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.

Union Hill and St. Patrick are riding impressive win streaks as they start to make their way to the top of the DRS Amateur Baseball standings.
Union Hill has won six straight games and it 1/2 game behind Faribault with a 6-1 record. St. Patrick has won three straight games and improves to 6-3 overall, 1 1/2 games back of the Lakers.
Both Union Hill and St. Patrick were helped out when St. Benedict upset Faribault, 4-3 Friday, June 4.
Prior Lake holds down the third spot in the league with a 7-2 record.

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

With a break in the season between the conference and section meets, New Prague hosted a Last Chance Meet which was held Thursday, June 3.
The meet allows athletes to stay in shape and work on their talents before Friday’s Section Meet.
The boys and girls teams both finished in second place in this six team meet. Mankato West won both the boys and girls team titles.
Top performances for the New Prague girls were turned in by:

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.

At its Monday, June 7, meeting the New Prague City Council selected its four finalists for the position of City Administrator. The four individuals who will participate in the interview process are Brent Hinson, Dan Madsen, Joshua Tetzlaff and Jason Tobin. The interview process will take place on Tuesday, June 29. One will be chosen to replace current City Administrator Mike Johnson, who is retiring in August. For more see the Thursday, June 10, print issue of The New Prague Times.

William Finley Krouse, 77, of New Prague, MN, passed away suddenly on June 6, 2021.

Officers with the New Prague Police Department on Saturday night, June 5, arrested an adult male, who has been charged with second degree assault, domestic assault and making terroristic threats, which included apparently brandishing a gun. According to an early report with the department the man, unidentified at this time, apparently entered City Club Bar, escorted a woman out and proceeded to make threats of violence and took a gun out of a holster he had and waved the gun around. The man had been consuming alcohol earlier.

Lawrence “Larry” Joseph Norton, age 87 of Springfield died peacefully on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at the Valley View Manor in Lamberton.
Funeral service will be 12 pm on Saturday, June 12, 2021, at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home-South Chapel in New Ulm.  Pastor Brad Kuebler will officiate, and burial will take place at a later date. The New Ulm Area Comrades of Valor Honor Guard will provide full military honors at the funeral home at the conclusion of the service.

The Czech Heritage Club held its annual meeting on Sunday, May 23, 2021, at Giesenbrau Bier Co. in New Prague. Twelve members were present, including Marit Lee Kucera, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic for Minnesota. Following a brief recap of 2019 and 2020 programs and events, election of officers for the ensuing year took place. Elected by unanimous ballot were President Jean Keogh, Vice-President Gary Pikal, Treasurer George Mikiska, Secretary James Simon, and Directors Doris Coghill, Fred Simon, and Vi Chromy. All terms of office are one year.

Here we are, a week where the temperatures are forecasted to give us a taste of what summer is about. This week the forecast calls for temps in the high 70s at the least, if not in the 80s and 90s. It’s the type of weather that many people want or look forward to during the colder days of winter.
I’ll admit I do enjoy the sun and warmer temperatures, mainly because it means I don’t have to worry about throwing on extra layers of clothing or at least a jacket just to go outside to check the mail when it’s sub zero temps outside.

The New Prague boys track and field team collected points in almost every event in winning the Wright County Conference East Division Championship Tuesday, May 25.
The Trojans scored 139 points in defeating runner-up Hutchinson (108) and third place Waconia (100.5). Fourth through eighth were Jordan (86), Delano (83.5), Orono (79), Mound Westonka (58), and Holy Family Catholic (44).

The New Prague boys lacrosse team defeated Rochester Century, 10-9 in double overtime, in the opening round of the Section 1 Lacrosse Tournament.
With the win, the Trojans will travel to Lakeville North Wednesday, June 2 for a 5 p.m. game. North is the No. 1 seed and New Prague is the 8th seed in this quarterfinal game.
Rochester Century was coming in the game 0-13, however they lost three one point games and a few other close ones so the record could certainly be deceiving, according to Coach Paul Newton.

Charli Kossow, age 9, of Waterville won the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s 2021 Distracted Driving Poster Contest. She is the daughter of Amber Atherton and Richard Kossow. Her winning poster reads “Don’t drive distracted. Save lives!” and features a person focusing on their cellphone while driving and an innocent little animal dangerously close to the front of the vehicle. The Faribault Lutheran School third grader received a pizza party for her family, including pizza, cheesy breadsticks, and orange pop, and a $75 Visa gift card for her work—all delivered by Sheriff Brett Mason.

In a battle between two of the top teams in the DRS Amateur Baseball League, the New Prague Orioles edged St. Patrick, 4-3, in 11 innings Sunday, May 30.
This was one of 11 DRS games played Sunday and Monday.
Eric Wagner and Dan Shekta had two hits and each drove in a run during the 2nd inning to help the Orioles take a three run lead.
Nathan Sprouls started for New Prague and was dominant striking out nine batters, and giving up one earned run. Adam Schmitz pitched the final two innings for the win.