Voters in the New Prague area, along with the rest of Minnesota and the United States, head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6. They will decide who will represent them at various levels of government ranging from local to national offices.
At stake is control of the US Senate and Congress, Minnesota Constitutional offices, including Governor and control of the Minnesota House of Representatives, along with many county, city, school district and township offices.

Since first starting as editor of the Le Sueur New Prague Times News-Herald in 1988, I have covered close to 30 elections. Some of these were major elections and others included just local races. The way elections are covered has changed a great deal during that time, but some things have remained unchanged.

“The turnout has just been overwhelming, it’s amazing,” said JeNean Erickson about Hops for Hope, a benefit for the Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota Chapter of the ALS Association. Held on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Giesenbrau Bier Co. in New Prague, the benefit had more than 500 people attend and more than $20,000 was raised.

From a broken sanitary sewer service line to brand new sidewalks that are cracked, the city councilors of Lonsdale are not pleased with work completed by contractors this year.
“It’s not acceptable,” Lonsdale Mayor Tim Rud said of the emergency repair work needed on the sewer line. “We should not let this slide.”
Rud is referencing the work completed by Quam Construction in July on a section of sewer line on Fourth Avenue Northeast that caused a home to be uninhabitable and required emergency repairs.

The New Prague Trojan Swim and Dive team hosted the Wright County Conference championships on Saturday, Oct. 27. Nine teams competed, with the Trojans placing seventh.
Hutchinson won the meet with 555 points. It was their 11th straight conference title, dating back to its days in the Missota Conference. Delano was second at 465, followed by Mound Westonka (368), Waconia (272), Orono (260), Dassel-Cokato (236), New Prague (119.5), Litchfield (33.5) and Watertown- Mayer (16).

The New Prague Trojan boys cross country team competed at the Section 2AA meet Thursday, Oct. 25, at Gale Woods Farm Park in Minnetrista, with the team placing 12th of 16 teams.
Jacob Malecha was the top Trojan runner. He had a PR with a fast second half, placing 23rd in 17 minutes, 3 seconds. Adam Brandt was next for the Trojans, placing 53rd in 17:34, followed by Noah Weichert (61st, 17:48), Carson Davis (74th, 17:58), Jacob Helvick (94th, 18:27), Josh Anderson (101st, 18:38) and Trevor Prelesnik (110th, 19:326).

The New Prague Composite Mountain Bike team had a successful 2018 season. This year the Minnesota High School Cycling League has grown to more than 1,700 racers, from more than 60 teams, from all over the state. All of these teams met this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, for the State Bike Championships at Mt. Kato in Mankato.
New Prague Composite had 18 racers from seventh to 12th grade who practiced and competed in a series of five races since the beginning of July. As the season concludes head coach Jon Rosemeier stated how proud he is of all the racers.

After months of campaigning and weeks of annoying negative advertising, election day arrives on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Since last spring, we’ve seen candidates tell us why we should vote for them, and even more commercials and print ads telling us why voting for their opponent is a bad thing. The barrage of negative messages can’t end soon enough.

Delphine Marie Odette, age 87, of Farmington Minnesota, passed away Sunday October 28, 2018.

The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds were well represented during the Harvest Parade at Raven Stream Elementary School in New Prague on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Most of the school’s 692 students participated in the annual event where students can show off their costumes to visiting family and friends. There were also dinosaurs, fairies, police officers, football and hockey players, monsters, superheroes and villains, pirates, Hogwarts students and Disney characters. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

The New Prague Trojan volleyball team came out flat in the first two sets and lost in three sets to Shakopee, 25-13, 25-14, 27-25 in the Section 2AAA semifinals Tuesday, Oct. 30, in  Shakopee. 
Shakopee’s blocking and defense helped them build a 10-2 lead in the first set, and New Prague was never able to close the gap. The second set also started slow for the Trojans, as the Sabers took an 15-4 lead before the Trojans started a comeback that fell far short. 

Josephine M. Deutsch, age 95 of Jordan, passed away on October 27, 2018. A visitation will be held on November 1, 2018 from 4-7PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Jordan. Mass of Christian Burial will be on November 2, 2018 at 11AM with a visitation 1-hour prior at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Jordan. Josephine will be laid to rest at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Jordan. Her grandsons will act as pallbearers.

New Prague’s Sophia Andersen notched 20 of her team’s 37 kills Friday, Oct. 26, as the Trojans defeated Chanhassen in three sets in the quarterfinals of the Section 2AAA volleyball tournament. The match was played on the Trojans’ home court. 

Andersen and teammate Amanda Giesen each had three blocks and McKenna Vacek had 16 digs and 23 serve receptions in the win. 

Chanhassen took an early lead in each of the three sets, with the lead changing hands several times. The Trojans closed strong in each set and won, 26-24, 25-22, 25-19. 

Margaret Cecelia Neubauer, age 96 of Jordan, entered eternal life on Thursday, October 25, 2018. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 11AM with a visitation 2-hours prior, all at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Jordan. Margaret will be laid to rest at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Her grandchildren will act as pallbearers and Father Neil Bakker will preside.
On September 1, 1922, Margaret was born to parents, Joseph and Anna (Hennes) Von Bank in Helena Township.

Bishop Peter Esterka, seated, met with many people after the Sunday, Oct. 28, Czech Mass at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in New Prague. The 1 p.m. service was part of the 100th celebration of the creation of Czechoslovakia. Bishop Esterka was born in Czechoslovakia and escaped from the country when it was under communist rule. For more on the century celebration see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times and Montgomery Messenger. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Amara Prochaska of New Prague (left), and Adina Vrzal of Montgomery, decorate their perniky (gingerbread cookies) at the Children’s Culture Camp. The special event is part of the Czech 100 Celebration in Montgomery, New Prague, Veseli and Lonsdale Saturday and Sunday. The all-day camp featured Czech language, singing, culture and baking classes. To see the complete coverage of the Czech 100 Celebration, pick up the November 1 printed edition. (Wade Young Photo)

*/