The Elko New Market City Council held a Tuesday, Dec. 20, meeting that was a continuation of its Thursday, Dec. 15, pubic hearing about Niagara Bottling’s proposed water bottling plant. While the council heard comments any decisions on the plant will not be made until mid-January as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is considering whether the project warrants an Environmental Assessment Worksheet.
For about two and-a-half hours the council heard comments from more than 30 people attending the meeting at city hall or online.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 - Early Release
Due to inclement weather, New Prague Area Schools will be releasing High School Students at 12:50pm, Middle School Students at 12:55pm, and Elementary and all day Preschool Students at 2:30pm today, Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
There will be no afternoon preschool and no afternoon or evening activities.
Full day preschool students enrolled in WRAP will be sent to WRAP for pick up ASAP. Kids Company will be closed. WRAP will be closing early (a second email will be sent to current users).

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM WEDNESDAY TO 3 AM CST THURSDAY... ...WINTER STORM WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT... ...WIND CHILL WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...
* WHAT...For the Winter Storm Warning, heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches. For the Winter Storm Watch, blizzard conditions possible. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. For the Wind Chill Watch, dangerously cold wind chills possible. Wind chills as low as 40 below zero.

The Elko New Market City Council agreed unanimously to continue a public hearing from the evening of Thursday, Dec. 15, to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20. The hearing was about a water bottling facility proposed by Niagara Bottling. The nearly five hour Dec. 15 meeting had presentations from Elko New Market city staff and Niagara Bottling about the facility and comments, at time passionate, from Elko New Market residents and New Market Township residents, the majority of whom are against the project.

Crash on Hwy 13/19 east of New Prague. Highway appears to be closed from east and west.
See more in a upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times.

Because of a technical glitch. The sports preview insert for this week's addition of The New Prague Times was not inserted. It will be in next week's (12/22) paper.

New Prague Area Schools Superintendent Tim Dittberner notified the district’s staff this morning, Thursday, Dec. 8, of his intention to retire effective June 30, 2023.
Dittberner will formally notify the school board in writing at its meeting Monday, Dec. 12. He will have completed 10 years as the district’s superintendent. Dittberner wrote to the staff he is not burned out. He is healthy and feels good, he wrote in his letter to staff.
“Ten years is a long time in this position. It is time for a change,” he wrote.

Nearly 40 people participated in the Fifth annual Santa Speedo Dash Saturday, Dec. 3, starting at Giesenbrau Bier Co. in New Prague. It was 7 degrees Fahrenheit making for a very brisk 1K run that was open to all ages with several people dressed in Christmas themed clothing. The run was to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher photo)

Highway 13/19 east of New Prague reopened around 3:40 p.m. after being closed for about an hour this afternoon while crews worked to bring a tractor upright after the driver of the vehicle pulling it lost control of the load on Highway 19.
An Elko man was westbound on Highway 19 when the trailer carrying the 1971 International 1066 tractor blew a tire and the man lost control of the trailer and the Ford pickup truck he was driving, according to the state patrol. The vehicle and trailer carrying the tractor spun out and came to a rest on the shoulder of the eastbound lane.

It was a busy morning at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague as people were lined up to enjoy the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 24. There were 40 people having meals at the church along Main Street, plus 22 meals were to go. The dinner started at 11 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m. Organizers were glad to have an in person meal after having a drive thru event for two years where people could pick up ingredients to make a Thanksgiving meal at home. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

On any holiday when she was home visiting, Larissa Schmitz might sit down and watch a movie with her family and this year would be no different. But this year, the New Prague High School graduate will be in the movie.
Schmitz and her husband, Jake Klehr, will be watching “A Holiday Spectacular” on the Hallmark Channel Sunday, Nov. 27, 7 p.m.
Set in 1958, the film is the story of Maggie, an heiress from Philadelphia who puts her high-society wedding plans on hold to sneak up to New York City and make her secret dream come true.

Colleen Flynn is very thankful this year. She went through drugs and alcohol treatment and is now seven years clean and sober. She now has a better relationship with her family, is engaged and is now helping others.
“I now have a whole new way of learning to live,” said Flynn, 41, who grew up in Belle Plaine and now lives in Montgomery. On a Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 16, she detailed her life in the office of Tim Price, of Faith, Recovery & Music at New Day Church in New Prague. Flynn has been working with Price’s ministry helping people who deal with addiction.

Two vehicles collided Thursday morning shortly before 8 a.m. on icy roads between New Prague and Montgomery.
The accident occurred just south of Minnesota 13 and 300th Street South. According to the Minnesota State Patrol report, a 2009 Ford Explorer driven by Robert Shippman of New Prague and a 2002 Oldmobile Bravada driven by Katie Young of Buffalo ended up in the west ditch. Young was taken by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health Systems in New Prague with non-life threatening injuries. Shippman sustained no injuries. Both parties were wearing their seat belts.

Major Rev. Eugene Theisen (US Air Force, retired), center, talks to students at St. Wenceslaus School during Veterans Day Friday, Nov. 11. Behind him are members of the New Prague Veterans Honor Guard. Rev. Theisen spoke about his experiences as a chaplain in the Air Force and answered questions from the students and their parents that attended the Veterans Day service.
The New Prague Veterans Honor Guard attended ceremonies at area schools and local nursing homes on both Thursday, Nov. 10, and Nov. 11.

After weeks of campaigning, door-knocking, meeting voters, handing out literature, presenting information and answering questions, voters finally had their say Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Polls closed several hours after The New Prague Times went to press. Results in local contested races between candidates are listed below. Details of precinct-level results will be available in the Nov. 17 print edition of The Times.
Results from contested races include:
New Prague Area School Board