Saturday, March 14, 5 p.m. Update

The National Weather Services (NWS) in Chanhassen, Minn., has issued a Blizzard Warning for our greater area from 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, through 4 a.m. on Monday, March 16. They are calling this a "historic March winter storm on track to bring extreme snow accumulations and strong winds." 

The warning calls for a broad swath of 12 to 18 inches of snow over the region, with some area approaching two feet, with winds between 35 and 45 mph, with gusts to 55 mph, even after the snow starts to taper off.

Nearly 30 students from Eagle View Elementary arrived at school in four-alarm style Wednesday, Feb. 26, and Wednesday, March 4, courtesy of the Elko New Market Fire and Police departments. The rides were prizes in the school’s February Read-aThon fundraiser.

“They loved it. They had fun,” said Eagle View Elementary Principal Adam Dittberner about the students’ rides. The trips from the fire and police departments to the school were among a number of incentives the school offered to students during the read-a-thon, Dittberner said.

Cub Scout Pack 323 held its Pinewood Derby Sunday, March 1, at the New Prague Park Ballroom.

Cub Master Ted Hefty said there were 27 cars entered by Lion members who are in kindergarten and Arrow of Light who are in fifth grade. Pack members are given wood blocks to carve into cars and attach the wheels to.

Helping with the event was Warren Kalsow of Apple Valley, who provided the electronics for the races and the track. “We do it frequently,” said Kalsow, noting his group has...

She didn’t have to accept the invitation. She could have passed on the offer to accept the money and let somebody else put it to good use.

Cora Goldade is more interested in doing what she can to make the world a little better place. Her hope is people will turn prayer into action, action used to eventually curb gun violence. It’s a big project, one she knew was worthwhile given the experience of a friend.

The New Prague City Council at its Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting approved a resolution where city staff will request an advancement of $950,000 from the state for the city’s municipal state aid street construction funds.

Sunday, Feb. 22, was a sunny day with temperatures in the teens, but it didn’t stop 243 children from showing up to help build housing for wood ducks.

The 26th annual Youth Wood Duck Box Building Day sponsored by the Scott-Le Sueur Waterfowlers at the New Prague Knights of Columbus Hall. Organizers said it had been busy as 50 children, age 16 and younger, had signed up in the first 90 minutes of the four-hour event. Around 10 a.m., the number of children and their families waiting to help build wooden houses for wood ducks stretched out the front door said organizers.

Several months after the New Prague School Board OK’d a two-year contract with the district’s teachers represented by Education Minnesota, the school board approved two-year agreements with five different employee groups for 2025-2027.

Young cousins Elsie Bergstrom and Savannah Brezina were all smiles as they were about to dig into their meals at the Education Scholarship Breakfast held by the New Prague Knights of Columbus Sunday morning, Feb. 15. Brezina was starting with the caramel roll and Bergstrom was making sure her pancakes had plenty of syrup.

“It’s evolved so much,” said Billy Bartusek Jr. as he stood among the sea of adults and youth at the New Prague Sportsman’s Club’s Youth Fishing Clinic. There were 142 children participating in the clinic Saturday, Feb. 14, at Raven Stream Elementary School.

Bartusek Jr. knows how the clinic has changed over its 45 plus years. He attended the clinic as a child.

St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church’s Annual Soup Supper was held for its 32nd time Monday, Feb 16. Over the years it has raised several thousands of dollars for groups that help the less fortunate.

Marge Shimota of Cedar Lake Township has seen plenty of newscasts of late and decided Tuesday night’s (Feb. 3) caucus was worth attending. She was one of about 40 Republicans who attended gatherings of the party faithful at HillSpring Church just outside New Prague.

Shimota doesn’t like what she’s seen going on around her and wanted to get involved. She is a solid Republican and wanted her voice to matter. She’s concerned about the state of Minnesota and the impact it would have on residents and her own grandchildren.

Minnesota held its state wide caucuses Tuesday, Feb. 3, with both Republican and Democrats meeting in many places. Democrats, or DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), of three precincts met at the New Prague Memorial Library. The three precincts were the city of New Prague, the city of Heidelberg and Lanesburgh Township.

New Prague High School began celebrating Snoball Monday, Feb. 2, and will continue through this week with a 1:45 p.m. pep fest tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 6, with the crowning of the Snoball queen and king in the high school gym. The annual mid-winter celebration ends with a dance Saturday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m,. in the high school gym.

The Elko New Market Fire Department celebrated its 50th anniversary Thursday evening, Jan. 29, with a dedication of photo walls featuring photos of retired firefighters on one wall, current members on the other wall and photos from the department’s history. The photos and celebration were a reminder a community built the volunteer organization.

When he looks at the lives his adult children enjoy today, Ron McBroom thinks of the lessons they learned as students at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School in New Prague.

It is with great pride in his children – Mary, Joseph, John, James and Julie – and his late wife, Kathy, that McBroom recently announced he was making a $250,000 donation to the school. The donation is in memory of Kathy McBroom and the greater glory of Jesus Christ. Ron believes giving the money in the name of his wife of 56 years and to honor God is more important than the amount of the donation.

Firefighters from at least New Prague Fire Department and Montgomery Fire Department extinguished a fully-engulfed separated garage fire Thursday, Jan. 29, during the evening hours at Number One Auto north of Heidelberg in rural Lanesburgh Township in Le Sueur County. Temperatures at the time were only about five degrees above zero.