New Prague High School’s one act play, “The Party Hop,” will have a virtual public performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, via YouTube, the link is https://bit.ly/trojan-theatre.
Director Ben Thietje said “The Party Hop” is by Natalie Margolin and is a play that was written to be performed in quarantine. The story follows...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times.

Scott County Sheriff Luke Hennen is pleased to announce that Bryce Johnson of Cedar Lake Township is the recipient of the Annual Minnesota Sheriff’s Association (MSA) Law Enforcement Scholarship.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office congratulates Johnson who will receive a $600 scholarship. Johnson will be applying the award to further his...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 14, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times.

The WINTER STORM WATCH has now been elevated to a WINTER STORM WARNING which will go into effect TODAY (Thursday) at NOON through FRIDAY evening at 6 p.m.
Key Points:
- Snow is expected today, with total snow accumulations of 6 to 9 inches possible.
- Winds may gust as high as 35 miles per hour.
- Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.
- If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The City of New Prague notified residents today of a power outage at 12:30 p.m. today.

Scott County Public Health will be continuing to hold testing for COVID-19 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Prague through the month of January. There will be two more testing dates at the KC Hall, 411 11th Ave. SW, next to the Dairy Queen in New Prague. The remaining two dates are Monday, Jan. 18, and Monday, Jan. 25, both will be held from 2-5 p.m. The testing is open to everyone age 2 or older, whether or not they have symptoms and are free with no insurance needed.

New Prague American Legion Post 45 will host a Blood Drive for Memorial Blood Centers from 12-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The Blood Drive will be held inside the Club Room at the American Legion, 300 Lexington Ave. S in New Prague. To sign up, go to www.mbc.org/searchdrives and enter sponsor code 4900 or call 1-888-448-3253 or contact Alicia at 612-283-7150. To save time, people can complete a health history questionnaire online on the day of their donation at mbc.org/donate.

Many who have read this opinion piece in the last year have seen that more often than not I’ve tried to keep it light and sometimes attempt to provide something for people to smile about. Some might wonder why with the state of our world. All the things that are going on, the COVID-19 pandemic, riots, people facing unemployment, homelessness, whether they can afford meals or if their medical bills will be overwhelming. With all that in the world why am I still trying to do something positive?

Aaron and Cassandra Landin’s daughter, Leah Lorraine Landin, is the First Baby of 2021 in New Prague. Leah was born at 6:33 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, at Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague, weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces and is 19 and-a-half inches long. The family, from left, is older brother Koa, Leah being held by Cassandra and Aaron. For the winners of The New Prague Times’ First Baby of 2021 Contest see the Thursday, Jan. 14, print issue of The Times. (Submitted Photo)

To close the digital gap for K-12 students in Scott County, Mediacom Communication’s Connect2Compete (C2C) program recently helped 31 student families gain low-cost, high-speed internet service. More student families can still be connected...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 7, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times.

While it’s still preliminary, the New Prague City Council had a proposed promotion at its Tuesday, Jan. 5, electronically held meeting. City Administrator Mike Johnson was scheduled to present Public Works Supervisor Matt Rynda of the City Streets Department for the position of Public Works Director.
Rynda will replace current Public Works Director Glen Sticha, who...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 7, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times.

For New Year’s Eve I spent part of the evening in a virtual get together where the focus was on stories. These could be stories from the last year or from past years. Some of the stories had to do with cooking, some were accomplishments, others were about a pie missing an ingredient or the unfortunate switching of salt for sugar. Other stories were about trips taken. The friend who was hosting the virtual party told about how she and a group of friends spent one year gathered in New York City at Times Square to welcome in the New Year.

New Mayor Duane Jirik took the oath of office the morning of Monday, Jan. 4, at New Prague City Hall. Jirik’s family has a history of serving the city on the New Prague City Council.
He explained that his grandfather, William Jirik, Sr., served as mayor from 1951 to 1957. Duane’s father, William Jirik, Jr., served for nine years on the...
To see more on this story, pick up the January 7, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times.

Snowfall on Tuesday, Dec. 29, provided some fresh powder at Sliding Hill Skate Park in New Prague. An estimated one to two inches of snow, at the least, fell on the New Prague area. The snowfall on the hill brought out several people to enjoy some winter fun.

The New Prague City Council reorganized for 2021 at its electronically held meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 5. For the new year the council appointed its City Attorney, which council members will serve on the city’s boards and commissions and heads of city departments. The council also approved resolutions appointing the city’s official depositories (banks and financial institutions), designated the official newspaper, appointed the city engineer, city financial advisor, city bond counsel and the New Prague Fire Department Chief and officers for the volunteer unit.

Recognizing Minnesotans’ sacrifice and commitment to their communities over the holiday season that helped change the COVID-19 pandemic’s trajectory and save lives, Governor Walz announced measures on Wednesday that loosen restrictions on important parts of daily life while urging Minnesotans to protect the progress we’ve made.

A fire in the early morning hours on Wednesday, Jan. 6, destroyed a home in Montgomery.
The fire happened at 201 Boulevard Ave NE. According to public records, it was owned by Mitchell Dappen. It had been the home of the late Stanley Busta.
The Montgomery Fire Department was called to the scene around 2 a.m. to find the house engulfed in flames. The New Prague Fire Department was also called for assistance.
No other information is available at this time.
The story is developing.