After weeks of discussion and adjustments, Elko New Market city councilors approved a budget and property tax levy for 2026.
The council OK’d the city’s 2026 property tax levy at its Dec. 18 meeting. The general fund budget will increase from $3,297,590 to $3,849,687 – an increase of $447,903 or 15.72%. The city’s total levy will increase by $490,823 to $4,238,383 – an increase of 13.1%.
At a meeting of the Le Sueur County Officials Association, State Senator Rich Draheim (22, R) and State Rep. Terry Stier (22B, R) were present to share information from the state legislature that affects the area. The meeting was held Dec. 3 at Le Sueur City Hall.
“I don’t want to say it was the most confusing year, but probably the most uncertain year I have seen in my nine years,” Draheim said, noting the size of the state government has tripled in funding since he took office in 2017.
When the New Prague School Board reconvenes for the first time since Dec. 8, Director Denny Havlicek wants to maintain his position as the board’s chairperson.
Havlicek stated his interest to the other directors at the last meeting of 2025. He said he has spoken with board members and heard no opposition to him staying on as the board’s chairperson.
For roughly 35 years, a group has been taking one day to sing carols around New Prague. On Saturday, Dec. 13, about a dozen people gathered to visit the apartment complex Bohemia Flats, Praha Village senior apartments and Mala Strana Rehabilitation Center and Assisted Living.
Among those who have gone out nearly every year are Mary Lou and Wade Fradenburgh, Diane and Rick Nerud and Marcia and Robert Sammons.
The Ptarmigans and Polars will renew their rivalry Saturday, Dec. 27, noon, in the 66th edition of New Prague’s Sno-Bowl football game.
The game will be played at the open lot north of the Memorial Park Baseball Field and south of CSSW. A pregame gathering will start at Fishtale Grill at 9 a.m. All New Prague graduates are in a roster. Rosters can be found at https://ballcharts.com/ team/?team=snobowl with all graduates not listed whose last name is between N-Z are a Polar and all graduates not listed whose last name is between A-M are a Ptarmigan.
The New Prague Area Historical Society is celebrating toys with a display at the New Prague Memorial Library from now until the end of January.
Dennis Dvorak of the historical society said the toys are ones from the Victorian era. “Some are 125 years old and they have been well cared for,” Dvorak said, adding some of the toys are made of metal or wood. Another reason the toys are well preserved is there was usually only one child in the family, who didn’t have to share his or her toys with others, said Dvorak.
It wasn’t quite as low as the 3.9% increase from last year, but the Le Sueur County budget and levy passed was still among the lowest of the last decade.
On Dec. 2, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners held its annual Truth in Taxation meeting to hear residents’ concerns. The hearing was followed by the official vote on the next budget.
The final levy was set at $30,337,063, which represents a 4.4% increase over last year.
The only years where the increase was lower were in 2021 (4%) and 2025 (3.9%).
The Elko New Market City Council approved a resolution at its Thursday, Dec. 4, meeting appointing Jay Simon as fire chief for the Elko New Market Fire Department.
City Administrator Tom Terry said officers in the volunteer fire department serve terms of three years. According to the department’s policy and procedure manual the position for fire chief must be posted for applications in October of the last year of the fire chief’s term. The only application received was from Simon, the current fire chief, said Terry.
Simon has been with the fire department since...
Bruce Bartyzal of New Prague has written his first book. It is about his dealing with chronic pain and writes about it with frank honesty at times, which likely explains the book’s title, “Chronic Pain Can Kiss My..” You can probably figure out the last word.
The book describes how Bartyzal started having simple, persistent knee pain four to five years ago, which rapidly became worse. Bartyzal chose knee replacement surgery that was supposed to improve his mobility. It was later discovered a major artery had been severed resulting in pain and internal bleeding.
New Prague High School’s wrestling team started its season with seven team victories over two dual meets last week. The meets were at Orono, Thursday, Dec. 4, and the Trojans hosted an invite Saturday, Dec. 6.
“I was excited for this day for a long time,” said New Prague head coach Dan Wagner about the Dec. 4 meet at Orono. “I know we have good wrestlers, but this was a time to figure out how they will wrestle as a team and for one another. They certainly did not disappoint and got the season off to a fast start.”
It was a busy day, even with the snow, during Small Business Saturday in New Prague. Held Nov. 29, the annual event is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving and encourages consumers to support small businesses during the holiday shopping season.
This year, shoppers dealt with snowfall that started late Friday night, Nov. 28, and continued through Saturday. While customers continued shopping through the morning, more came out earlier in the day. Most of the stores offering deals and specials were along New Prague’s Main Street.
Organizers of the annual Thanksgiving dinner at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague estimated they provided more than 200 meals to individuals and families. About 100 meals were served at the church and just as many or more were meals to go or delivered to someone.
Donna Galvin, who organizes the meals, said volunteers started to prepare the meal Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
“I know SNAP has been the highlight of discussion for many, many weeks” Le Sueur County Director of Human Services Jamie Hayes said at the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners regular meeting on Nov. 18.
Hayes was before the board for the payment authorization of an elevator project, but had time left in her segment to talk about the ongoing federal issues with the SNAP program.
Some people feign grateful for all they have to be thankful for this time of year. Bill Beranek needs no reminder he has plenty to be grateful for when he gathers with friends and family at Thanksgiving.
Last December, Beranek, a New Prague resident, heard the words nobody wants to hear. He had cancer, an aggressive type of cancer in his prostate. While some prostate cancer patients are told doctors plan to hold off on treatment and observe the cancer for change or growth, Beranek’s doctor told him the cancer was so aggressive that doing nothing was not an option, he said.
The New Prague Area Historical Society (NPAHS) hosted an event, “The History of Medicine,” Wednesday evening, Nov. 19, featuring Dr. Michael Wilcox, MD, as the presenter.
The historical society judged the event a success as a capacity crowd filled the Werner Giesen Bierstube room at Giesenbrau Bier Co. in New Prague.
Dr. Wilcox delivered a comprehensive presentation on 11 prominent physicians who practiced in New Prague between 1875 and 1975.
