On Tuesday, Nov. 10, parents in the New Prague Area Schools received an email announcing that, “Effective Tuesday, November 17, New Prague High School students will be moved into a distance learning model.” This is after a review of the most recent case rate data for COVID-19 and the anticipated case rate projects and for the health of the school community.
The email also stated:

As hospitals express concern about capacity to treat Minnesotans with COVID-19, Governor Tim Walz today announced new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus in Minnesota. Beginning on Friday, the restrictions will apply to social gatherings, celebrations and receptions, and bars and restaurants, which are three of the most significant sources of COVID-19 outbreaks across the state.
Walz also today announced $10 million in funding to support small businesses affected by the pandemic.
 

Rice County Public Health will be offering a flu vaccination clinic on Tuesday, November 17th from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Lonsdale American Legion, 115 2nd Avenue NW, Lonsdale for anyone 6 months and older.
Please wear face coverings and short-sleeved shirts for ease of vaccine administration. No appointments necessary -- physical distancing will be maintained.   

Milton J. “Milt” Vosejpka, age 89 of Faribault, MN passed away on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at The Emeralds at Faribault following an extended illness.
Milton Joseph, the son of Frank and Rose (Barta) Vosejpka was born on May 2, 1931 in Lonsdale, MN.  He attended Northfield High School and graduated with the class of 1949.  On August 4, 1953 he was united in marriage to Beverly Ann Shields at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Faribault.  After his marriage Milt served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1955.

A deer broke into a kindergarten classroom at St. Wenceslaus School in New Prague the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 5. It was a teachers conference day so no students or teachers were in the room when the deer broke through the window. High School students were raking leaves outside the building when they saw three deer come down an alley, one of the deer came toward the students and then broke through the window to the room. The deer was locked in the room until a New Prague Police Officer could lead it out of the building where it ran free.

I moved to New Prague in 1999, right before school started that year. There were many things I learned in that year and still continue to participate in. Among them are the Fall Section, the Fall New Prague Times Sports Section and the Dozinky Harvest Festival preview.

The Elko New Market Cub Scouts and Boy Scout Troop 325 Fall Activity Event on Tuesday, Oct. 27, provided several things to keep children and their parents occupied on a chilly evening at Wagner Park.
To see more on this story, pick up the November 5, 2020 print edition of The New Prague Times.

A couple of school records were broken by the New Prague swimming and diving team during the Oct. 22 and 23 Section 2AA Championship Meet.
Freshman Payten Schieffer was involved in both school records.
Schieffer broke her own 100-yard butterfly record with a time of 59.71. She finished eighth overall in this event.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Schieffer, junior Lydia Popple, freshman Ella Lund, and seventh grader Taylor Bassett placed seventh in a time of 1:46.35, which set a new school record.

Iris Sullivan, 86, of Le Center, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at The Lodge in Elko New Market. Visitation will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10 to 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Catholic Church in St. Thomas with Mass of Christian Burial following at 11 a.m. Father Chris Shofner will be officiating. Interment will be held in St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery.

Lowell John Lamping, age 84, of Webster, MN passed away in his home on October 28, 2020.
A drive-through visitation will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2020 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM and again on Friday, November 6, 2020 from 10:00 - 11:00 AM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation (4565 Pleasant St. SE) in Prior Lake. Please wear a face mask and remain in your vehicle to greet Lowell's family.  (Drive-Through Visitation Map)

The west end of New Prague’s Main Street was reopened the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 4, as the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), in consultation with City Engineer Chris Cavett of the firm Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) Inc., decided the street could have traffic on it. The reopening of Main Street, which is also a state highway, is after reconstruction work was done this summer. It is also about a full day ahead of the estimated reopening of Main Street, which placed it at Thursday, Nov. 5, at the earliest. For more see a print issue of The New Prague Times.

Update
According to the Minnesota Secretary of State the City of New Prague early returns in the race for mayor and city council are as follows. For mayor, Duane J. “Dewey” Jirik had 2,425 votes, Maggie Bass had 1,436 votes and Rik Seiler had 307 votes.
For the city council's two seats incumbents Bruce Wolf had 2,466 votes and Shawn Ryan had 2,308 votes while challenger Brian Molitor had 1,609 votes.

Beatrice M. Hogan, age 98, of New Prague, formerly of St. Paul, died peacefully with her nephew present on Monday, November 2, 2020 at Mala Strana Rehabilitation Center and Assisted Living.  Bea was born on June 21, 1922 in Duluth, MN to John Thomas and Beulah (Burnett) Hogan.  The family moved to New Rockford, ND in 1922, where Bea graduated from New Rockford High School.  She moved to St.

It was already a busy morning at the polls in New Prague around 8 a.m. as a steady stream of voters were filing through the New Prague Fitness & Aquatic Center, 410 Central Ave. N, the location for this year’s general election. Besides voting for the country’s president, voters were also casting ballots for the US Senate, House, state legislators, plus New Prague’s mayor, city council and the school board. Polls will be open until 8 p.m. While final results of the election will not be available as of press time, people can check The New Prague Times’ website and its November 12 issue.

Leonard E. Beatty, Jr passed away at his home in Montgomery, MN on October 26, 2020, at the age of 82. He was born in St. Paul, MN on December 1, 1937, to Leonard Sr. & Bessie (Fitch) Beatty. 
Leonard was a graduate of St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Roseville, MN and of Cretin Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, MN
In February 1957, he married Kathryn Schwarzbauer at Sacred Heart Church in Wahkon, MN, and together they had six children. 

Emily Christine Burton
Emily passed away on October 27, 2020 at the age of 26.
She leaves behind her parents Curtis and Yvette, her sisters Jessica Peck (Ty), Sarah, and Allison, her grandparents, her nieces and nephew, many aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends.