To celebrate the Fourth of July, Gopher State Railway Museum (GSRM), north of New Prague, held train rides on its historic train engine or cars.

Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 76 adults and 44 children had bought tickets by early afternoon.

Families could ride the diesel electric locomotive or one of two cabooses, which included a Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range C-25 built in 1900 or a Milwaukee Road 992147 built in 1956.

“This is our first time,” said Chris Reyes of Jordan. “I think it’s great. Our girls loved it.”

Mike Meyer is honorary survivor at annual ACS Relay for Life

Mike Meyer knows all about luck – bad luck, good luck.

He’s seen his share of both.

New Prague and area communities will be offering fireworks and other festivities to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.

By all accounts, the 10th annual Home Run Derby to benefit Jacob Kirchner and his family was, well, a grand slam as generous donors overwhelmed the Belle Plaine family with financial support, a wheelchair-accessible minivan, financial support and a sense that people they don’t even know genuinely care when a child and his family are in need.

Elko New Market celebrated Fire Rescue Days Thursday, June 25, through Sunday, June 28, plus its annual Saturday, June 27, parade marked its 25th anniversary.

Hours before the first shell wwill be fired into a dark sky over New Prague, a crew will started working on the launch site. But the actual work of presenting a fireworks show tomorrow evening began weeks ago.

    Those looking to try a new 4th of July event this year are in luck. The City of Lonsdale announced earlier this year that it would be hosting a Founders Festival on July 3 from 3 p.m. to midnight. 
    A multitude of items will be happening over the course of the day, celebrating both the United States’ 250th anniversary and Lonsdale’s history.

Whether they are competing as athletes or volunteering their time to make another athlete’s or spectator’s experience more enjoyable, a pair of New Prague men have a special connection to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games this week in the Twin Cities.

Former superintendent led effort to build new high school

It’s unlikely the students who’ll walk the hallways and sit in the classrooms at New Prague High School ever heard of Robert A. Stepaniak. But he’s the former school district superintendent who led the effort to build the new high school nearly 30 years ago.

Surrounded by his family, Stepaniak passed away Saturday, June 13, after an extended illness. A memorial service was held Monday, June 22, in Faribault. He was 79.

During a recent Friday eventing at a St. Patrick Irish baseball game, Cathy Schmitz, dressed all in green, came riding in to Bonin Field on a Toro standup lawn mower. The mower, plus a Toro leaf blower and grass trimmer, were being donated by Angels Among Us, a Prior Lake based non-profit, as part of its mission to aid youth athletic programs.

“This will definitely help us,” said Mike Sticha of the St. Patrick Athletic Association, which sponsors eight youth baseball teams and three adult baseball teams.

    Most people are aware of the area food shelves and Tri-City United School’s summer meal program for kids 1-18. Even with such programs, Caitlin Huiras thinks there is still much need in this area to help food insecurity.
    Huiras is the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce executive director and quit her job, in part, as a public health program specialist in Carver County to start the nonprofit 507 Food Share in Montgomery. She has a formal education background in nutrition and public health, and her former job focused nutrition with Carver County. 

Growing up, she never looked at education as the career which would define her adult life. Thirty-plus years after she arrived in New Prague to begin teaching elementary school students, Jodi Prchal has used a strong work ethic and lessons on how to earn a living to provide lifelong lessons for students at Falcon Ridge.

The Elko New Market Police Department has been struggling to get candidates for patrol officer positions.

The Elko New Market Fire Department is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. As part of the celebration, the volunteer fire department had banners of retired firefighters placed along Main Street (Scott County Road 2) at the end of May and are up through Labor Day.

If he could, if his body would allow it, Jacob Kirchner would love to play baseball with his friends. Sadly, the 14-year-old boy from Belle Plaine cheers for his favorite teams – the Tigers and his big brother, Zachary, who plays outfield for the high school and town baseball teams.

The son of Jessica and John Kirchner, Jacob and his family – siblings Michel, Haley and Zachary – will be the guests of honor at the 10th annual Home Run Derby to raise funds for his family. It is scheduled for June 27, 6 p.m., at Don Giesen Field in Union Hill.