Francis (Fritz) Barta, 91, died on April 20th, 2020 at Central Health Care in Le Center, Minnesota, his family at his side.
He was born on September 27th, 1928 to Frank and Mary Barta (Malecha) on their family farm East of Lonsdale, MN; attending and graduating from school there as well.

Everyone got bags of goodies, candy, and a wave from the Easter Bunny in the drive-thru of CornerStone State Bank on Saturday morning. The annual Easter Egg Hunt, which the bank and American Legion Club Pos 79 sponsor with many other sponors, was moved due to the coronavirus pandemic and stay at home orders. To make sure the kids and adults received toys, candy, and lunch to make at home, the bank and volunteers adjusted the hunt to be a drive-thru. After collecting the goodies behind the bank, the Easter Bunny was on hand to give waves and good wishes to everyone.

Rice County is asking for donations from residents and businesses of homemade face masks and other Personal Protection Equipment, as there is a very high need and an even greater shortage of these items.  Donations received will be distributed to all First Responder agencies throughout Rice County including Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, and Ambulance services.

The coronavirus pandemic emptied area churches for Easter this year. For many Christians, this religious holiday is dramatically different: a home-bound, shelter-in-place holy day. No Easter parades, no egg hunts at church, no church at all.
However, the parishioners of the Church of St. Patrick, Shieldsville were able to attend a live Easter service on Sunday - in their cars.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for areas along and south of a line from Springfield through New Ulm to Cottage Grove in Minnesota, continuing to New Richmond and Rice Lake in Wisconsin. Alert area: Blue Earth; Dakota; Faribault; Freeborn; Goodhue; Le Sueur; Martin; Rice; Scott; Steele; Waseca; Washington; Watonwan.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for a small swath of
counties just to the north of that line, including the Twin Cities metro area.

Mayo Clinic staff are doing extraordinary work, leading in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud of, and committed to, our staff and our communities as they come together to fight this global health crisis. Mayo Clinic is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of these circumstances, including a financial impact that requires significant adjustments to our operations.

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. Numbers are cumulative since Jan. 20, 2020. All data are preliminary and may change as cases are investigated.
Not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this data is not representative of the total number of people in Minnesota who have or had COVID-19.
Updated April 10, 2020
Updated daily at 11 a.m., with data current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.
Dates provided are those when the case, hospitalization, or death was first posted in this situation report.

William “Bill” Schultz, age 89, of Montgomery (formerly of Belle Plaine, Aitkin, and Eagan) passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 5, 2020.
Bill was born April 17, 1930, in Milwaukee, WI to Edward and Edna Schultz. After High School he proudly served in the US Army during the Korean War. Bill married Marlene Wiesner on December 4, 1954.

The Minnesota River Conference (MRC) voted on March 30, 2020, to accept Lester Prairie/Winsted Holy Trinity into the conference beginning with the 2021-22 school year.
The new school replaces Jordan that leaves the MRC after this year. According to Dan Gardner, MRC Executive Director, Lester Prairie/Winsted Holy Trinity approached the conference about joining last fall.
“It’s been discussed since and the final vote was yesterday (via a Zoom meeting),” Gardner said. “That will put us at eight teams for the 2021-22 school year.”

The start to the 2020 DRS Baseball League is currently on hold.
According to League President Mike Sticha, they are waiting for more information from the Minnesota Baseball Association before rescheduling.

Walleye angling on Mille Lacs Lake will be catch-and-release only for this year’s open water season, with the exception of the month of July, when walleye fishing will be closed.
Additionally, anglers will not be allowed to use live bait for any species in July, except sucker minnows greater than 8 inches in length for targeting northern pike and muskellunge.
The new walleye rule is among several regulations changes this year. Bass and northern pike also have new regulations.

The City of New Prague received an application for a commercial building permit for the former Shopko. The permit is valued at an estimated $1.3 million and the applicant is HyVee Construction. The building is expected to be converted into a HyVee Dollar Fresh grocery store. For more see an upcoming print issue of The Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Harriet Ann Novotny, 84 of Webster, MN passed away on Sunday April 5, 2020 at her home in Webster.
Harriet was born on November 30, 1935, and grew up on the family farm in Montgomery. The daughter of George and Anna (Pavek) Choudek, she graduated from Montgomery High School in 1953 and went to work at Munsingwear.
Harriet met Raymond Novotny, and they married on June 26, 1956. They started a family and rented a house in Webster for two years before purchasing their current home where she lived for 62 years.

In a 4 to 3 vote on Tuesday, April 7, Lonnie Seifert was selected by the Tri-City United School Board as the district's next superintendent.
Seifert was among three finalists for the position being vacated by retiring TCU Superintendent Teri Preisler at the end of June.
The finalists, who also included Lisa Edwards and Carmen Daniels-Strahan, completed a second round of interviews during the afternoon. The interviews included questions by the school board and other stakeholders, including staff and community members.

Patrick John Holtz, age 67 of Fort Atkinson, WI, passed away March 30, 2020 at Woodland Hill Memory Care in Hudson, WI. Pat was born August 22, 1952 in New Prague, MN, to parents John and Genevieve (Petricka) Holtz. He graduated from Montgomery High School in 1970 and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Pat was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1972 and was honorably discharged in 1978. He was united in marriage to Kay Liebhard on May 6, 1972 in Le Center, MN. The couple was blessed with three children and made their home in Fort Atkinson, WI.