His best days were spent on a dirt bike, on some other form of motorized machine or in the garage building or improving anything with a motor he could make run better. Levi Schelhaas died way too young doing exactly what he loved. And in his death, he helped other people enjoy life in their own way.

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.

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.

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.

    Are you or farmers you work with looking for ways to reduce input costs while maintaining yield and improving resilience? 
    The University of Minnesota Extension and Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) are holding a free event — Strip Till Expo —  to learn about strip tillage. 

    St. Paul, Minn — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and partners in the Minnesota Farm Suicide Prevention Campaign are offering free mental health and suicide-prevention trainings in communities across Minnesota this fall. The workshops will teach people who live and work in agricultural communities how to recognize when someone may be struggling and help connect them with support.

    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.

Friday, Aug. 7, was a busy day for Trygg Holliday as he managed the building of a prayer garden at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Elko New Market.

Part of his inspiration for the prayer garden is his dad, Timothy Holliday, who passed away four years ago. The small garden will have a bench where people can sit. A memorial plaque for Holliday’s dad will be placed on the bench. It was Timothy Holliday, plus Trygg’s grandmother, Darlene Thomas, who got Trygg involved in Boy Scout Troop 9111 out of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lakeville.

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.

Update: Fifteen-year-old Levi Schelhaas of rural New Prague passed away Friday, Aug. 21,  from injuries suffered during a crash while riding his dirt bike Tuesday, Aug. 18.

His obituary appears on The New Prague Times' website and will be in the Aug. 27 print edition of The New Prague Times.

-------

    A rural New Prague woman is facing multiple charges stemming from a domestic dispute at the home of her former boyfriend in Derrynane Township.

    Area residents took full advantage of the event-filled day on Saturday at Lonsdale Community Days.
    Thousands took to the streets and businesses in downtown Lonsdale, starting with the annual Lonsdale Skywarn Breakfast. There were nearly 50 vendors along Main Street, where patrons could eat, drink, buy goods, ask questions, inquire about services, or learn some history.

Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Veseli is finishing up work on the its building just in time for the Veseli Ho-Down on the church grounds Sunday, Aug. 16.

One of the longest running Minnesota County Fairs is celebrating its 169th year next week.

The Le Sueur County Fair begins Thursday, August 20 at the fairgrounds in Le Center, and runs through Sunday, August 23. It is the last county fair before the Minnesota State Fair.

Every year the fair board approves improvements to the grounds and this year will be no different, with many new spruced up areas.

The Elko New Market City Council at its Thursday, July 23, meeting was asked for feedback on a proposed option for the city’s old police department building at 26518 France Ave.