"Happy Holidays!" That was John's signature greeting, and whenever he spoke it, he instantly filled the room with warmth and cheer. His presence made everyone feel welcome, a true reflection of the joy and kindness he shared with all who knew him.

John Joseph Radermacher, age 72, of Le Center, MN, passed away on March 13, 2026, at his home.

Larry Marvin Schanus, age 75, of Medina, Minnesota, was born on December 20, 1950, to Edward and Irene (Frank) Schanus in New Prague, Minnesota, and passed away on January 29, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones. 

Larry was united in marriage to Laura Jeanne Courteau in 1969. Together they raised five children: Daniel, Christopher, Amanda, Stacie, and Sandra. Family was the center of Larry’s life and he was proud to be a father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

In last year’s legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law ending the shotgun-only zone for deer hunting in the southern and west-central counties of the state.

The action leaves each county currently in the shotgun-only zone with the decision of whether to pass an ordinance to maintain the ban on rifle hunting.

Le Sueur County can either do nothing and allow the rifle hunting ban to lift, or it can pass an ordinance to uphold the current law.

If you read the newspaper each week, thanks for doing so. We hope it keeps you abreast of what’s going on in your community. You have a right to know what’s going on in your city, school district and the area. After all, you’re paying for it.

When the final pins fell, the members of the Southwest Metro Bowling team didn’t immediately react as if they had just won a state championship. It wasn’t until the team was announced as the winner the five girls displayed the joy of a championship.

The five-member co-op Southwest Metro team defeated Rochester-Pine Island in the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America Inc.’s four-game championship match, 772-688, Saturday, March 7, at Mermaid Entertainment Center’s bowling complex in Mounds View.

About 30 years after the first slapshot was fired at the new New Prague Community Center, ice hockey enthusiasts and community supporters have begun a campaign to expand the existing arena to bring more opportunities for on-ice participation in the sport.

New Prague High School’s boys’ basketball run in the Section 1AAAA tournament began Wednesday evening, March 4, at Farmington. The Trojans, seeded seventh in the tournament, battled the Tigers, seeded second, but Farmington ended the game with a score of 82-47.

“We got off to a good start, and stuck with them until midway through the first half,” said New Prague head coach Dan Peterka. “They went on a run, but we continued to battle and were down 11 at the half.”

In the last minute of the first half, the Trojans went on a scoring run to bring the score within reach.

The New Prague City Council came to a consensus to have city staff and City Attorney Scott Riggs of the law firm Kennedy & Graven discuss the city’s next steps on the Tikalsky Acres development agreement, a 20-year old agreement for a housing development.

The city council held a special meeting to discuss the 2005 agreement with Randy Kubes for a housing subdivision on the southeast side of New Prague. The housing development covers 40 acres, which is for 92 housing units, of which 89 units have been built.

Saturday, March 14, 5 p.m. Update

The National Weather Services (NWS) in Chanhassen, Minn., has issued a Blizzard Warning for our greater area from 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, through 4 a.m. on Monday, March 16. They are calling this a "historic March winter storm on track to bring extreme snow accumulations and strong winds." 

The warning calls for a broad swath of 12 to 18 inches of snow over the region, with some area approaching two feet, with winds between 35 and 45 mph, with gusts to 55 mph, even after the snow starts to taper off.

Jon F. Nickolay, age 40, of Elko, passed away unexpectedly, surrounded by his family, on March 10, 2026.

Susan Kathleen Straiton, 72, of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2026, at The Lutheran Home. 

Susan was born on February 23, 1954, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to Tom and Monica Straiton. She graduated from New Prague High School in 1972 and later attended the University of Minnesota, where she studied graphic design and developed a lifelong love of art and creating her own artwork. 

Jessica Karin Riedy (née Nordstrom), age 45, of North Charleston, South Carolina, passed away on March 4, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. Jessica was born on June 1, 1980, in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, to Todd Nordstrom and Donna King (née Harshman). She always cherished her youth in Minnesota, graduating from New Prague High School before earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota (BS, Speech and Hearing Science) and UM Duluth (MA, Speech and Language Pathology).

Timothy Paul Nelson passed away peacefully at Our Lady of Peace hospice on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at the age of 58.

Timmy was born to Donald and Rosalyn Nelson on June 1, 1967 in New Prague, MN.
He was the second youngest of six children. He grew up in Jordan, MN, and graduated from Jordan High School.

Lorraine J. Barta, age 89, of New Prague, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026.

NP falls to champs in Saturday semifinal round

Rebounding from a tough loss in the semifinal round to the tournament’s eventual champion, the New Prague Trojans’ floor hockey team took third-place honors at the Minnesota State High School League’s floor hockey tournament at Bloomington Jefferson High School.

She didn’t have to accept the invitation. She could have passed on the offer to accept the money and let somebody else put it to good use.

Cora Goldade is more interested in doing what she can to make the world a little better place. Her hope is people will turn prayer into action, action used to eventually curb gun violence. It’s a big project, one she knew was worthwhile given the experience of a friend.