On June 15, 2020, at approximately 7:20 a.m., Scott County Dispatch received a report of a possible missing boater on Prior Lake.
The missing individual was reported to have not returned home last night from fishing and boating.  Law enforcement responded to the Knotty Oar Marina and located the missing individual’s unoccupied pontoon and cell phone on their boat slip, along with some personal belongings floating nearby in the water. 

Sylvia (Sally Simon,) Rezac, 91, of Owatonna, died June 12th, 2020.
Sylvia was born in New Prague, MN to Bohumil and Ludmilla (Kalina) Simon. She was the 6th of 9 children. Sylvia grew up speaking Czech and later learned English and Latin in Catholic school.
Every summer on the farm as a young child, it gave her great joy caring for her flocks of ducklings and goslings. Due to chronic respiratory problems, Sylvia spent most winter days staying with her Grandma Kalina in Veseli, attending Most Holy Trinity Catholic school.

On June 13, 2020 at 3:04 a.m., Scott County 911 Dispatch received a call of a residential garage on fire on the 25xxx block of Willow Lane in Helena Township.  
Police and fire were dispatched and upon arrival, witnessed the detached garage of a single-family residence fully engulfed in flames.  The fire had also spread to the home, a small shed, the nearby wooded areas, and several vehicles had caught fire.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire; however, damage to the buildings and vehicles was substantial.

A 59-year-old New Prague man was found dead on Lake Vermilion in St. Louis County on Thursday, June 11.
According to a news release from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, around 11:27 a.m. on June 11 St. Louis County Sheriff’s deputies along with the St. Louis County Rescue Squad, Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade, and Cook Ambulance responded to a water emergency on Lake Vermilion near the area of Norwegian Bay, which is located approximately 10 miles northeast of the town of Cook.

Main Street CLOSURE and DETOUR has been POSTPONED one more week to Monday, June 22nd, at which time the project detour is expected to go into effect.
While the need for the detour for Highway 19 project in New Prague is delayed again until Monday, June 22, motorists should be advised that some work in the areas of the shoulders and parking lanes will begin.  Officials ask that motorists watch out for workers, equipment and traffic control devices.

John Dean Knudtson, age 21 of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away unexpectedly, Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at his home in New Prague, Minnesota. John was born December 4, 1998, in Brainerd, Minnesota, to Joseph and Wendy (Miller) Knudtson. He enjoyed skateboarding, hanging out with friends, playing Magic card games, and video games, especially Call of Duty and Black Ops. John was an avid weapons expert and enjoyed being outdoors. He loved his Jeep, the movie Deadpool, art, and was a very talented drawer. John was very independent and proud; he would rarely ask for help.

Full road closure at CH 2 and CH 91 intersection so crews can construct roundabout. Closure will last for approximately 10 weeks, weather permitting. Detour map shows both north/south and east/west options.
More information can be found here: www.scottcountymn.gov/1943

Emily (Korbel) Teberg entered the U.S. Army in August, 2002. She earned her wings as a Parachute Rigger, and her father, Gary Korbel of Montgomery, pinned them on her. Teberg was attached to the 82nd Airborne Unit and was stationed in Georgia and Virginia.
A traumatic experience made Teberg leave service in May 2003. When she returned to civilian life, troubles didn’t stop, and she turned to drugs.
Her life was spiraling downward until Jim Golgart, Le Sueur County Veterans Service Officer, stepped in to help.

The New Prague City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a zip line for Memorial Park. The action was taken at the council’s Monday, June 1, meeting.
City Planning Director Ken Ondich explained that the city’s Park Board voted unanimously on May 12 to recommend the purchase. The zip line would be 125 feet long by 25 feet wide and only a couple feet off the ground. It would be set up in the area west of the playground in Memorial Park. Lonsdale has a similar one in a park.

Toby Thietje has been offered and accepted the position as the Varsity Girls Head Tennis Coach (pending board approval).

Tucked at the end of a dirt road alongside rolling hills and nestled next to Circle Lake in Rice County lays a homestead begun in 1920 by the Trnka family.
For 100 years, five generations of the Josep Trnka family have called it home.
“It’s nice to see the farm sticking in the family,” said Joseph B. Trnka, who goes by Joe. “It’s not so common anymore. With the price of land and the cost of farming, it’s nice to be in my situation. I hope to pass it down to my kids some day.”

Even though technically summer doesn’t officially start until June 20, nothing says its summer than temperatures in the high 80s or low 90s with lots of humidity.

We are excited to announce the Fitness & Aquatic Center will reopen on Monday, June 15 at 5am! The cardio, weight and TRX rooms along with lap swim and water walking will be available to members via an online reservation system.
Group fitness classes & open gym will begin on June 22!

Main Street was to be CLOSED and DETOURED this coming Monday, HOWEVER the closure and detour has been POSTPONED to at least Monday, June 15th, at which time the project detour will go into effect (see attached and map on project website).

Crews from Lakers New Prague Sanitary, Inc. were busy the morning of Saturday, June 6, unloading vehicles that brought debris to be disposed of during the City Wide Clean-up. Held from 6:30 a.m. to noon New Prague residents were driving up to 302 Second St. NW with vehicles filled with articles to be dropped off. This was the first year where curbside pick up was not being done, unless cleared with Lakers New Prague Sanitary, Inc. beforehand. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Forest Dale Lehman, 90, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 4,2020. He was a long time resident of New Prague, MN. He was born June 13, 1929 in Tigerton, WI to Paul & Mary (Prahl) Lehman. He entered the US Air Force after graduating from high school and served for 6 years.  During the time he was stationed in Japan, he met the love of his life, Kura and they married March 18, 1952 in Tokyo, Japan. They eventually ended up living in New Prague on a farm. Forest worked at Roberts Automatic Products as a machinist for 29 years.