A young woman has died in a house explosion, Saturday, Feb. 26, according to Le Sueur Count Sheriff, Brett Mason.
While the woman’s identity has not been officially released, Facebook posts have indicated it was Kailey Mach.

In a statement to New Prague Area Schools staff and families, Superintendent Tim Dittberner addressed recent allegations of racial taunts. Due to the allegations the school districts of St. Louis Park and Robbinsdale announced they would not compete with New Prague.

Area residents who have concerns, questions or ideas about how to improve Highway 19 the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) wants to hear from you. MnDOT will be having a virtual open house from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2.

The Minnesota State High School League and other organizations are launching an initiative in light of recent events. In a statement released today:

Tri-City United High School crowned its FFA/Snow Week King and Queen on Wednesday afternoon. Students voted Savannah Squires to be Queen and Fakourou Tandia to be King. See more in the March 3 print edition. (Wade Young Photo)

St. Louis Park High School announced this week that it will no longer compete this season against New Prague High School after an alleged racial incident at a Tuesday, Feb. 15, boys hockey game.
St. Louis Park Athletic Director Andrew Ewald sent a letter to New Prague AD Brad Skogerboe on Monday, Feb. 21, saying he's made the decision that the school "will not compete directly with New Prague High School as a result of the racist experience our boys hockey program was subject to.”

Tri-City United Schools kicked off FFA/Snow Week Friday with the announcement of its winter royalty.
The candidates were announced at a Pep Fest on Friday. Making up this year’s snow court are Queen candidates Haley Wasiloski, Mackenzie Holmbo, Sydney Whiteis, Liz Beth Mendez, and Savannah Squires. King candidates are Alex Matchinski, Brody Lerfald, Fakourou Tandia, Owen Block, and Logan Blaschko.

A Union Pacific train derailed at Oak Avenue SE at approximately 2 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 12. The incident blocked the intersection for more than two hours.
The train’s two locomotives were pulling three cars southbound on the tracks when the derailment occurred. According to Mike Jaixen, Sr. Manager of Communications for Union Pacific, the conductor immediately knew something was wrong at the intersection.
“The crew recognized the way the locomotive was operating, something was not quite right,” he said.

Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn. of Blue Earth, died Thursday night at age 59 of kidney cancer, his wife said in a Facebook post.
Hagedorn represented the Minnesota’s First Congressional District, that includes 21 counties from South Dakota to Wisconsin, along the Iowa border. The district covers much of the southern third of the state and includes Rochester, Austin and Mankato.

Second-grader Graham Velishek likes assembling puzzles. Once he put together a three-dimensional version of the Eiffel Tower.
“It was up to my neck, at least!” Velishek stated.
The son of Laura and Andy Velishek used his puzzling skills with partner fourth grader Hayden Akerlund to win the Most Holy Redeemer School (MHRS) Buddy Puzzle Competition on Thursday, Feb. 3. The duo completed their 500-piece puzzle of an adult giraffe kissing a baby giraffe’s head in 13 minutes and 18 seconds.
“I like doing puzzles. They’re fun and easy to do,” Graham said.

Informational meeting to be February 13
The Miss Czech Slovak MN Program is seeking participants for its pageant in April and younger girls for its Junior Ambassador Program. An informational meeting for both groups will be held on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, at 1 p.m. at Montgomery Oil Company and David's Diner, 200 Fourth Street NW.
Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant

The annual Lonsdale Area Chamber of Commerce dinner returned to its in-person format on Tuesday, Jan. 25 after last year’s drive-in style due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The year’s dinner took place at Ettlin’s Ranchero Supper Club in Webster where several dozen chamber members gathered together to enjoy a meal, share many laughs, and hear about the successes in 2021 and what is in store for the Chamber in 2022.

Press release from the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office.
Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason reports that on Tuesday, February 8th, Agents, with the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force, assisted by the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit and the Waterville Police Department arrested Nathan William Quast, age 37 and Emily Ann Wagner, age 33 of Waterville after an investigation in their involvement in control substance and possessing stolen property.

The New Prague Hy-Vee and its gas station are among six Minnesota properties that have been sold in leaseback deals that total more than $88 million. The combined grocery store and liquor store and gas station, all along 10th Avenue SE in New Prague, will still be operated by Hy-Vee Inc.

Tri-City United and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown school boards faced off for the trophy that is a new superintendent when both districts chose the same candidate to lead their districts on Monday.
Both boards selected Kevin Babcock, a high school principal from Medford, as their top pick after a second round of interviews on Monday.

The Wells Fargo bank in New Prague is temporarily closed due to COVID related staffing constraints according to Staci Schiller spokesperson for Wells Fargo. The closure affects both the lobby and the drive up for the bank along Main Street. Schiller explained the ATM is still available for use and people can use online banking or a mobile app. If people need to they can also find branches in Prior Lake, Shakopee, Lakeville and Savage. Staff at the New Prague branch of the bank potentially hope to have the business open by next week.