On a good day, he is energetic, funny, playing with Legos and full of life. It’s the tough days, the ones following a cancer treatment, where he is weary and lethargic.
Supporters of Jacob Bongers are looking for more of the good days. A benefit home run derby set for Saturday, June 28, 6 p.m., at Don Giesen Field in Union Hill is intended to help Jacob and his family enjoy more of the good days. Home Town Bats is hosting its ninth annual benefit home run derby. This year, Jacob and the Bongers family will benefit from the fundraiser.
Generations Theatre Company opens Disney’s “The Lion King Jr.” this weekend at New Prague High School’s auditorium, 221 12th St. NE.
Performances are Friday through Sunday, June 27, 28, and 29. Show times are Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are available by emailing generationtickets@ gmail.com or at the door.
The KSTP Channel 5 program, Twin Cities Live In Your Town will be in New Prague and Elko New Market next week. The show will highlight some of the unique spots, restaurants, shopping and people of New Prague and Elko New Market. The program has already made some visits to area businesses in the last few days. Twin Cities Live In Your Town will wrap up Friday, June 27, with a live broadcast at 1319 Woodfire Tavern, 125 Main St. E, 3-4:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Ries and Ben Leber, hosts of Twin Cities Live, will be in New Prague and Elko New Market during the week.
With events scheduled today through Sunday, Elko New Market is hosting its summer festival, Fire Rescue Days.
The event includes a classic car roll-in today, Thursday, June 26, 5-9 p.m., at the Doublewide on St. Joseph Street. Friday, June 27, professional wrestling at the Doublewide is slated to begin at 8 p.m.
A parade is set for 11 am. Saturday, June 28. Sunday, June 29, ENM Boy Scout Troop 325 is hosting a pancake breakfast from 8-noon at Wagner Park on Todd Street.
A 62-year-old motorcyclist from Epping, N.D., was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Scott County Road 7 near 235th Street in western Belle Plaine Township Tuesday evening, June 24, just after 8:45 p.m.
According to a press release from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the preliminary investigation indicates a 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle, driven by a man from Epping, N.D., was traveling southbound when it crossed into the northbound lane, colliding with a northbound 2012 Chevrolet Impala, driven by a 20-year-old from Cologne.
Ten area town baseball sluggers will try to bash as many home runs as possible at the annual fundraiser to help an area child and family dealing with a medical challenge slated for Saturday, June 28, 6 p.m., at Don Giesen Field in Union Hill.
Twelve-year-old Jacob Bongers of Lonsdale is suffering from medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. The ninth annual home run derby is being planned to welcome Jacob and the previous eight recipients and their families.
Last week, as the staff and leaders at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church were putting the finishing touches on plans to host the annual RibFest, the prediction of more rain for New Prague and the area gave them reason for concern.
More rain is the last thing the church needed as plans for the church’s largest annual fundraiser were being finalized. Concerned more rain would diminish attendance, the group looked for a back-up plan.
The Elko New Market City Council discussed updates to the city’s social media policy. The council also provided direction on those updates at its Thursday, June 12, meeting.
The New Prague City Council discussed stopping work on the new police station during its Monday, June 16, meeting.
Statement from Rep. Pursell office. "In the wake of the assassination and shooting this weekend of Rep. Hortman, her husband, Sen. Hoffman, and his wife, Rep. Pursell is not available for the Town Hall planned on Mon, Jun. 23rd at the Eagles in Northfield and has been cancelled."
Watch for more details later in the summer.
A petition from New Prague residents to have a say in the city’s proposed new police station has been submitted. On Thursday morning, June 12, resident Brian Paulson dropped off the petition to have a vote on the proposed $10,415,000 general obligation Capital Improvement Plan bonds to pay for the building of the new police station.
Paulson has been organizing the drive to collect the 244 signatures that were needed on the petition. He and others collected 543 signatures.
Former mayor willing to serve remainder of term
He remembers the day back in 2020 when some friends were commenting on items they didn’t like how the city of New Prague was handling. Chuck Nickolay decided then it was time to do something rather than just complain.
Last Monday, Nickolay was appointed to serve the remainder of former Mayor Duane Jirik’s term after the city council declared Jirik’s term vacated following his sudden resignation May 16. Nickolay is expected to be sworn in at the next New Prague City Council meeting June 16.
New Prague residents have been busy over the last two weeks to gather signatures for a petition to have a vote on the proposed $10,415,000 general obligation Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) bonds to pay for the building of New Prague’s proposed new police station.
Leading the petition drive is Brian Paulson, who held a drive in Memorial Park, Sunday, June 8, from 3-7 p.m. The event in the park was to allow people to come down and sign the petition or for volunteers to drop off sheets with signatures.
A New Prague man, Jeffrey William Boysen, was sentenced to 72 years in prison after being found guilty of 15 counts of criminal sexual assault of a girl and boy Wednesday, June 4, in Scott County District Court.
Tim Simon of Elko New Market has hunted bear, but he was surprised to see one wander onto his property at 320 Williams St., three blocks south of the city’s downtown, Saturday evening, May 31.
“My daughter said, ‘Dad, you’re not going to believe this, but there’s a bear in the backyard,’” said Simon.
Simon was skeptical at first then he saw the bear. He said he was like, “Wow!”
His daughter, Rachel Keppers, took some photos. Simon said Rachel had been at a wedding and then came home to check on her child, which Simon and his wife were babysitting.
After nearly 36 years Doug and Patty Lau are retiring
Saturday, May 31, was closed out with the announcement Doug and Patty Lau of Lau’s Bakery on New Prague’s Main Street, had sold their business and were retiring.
The couple, who have owned the business for nearly 36 years have sold the business to Alfredo Armenta Cruz, left, and his wife, Marialid.
“We’ve given him the recipes and he’s doing the job. He’s been doing the baking for the last three weeks,” said Doug about Alfredo. Doug added Alfredo will be keeping the recipes the same.