A 14-year-old boy from Cannon Falls was killed in a two-vehicle crash on 30th Street West, east of Fairbanks Avenue in Webster Township Tuesday evening, Aug. 27.

Marek Law Office & Tax Service ended a long continued service for the Montgomery area on June 30, spanning 50 years from 1975-2024.
William Marek, a 1969 New Prague High School Graduate, initially thought he wanted to be a high school teacher in math or science. He started his college education as such at Mankato State University.

A St. Peter woman, Nicole Straka, driving a pickup was injured in a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of 290th Street and 181st Avenue in Heidelberg this afternoon.
Nicole Preliminary information indicates the crash just south of the intersection around 1:30 p.m. The woman was extricated from the vehicle and rushed to the hospital by a North Memorial Ambulance crew.
A pole supporting power lines along the roadway was snapped just before the vehicle came to a rest near the driveway at 29080 181st Avenue.

Extreme heat and humidity will preside over the area today and an excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen until 8 p.m. this evening. Severe storms are also possible late this afternoon into this evening.
The following locations have been designated by Rice County Emergency Management & Rice County Public Health as community cooling shelters during extreme heat events.
Please contact the facility regarding hours of operation.
• Faribault Community Center
o 15 Division St W, Faribault, MN 55021
o 507-334-2064

Capt. Lesley J. Fierst USN, Ret., age 53, of New Prague, died unexpectedly on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at his home.  Les was born on March 15, 1971, in New Prague, to Randolph and Nancy (Lapic) Fierst.  Les spent his youth like most kids.  He enjoyed hanging out with neighborhood friends playing sports, backyard pickup games, going to the pool, just being a typical small-town kid.  Les was the stereotypical 80’s kid, collecting sports cards, playing video games, scouts and growing up with that 80s music watching Friday night videos.

There have been numerous questions on the status of Molter’s Fresh Market grocery store in town and whether or not the store is closing. Over the past month or so, shelves have slowly been getting emptier and emptier and the deli inside was closed for business last week permanently.
The store never brandished any permanent sign on the building, leaving the previous grocery store’s name, Mackenthun’s, on it for about six months before it was painted over and small temporary banners were placed below it.

Union Pacific, which owns and operates the railroad running from Montgomery through New Prague, has been working on a tie replacement project along the line to Jordan.
“We do that periodically to ensure safe transport of the items we ship,” said Mike Jaixen, senior manager of communications for Union Pacific. “Along with replacing the ties, the crews do ballast work. The ties will be set to the side of the track, and we have a different crew that will come by later and pick up the old ties.”

Richard J. “Dick” Zweber, age 85, of New Prague, died while praying a rosary with his daughter at his home on Thursday, August 22, 2024.  Dick was born on November 13, 1938, in St. Paul, to Vincent and Helen (McFadden) Zweber.   He grew up in St. Paul, attending St. Matthew’s, St. Joseph’s, and Cretin Schools, before moving as a sophomore, graduating from New Prague High School.  It was there that he met Mary Ruth Cervenka, the woman who would become his bride, on December 31, 1958, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church.  

If you’re a baseball fan, they say the best four words each spring are ‘Pitchers and catchers report’ to spring training. Each spring, when professional baseball players show up for spring training, it’s a sign we’ve survived another winter, that the best of our climate is yet to come and there is hope for better days ahead.

As of this month, I have been in New Prague working for The New Prague Times for 25 years.
In the last few months, I’ve had a few people mention they remembered when I started. One person said they remembered how black my hair was then. At the time I started, I was 31. Someone recently asked how old I was now and when I told them, they were surprised.

After a dry spell spanning longer than veteran players want to remember, the Union Hill baseball team has enjoyed success at the state amateur baseball tournament. The Bulldogs topped St. Peter Friday, Aug 16, in Belle Plaine.
The Bulldogs, Montgomery and Waterville will be the three area teams in action this weekend at the Minnesota Baseball Assoc.’s State Tournament. Three area teams – New Market, Webster and Elko all suffered tough season-ending losses in the tournament’s opening round.

Elko New Market’s mayoral race has been reduced to two candidates as Councilor Josh Berg recently decided to cease his campaign for the two-year position. With Mayor Joe Julius not seeking re-election, the mayoral race is now between Andrew Garfield and Rick Stidger.
Berg, who is currently serving his third term as a member of the Elko New Market City Council, said in a prepared statement he decided to step back due to the time commitment the position of mayor would require.

Although the final numbers aren’t yet official, estimates indicate the Le Sueur County Fair enjoyed a successful run Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 14-18, at the fairgrounds in Le Center.
Jessie Filter, a director on the fair board, indicated attendance was up this year over a year ago based on the parking lot numbers. The fair’s website indicates it draws 12,000 to 14,000 people to Le Center during the fair’s four-day run. Filter said the parking area was full Thursday and Sunday when free parking was permitted.
“People like that,” she said.

Eileen M. Wagner, age 91, of Prior Lake, MN, entered eternal life on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at New Perspective Senior Living. 
A visitation will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, from 4-7 p.m., and on Saturday, August 24, 2024, from 9:30-10:45 a.m., with a Mass of Christian Burial, at 11 a.m., all at St. Michael Catholic Church, 16400 Duluth Avenue SE, Prior Lake. Father Tom Walker will preside. She will be laid to rest at St. Nicholas Catholic Cemetery, in Elko New Market, MN. 

The following participants in Scott County 4-H clubs were honored for their entries during the Scott County Fair in July.

David J. Solheid, age 78, of Union Hill, died peacefully on Friday, August 16, 2024, at a hospice in St. Paul.  Dave was born on April 24, 1946, in New Prague, to Michael and Mary (Pint) Solheid.  He graduated from New Prague High School and served in the US Army, where he received awards for his marksmanship.  He married Judy Fitzke on October 4, 1969, in New Prague.  Dave worked for Scott Equipment for over 30  years, retiring as a shop foreman.