After two days of assessment at the New Prague Area School District’s three elementary schools, students returned to school en masse this morning, Wednesday, Aug 30. Yesterday, Tuesday, Aug. 29, students in ninth through 12th grades returned to school for the 2023-24 school year. The district has 165 school days on its calendar for kindergarten through elementary school students are scheduled for in-person learning, 173 days for sixth- through 12th-graders.

Next week, over 4,000 New Prague Area School District students will return to their classrooms for the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. With any luck, it will be a good, really good, school year.
The school district has spent the year working to make this school year the best year possible. It has a team of elementary, middle school, junior high and senior high school teachers ready to put a curriculum into place intended to prepare students for college, vocational school and life in the working world.

Between Monday, Aug. 14, through Wednesday, Aug. 16, a crew was busy removing two fuel tanks, pipes and other items from the former Crawford’s Standard Service, at the southwest corner of the intersection of New Prague’s E Main Street and SE First Avenue.
“The tanks have to be out of the ground before I sell it,” said Kevin Crawford, who ran the business for 40 years before closing it March 25, 2022.
Crawford plans to sell the property to his son Nick Crawford and Ronnie Bastyr who own New Prague Auto Repair at 205 Fourth Ave. SW in New Prague.

Allie Meyer and Matthew Stensrud were recently chosen to be co-directors for New Prague High School’s fall musical. The two wanted to co-direct the upcoming production as they both have the experience and can coordinate together.
“I heard there was an opening for director, so I went to Matt and I asked him if he wanted to do this together,” said Meyer, who will begin her ninth year as a social studies teacher at the high school this fall.

The Minnesota Baseball Association recognized the services of Eric Brever and Pat Goggins last month in St. Patrick with a pregame ceremony before the Irish faced Union Hill.

Agnes Mary Machacek Kratochvil, age 100, passed away peacefully on August 25th. 
 Agnes was born in 1923 to Josephine (Pumper) and Frank Machacek on the family farm in Wheatland Township, Rice County. She joined her older sister Elsie (Bisek) and was later joined by siblings Bernice (Zelenka) and Norbert. For the first 70 years of her life, her birthday was celebrated on March 15th and only after finding her birth certificate did she learn it was actually March 14th.

LeRoy Herbert Geiger, 85, with his family by his side, passed away peacefully on the morning of August 25th, 2023. As a man loved by his family and one who valued and respected his many friends, his absence is profoundly felt by all those blessed to have known him.

The latest round of results from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) given last spring in reading, math and science show New Prague students are well above the state average yet down slightly in one of the three subject areas.
Results from the MCAs given last spring show 60.5 percent of New Prague’s students were proficient on required skills in reading, 64.8 percent in math and 59.5 percent in science.
Those proficiency numbers for New Prague are down slightly from 2022 in reading (62.1 percent) and up a slightly in math (61.6) and science (58.7).

Please join us for a Celebration of Life for Darlene Pelcl, Saturday, September 2, 2023 from 1-4. Come share a meal and memories in Darlene’s honor at the Lake Front Bar & Grill, 35032 Clear Lake Lane, Le Center MN 56057.

A grassfire in a small area along the 2600 block of Redwing Avenue in Helena Township required the services of New Prague firefighters to be contained this afternoon.
Around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug . 23, firefighters were called to the site after a brushfire spread to a grassy area in a slough, said New Prague Fire Chief Steve Rynda. The area of burned grass was about half the size of a football field, the chief said.

Loren Robert Pumper, age 61 of New Prague, MN passed away surrounded by his loving family on August 19, 2023. Loren lived his life with hope, selflessness, and passion, while being an inspirational husband and father. He so cherished his friendships and time with family, always wanting everyone to have a good time. Loren was a skilled craftsman (welder), outdoorsman and an avid fan of Minnesota sports at all levels.

Ivan Simon, front, caught a prize of orange sunglasses at one of the games during the Veseli Ho-Down Sunday, Aug. 20. Held at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Veseli the festival had a large turnout of people who showed up for music, food and fun. The weather cooperated as temperatures were in the low 80s and a breeze helped keep the day cool and comfortable. For more see an upcoming print edition of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher photo)

St. Patrick topped St. Paul while Veseli, Union Hill and Waterville suffered season-ending losses in the opening round of the Minnesota Baseball Association’s state tournament this weekend.
After defeating the St. Paul Capitols, 7-1, Saturday, Aug. 19, the Class B Irish will face Baseball 365 Saturday, Aug. 26, 11 a.m., at Delano. If the Irish win, St. Patrick will face the winner of the Metro Knights vs. Minnetonka Millers game Saturday, Sept. 2, 11 a.m., in Litchfield. A loss would be season-ending.

New Prague, Montgomery, Waterville, Scott and Le Sueur counties and the area are under an excessive heat warning during the coming week.
The National Weather Service says the area will be subject to "dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 110 (degrees) possible."

Lonsdale Community Day, Saturday, Aug. 12, was packed with activities for people to enjoy from the morning too the night.
“It was amazing,” said Shanna GutzkeKupp, executive director of the Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the celebration to bring the community together. “We had wonderful weather.”
Weather for the day had temperatures in the low 80s at the most and sun through the day.

When the state amateur baseball tournament convenes this weekend in Dassel, Delano, Litchfield and Waconia, the Dakota, Rice Scott League, a group including two favorites and a long shot to make the Class C state field will be well represented.
Class C teams Faribault, Union Hill and Veseli earned state berths at the region tournament which concluded last weekend.