Nicole Thietje, New Prague High School’s choral director, was recently named the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s High School Music Educator of the Year. Thietje will receive the award during the opening day, Thursday, Feb. 15, of the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s convention. She was also chosen by the Minnesota Music Educators Association to conduct the SopranoAlto Choir for this year's all-state program.

New Prague’s swimmers have reason to enjoy growing confidence as the schedule turns the final leg of the regular season.
The Trojans earned their first-ever dual meet win over Benilde-St. Margaret’s Thursday, Jan. 25. With two meets left before a 20-day layoff before the section meet Feb. 21-22 in Lakeville, coach Dakota Becerra said the team’s hard work and talent are coming together to pay dividends.

Judge hears testimony on plan; PUC will decide route this spring
Great River Energy’s proposed reroute of an electric power line has residents along Baseline Avenue and Highway 19 angry and frustrated the company selected a route they claim will negatively impact their homes and businesses.

With two regular-season games left to play before the section playoffs commence, the New Prague High School girls’ ice hockey team is working to build as much momentum and confidence as possible before the section playoffs open.
At 3-18-2 overall, the Trojans expect to play a top-seeded team in the section playoffs. Their aim is to enter the section playoffs playing at the top of their game regardless of their opponent.

New Prague High School’s one-act play troupe won the subsection championship for the fifth straight year Saturday, Jan. 27, during competition in the high school’s auditorium. New Prague won with the comedy “Middle School Dating Game” by Jennifer McVetty.
Director Allie Meyer said New Prague moves on to compete at the Section 2AA finals at Minnetonka Saturday, Feb. 3. If the New Prague troupe wins Feb. 3, it advances to the state competition Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8 and 9, at O’Shoughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.

A two-vehicle crash called into Le Sueur County Sheriff’s dispatch at 5:59 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, at the intersection of Le Sueur County Roads 3 and 28 ends in minor injuries.
According to the incident report from the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office, a white 2014 Chevy Silverado traveling westbound on County 28, driven by 20-year-old Addison Hartshorn of New Prague, was struck on the passenger side by a red 2017 Ford Escape, driven by 20-year-old Maxim Lee of New Prague.

Shelby (Giesen) Hartman was disappointed when she heard Mayo Health System New Prague had decided to stop providing labor and delivery services for the community. To her, it’s sad the community hospital will no longer be a place where local moms and dads can go to deliver their newborns.

One of social media’s beautiful features is that it quickly reminds you of whatyou were doing a year ago.
My posts from last January feature disgruntled sel-fies of me standing in mydriveway with salt and a pitiful electric snowblower that I thought would be enough. It was not.
By the end of last winter, there was a solid two feet of snow in my yard. The ice walls that formed from shoveling my driveway were so formative, that I began reading George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series to seek a suitable comparison
in literature.

New Prague High School’s wrestlers split a triangular in Jordan, Friday, Jan. 26. The Trojans beat Glencoe-Silver Lake, 58-9, and then lost to Scott West, 40-14.
On Saturday, Jan. 27, New Prague was on the road for a 16-team individual tournament in Orono. The Trojans tied for third in the competitive tourney.
Triangular

Monday was a hard night on the hardwood for the New Prague Trojans.
On a night where Katie Boulanger was honored for eclipsing 1,000 points in scoring, Chanhassen topped NP, 77-52.
New Prague Trojans will host Bloomington Jefferson Thursday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m.
The NPHS boys fell to the Storm, 63-62, Monday in Chanhassen.
The New Prague Trojans will be at Bloomington Jefferson Thursday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m.

Marion E. Hadac, age 95, of New Prague, died peacefully, with her family at her side on Monday, January 29, 2024, at Mala Strana Health and Rehabilitation Center. Marion was born on November 26, 1928, in Webster Township, to Robert and Helen (Hruska) Havlicek. She attended New Prague Schools and married George R. Hadac on October 14, 1947, in New Prague.

At the young age of 60, our beloved Clarida "Lida" Carlos Pascual peacefully entered God’s kingdom on January 15, 2023, in Rochester, Minnesota, after valiantly battling numerous health issues.  She was a warrior throughout life and fought until the very end. She will be dearly missed and always remembered.

William Floyd “Bill” Hix, age 90, of Montgomery, passed away on Sunday, January 28, 2024, at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee. Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with Memorial Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. all at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery.  Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Le Sueur. Military Honors will be provided by the Montgomery area Military Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to your favorite Veterans organization.

Robert “Bob” Maurice Neisen of Webster, MN, passed away on January 26, 2024, in the loving care of his family at the age of 74. Bob was born on April 12, 1949, in New Prague to father Bert Neisen and mother Betty (Savage) Neisen, who predeceased him. Bob grew up in a large, loving family with 8 brothers and 4 sisters. He attended school in Belle Plaine, and after high school, enlisted in the United States Navy, where he proudly served his country on the USS New Jersey until his Honorable Discharge.

Losses are by definition tough. When a team suffers a setback it expected to win, had reason to believe it would win and had victory within its grasp, those setbacks can be an especially bitter pill.
New Prague High School’s girls’ basketball team suffered a pair of tough losses this past week, setbacks coach Eric Specht hopes his players will use as both an educational tool and motivation as the Trojans continue their schedule of games against conference opponents.

When discussing the upcoming budget cutting the New Prague School Board will begin in the weeks to come, some might feel Matt Goldade ought not have noted the plainly obvious – the more costly the contract with the district’s unionized teachers, the larger the amount the district will have to cut.