Robert J. “Bob” Hanzel, age 94, of New Prague died unexpectedly on Monday, December 26, 2022 at MCHS Hospital in New Prague.
Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, December 30, 2022 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church with Father Eugene Theisen officiating.  Visitation will take place that morning from 9-10:30 a.m. at Bruzek Funeral Home.  Burial will follow Mass at St. Wenceslaus Cemetery.  
bruzekfuneralhome.com
Full obituary to follow.

Thomas L. Fahey, age 50 of rural New Prague, died at Methodist Hospital in Rochester on Friday, December 23, 2022 after a very short illness.  Memorial Mass will be on Thursday, December 29, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church in Union Hill.  Visitation will be at the Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine on Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. ~ 7:00 p.m. and will continue the morning of the Mass at the Funeral Home from 8:30 a.m. ~ 10:30 a.m.  We will then leave Belle Plaine in procession for the 11:00 a.m.

They all knew the day would come when Ryan Wetschka would not be home with his family for Christmas. And while his family has accepted the reality of a son, a brother, a grandson and nephew serving his country in the United States Army, it doesn’t make the missing him any easier.

A man walked through the new-fallen snow Christmas Eve 2004. The cemetery was quiet and the moonlight reflected brightly off the thick blanket of snow. There’s something different, perhaps contradictory about visiting the cemetery, the final resting place of loved ones, Christmas Eve.
We brought luminaries, a symbol of lighting the way for Jesus’s birth. Christmas was a big deal, a time for family being together. Mom really liked them and made a point to have them on the steps from the front door to the sidewalk at the house when we were growing up.

New Prague High School’s boys basketball team split two games last week as the Trojans defeated St. Peter, 69-53, Tuesday, Dec. 13, and lost a close, 59- 52, game to Worthington, Saturday, Dec. 17.
New Prague will host New Ulm tonight (Dec. 22) with a 7 p.m. game. The Trojans will then be at the Lakeville North Holiday Classic, facing Lakeville North at 7:45 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 29, then Austin at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30. New Prague starts the new year at home against Kasson-Mantorville at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a deceased man found this morning, Friday, Dec. 23, around 8:45 a.m., near the northbound exit ramp from County Road 2 (260th Street East/Deuce Road) onto Interstate Highway 35 in New Market Township.
“Our investigators will be working with the medical examiner’s office to make an identification and determine the circumstances surrounding this death,” said Sheriff Luke Hennen. “The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.”

A weary New Prague High School gymnasts had to get through its Tuesday, Dec. 13, meet against Waconia. The Trojans tamed the Wildcats, 140.925 to 125.175 for a win.
“These girls pushed through the meet being very tired and worn down with this being their third meet in seven days,” said New Prague head coach Darrell Christenson. “We are looking forward to one full week of down time before we go again next Thursday (Dec. 22) hosting Minnetonka.”
Tonight’s (Dec. 22) home meet for the Trojans will be at 6 p.m. at the New Prague Gymnastics Center.

Because of severe weather and delivery complications, delivery of the Dec. 25 edition of The Extra for the Kilkenny and Le Center areas could be delayed until Tuesday, Dec. 27.
The Extra will be available at newsstands in Montgomery and New Prague.
Our apologies for any inconvenience.

She likes to draw and appreciates the unique appearance of downtown New Prague.
Graecyn Helmer combined those two interests into an impressive display of art and ability.
The daughter of Michelle and Anthony Helmer, Graecyn, a fifth-grader at Falcon Ridge Elementary, submitted a unique pencil drawing of a downtown New Prague streetscape for The New Prague Times’ annual Christmas edition. The Times has been publishing the drawings in the Christmas edition for many years and Graecyn’s drawing caught the attention of the newspaper’s staff.

Elizabeth D. “Betty” Tupy, age 66, of New Prague, died peacefully with her family at her side on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at her home at Praha Village.   True to Betty’s nature, she timed her death to occur in the window of an impending storm, between the falling snow and the high winds that would create blizzard conditions! She was always considerate of others and would not have wanted them to drive in unsafe conditions.

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.

Phyllis Maria Swidorski, age 83, of Montgomery, died on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at Mayo Systems Hospital in New Prague. Visitation will be held on Monday, January 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with funeral service at 11:00 a.m., all held at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery with Pastor Jason Pollington officiating. Interment will be at St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Montgomery at a later date.

John Michael Jirak, age 68, of New Prague, passed away Thursday, December 15, 2022 at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, surrounded by his family.  John was born December 18, 1953 in New Prague, to Eugene and Marcella (Kocina) Jirak.  He grew up in rural New Prague and attended New Prague Schools.  He married Cindy Beer on August 30, 1983 and was later divorced.  John spent many years as a dairy farmer on the family farm.  John worked for Terry Fredrickson Landscaping for some years and became a Master Gardner.

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.