Due to high temperatures, extremely dry conditions and increased winds, the DNR and Rice County Sheriff’s Office instituted no open burning in Rice County on Thursday, June 17, 2021, starting at 5 p.m. until further notice.
The ban comes from Troy Dunn, Rice County Sheriff, and Jim Edgar, MN DNR Fire Program Forester.
The MN DNR has also put a burning ban on for Le Sueur County effective immediately. According to Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason, burning can resume tomorrow, Saturday, June 19.

This Sunday, June 20, is Father’s Day, when dads across the country and the world will celebrate with their families. For some it’s a big get together with their children and grandchildren in a park or at their houses, others will have small gatherings with an aged parent.
Over the years with some of the friends I’ve made I found out how sometimes a father isn’t part of their children’s lives.

Kathy Kramer has lived south of Lonsdale for more than 40 years, and she’s never eaten a Czech dumpling.
“Nope, never had one. I’m Swedish and German, and I’ve never had those dumplings either,” she said with a laugh.
Along with more than 30 other people from around the area, Kramer’s hands were deep in dumpling dough when the Czech Heritage Club hosted a free potato dumpling-making demonstration on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at Revival on Main in Montgomery.

Margaret A. “Maggie” Knight, age 92, of New Prague, died peacefully with her family at her side on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.  Maggie was born on January 2, 1929 in Walhalla, North Dakota, to Felix Arthur and Stella (Halloran) Gastonguay.  She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Fargo and attended Minneapolis School of Business and attained a degree in Interior Design.  She married Kenneth Knight, Jr. on January 24, 1949 at the Basilica of St.

On June 11, 2021 at 5:07 p.m., Scott County 911 Dispatch received a call of a pole shed on fire on the 26xxx block of Baseline Avenue in Cedar Lake Township.
Police and fire were dispatched and upon arrival, witnessed a pole shed fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire; however, damage to the building and the vehicles and farm equipment contained inside was substantial.
There were no people or animals inside the building at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries to the owners of the building or first responders.

Judith M. “Judie” Cervenka, age 77, of New Prague, died Thursday June 10, 2021 at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, MN surrounded by family.
Judie was born on November 28, 1943 in New Prague to Emil F. and Mary N. (Novak) Bisek.  Judie graduated from St. Wenceslaus School and New Prague High School,
Judie married Daniel T. Cervenka on Sept. 9, 1961 at St. Wenceslaus Church in New Prague.  The couple settled to raise their family at St. Patrick on the Cervenka farm.

Union Hill and St. Patrick are riding impressive win streaks as they start to make their way to the top of the DRS Amateur Baseball standings.
Union Hill has won six straight games and it 1/2 game behind Faribault with a 6-1 record. St. Patrick has won three straight games and improves to 6-3 overall, 1 1/2 games back of the Lakers.
Both Union Hill and St. Patrick were helped out when St. Benedict upset Faribault, 4-3 Friday, June 4.
Prior Lake holds down the third spot in the league with a 7-2 record.

John Pohland has been hired as New Prague High School’s new band director, pending approval by the New Prague School Board.

With a break in the season between the conference and section meets, New Prague hosted a Last Chance Meet which was held Thursday, June 3.
The meet allows athletes to stay in shape and work on their talents before Friday’s Section Meet.
The boys and girls teams both finished in second place in this six team meet. Mankato West won both the boys and girls team titles.
Top performances for the New Prague girls were turned in by:

Montgomery Music in the Park tonight has been MOVED to the Montgomery American Legion Post at 7 p.m. due to the heat advisory!
Tonight's music will be by the Mary Guentzel Quintet. This group performs the great standards from the 30s and 40s, along with select favorites from more recent decades.
Organizers hope everyone can join them inside for some great music!

A Montgomery man faces felony charges after he and a female victim were found naked in Sand Creek in Jordan following a car crash into the creek on Wednesday, June 2.
According to a summary of the incident provided by the Jordan Police Department, Jared Scott Herman, 38, of Montgomery was arrested at the scene and is in Scott County Jail facing two felony charges—second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and felony terroristic threats.

We are definitely in one of the first heat waves of the summer with the weather forecasted to be in the 90s and the upper 80s for the rest of the week. It brings up the old question, which affects things more the heat or the humidity?

New Prague Area Schools (NPAS) Early Learning received a $20,000 grant earlier this year from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), which will be used for several early learning initiatives. SMIF announced on April 27 that Early Learning will receive the grant.

At its Monday, June 7, meeting the New Prague City Council selected its four finalists for the position of City Administrator. The four individuals who will participate in the interview process are Brent Hinson, Dan Madsen, Joshua Tetzlaff and Jason Tobin. The interview process will take place on Tuesday, June 29. One will be chosen to replace current City Administrator Mike Johnson, who is retiring in August. For more see the Thursday, June 10, print issue of The New Prague Times.

William Finley Krouse, 77, of New Prague, MN, passed away suddenly on June 6, 2021.

Officers with the New Prague Police Department on Saturday night, June 5, arrested an adult male, who has been charged with second degree assault, domestic assault and making terroristic threats, which included apparently brandishing a gun. According to an early report with the department the man, unidentified at this time, apparently entered City Club Bar, escorted a woman out and proceeded to make threats of violence and took a gun out of a holster he had and waved the gun around. The man had been consuming alcohol earlier.