June 15, 2020, at approximately 7:20 a.m., Scott County Dispatch received a report of a possible missing boater on Prior Lake.
The missing individual was reported to have not returned home last night from fishing and boating.  Law enforcement responded to the Knotty Oar Marina and located the missing individual’s unoccupied pontoon and cell phone on their boat slip, along with some personal belongings floating nearby in the water.