As officials continue to assess the damages throughout Rice County, they are encountering a significant amount traffic congestion due to high volumes of on lookers in the damaged areas. In a press release to area news outlets, they would like people to stay away from the areas.
 

New Prague High School announced its Homecoming candidates for King and Queen on Friday, Sept. 21. Queen candidates are (front row, left to right)  Aidan McLoone, Laura DeGross, Anna Holden, Kaitlyn Blair, Callie Peterson, Morgan Pint, Molly Giesen, Kate Wagner; King candidates are (back row) Mason DeGross, Bryce Simon, Travis Frerk, Collin Dorzinski, Grant Yackly, Blake Woodson, Andrew Piilola and Hartman Sadusky. Coronation for royalty will be at 11:10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 28. Homecoming activities begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept.

The New Prague Trojan football team lost a Big Southeast Red Division game to Northfield Friday, Sept. 21. The score was 49-13. 
Each team scored on their opening drive, but then Northfield scored 21 unanswered points to lead 28-7 at the half. The Raiders upped the lead to 42-7 before Nathan Osborne scored from 70 yards out. 
Parker Johnson had the Trojans' first touchdown on a 1-yard run, 
New Prague (1-3) will host Mankato West (No. 3, Class AAAAA) in the Trojans' Homecoming game Friday, Sept. 28. Gametime is 7 p.m.

New Prague will pull out all the stops this weekend as it celebrates the 34th Annual Dozinky Festival.
The Czech Harvest Festival has become one of the highlight of the year for many in the community. It gives local residents a chance to celebrate the community’s ethnic and agricultural roots, as well as the progress the community has made in the 34 years since the first celebration started.

Because of the weather, the New Prague High School soccer games against Rockford scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 20, have been postponed. The games will be played Wednesday, Sept. 26, at Rockford. Boys will play at 5 p.m. and girls at 7 p.m. 

The Trojan tennis meet at Hutchinson was moved from Hutchinson High School to the Hutchinson Fairgrounds indoor courts.

New Prague High School will celebrate its Homecoming week September 23-28, with the highlight being the football game against Mankato West on Friday, Sept. 28.
The week begins with the annual Powder Puff football game, to be played at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept 23. The annual game features the senior girls against the junior girls. Each day during the week will include a “dress-up” day, and other events will be held during the week.

This weekend sees the biggest event of the year in New Prague… The annual Dozinky Festival.
Dozinky has been around for 34 years now. I’ve been to all but a few of the early ones. I think the first one I was around for was in 1988, which would have been the fourth one. I was working in Le Sueur and I remember bringing my young family to the event. Josh would have been two years old and the thing I remember most was him stopping in front of each band that was playing and dancing to the music.

The New Prague Trojan girls tennis team was swept 7- 0 Tuesday, Sept. 11, at the Trojan home courts.
“Even though it does not reflect in the score, I think we stepped out and competed hard against a very good team,” New Prague Coach Luke Swedberg said. “Orono has experience and talent. They are coached really well. We were able to force a couple of third sets at different positions.”
In singles, all four Trojans lost in straight sets. They were Kianna Howard, Jenna Larson, Libby Hummel and Victoria Bisek.
Two of the three doubles matches went to....

The New Prague City Council an amended Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between it and the New Prague Area School District during its meeting Monday, Sept. 17.
The JPA is covers the construction and operation of the indoor pool and fitness center facility at the Central Education Campus, the operation of the outdoor pool at 401 Lexington Ave. S, and the operation of the summer recreation program.

The New Prague Trojan girls cross country team placed fourth out of 12 teams at the Hutchinson Invitational meet, held Thursday, Sept. 13, at Lake Marion Park in Hutchinson. Willmar won the meet with 44 points, followed by Marshall (71), Waseca (77) and New Prague (126). Prior Lake was fifth at 134.

On Thursdays, from 9-11 a.m. people of various ages meet in the Community Connections Room at the Central Education Campus in New Prague to knit and crochet. The group has been meeting since the fall of 2017 and has created a vast array of articles, many of which go to help others.

Brian Dapper, District Leader for Kwik Trip, spoke during the grand opening ceremony for the convenience store’s 600th store, located in New Prague, Tuesday, Sept. 18. The store opened near the intersection of Highways 13, 19 and 21 on Thursday, Sept. 13. As part of the celebration, the store donated $1,000 to the New Prague Fire Department and another $1,000 to The Well Teen Center as a sign of its commitment to the community. Read more in the print edition of The Times.

The case against Le Sueur County Historical Society (LCHS) will get a green light or a red light in October after a Le Sueur County judge clarified matters on Monday, Sept. 17.
 
In court were Ray Konz, attorney for LCHS, and Kevin Wetherille, attorney for the 16 plaintiffs. The attorneys discussed the proceedings thus far and made several requests of Judge Mark Vandelist.
 

James Thomas Halloran, age 83 of St. Thomas, passed away on September 18, 2018 at his home surrounded by his family.  Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30a.m. on Monday, September 24 at St. Thomas Catholic Church in St. Thomas.  Fr. Roger Hessian will officiate.  Visitation will be on Sunday from 3-7p.m. at the Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine and continue at the funeral home on Monday morning from 9-10a.m.  Interment will be in St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery.  Lunch will follow the burial at Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church in Belle Plaine.

The New Prague Area Education Foundation held its annual Brain Power Walk-Run Saturday, Sept. 15, at Trojan Stadium. The event included a 5K run and a one-mile run. Above, New Prague Area Schools Superintendent Tim Dittberner was surrounded by a large group of elementary students at the beginning of the one-mile run. The event raised money for the foundation, which uses the money for classroom grants for teachers in New Prague schools.

Adele A. (Soukup) Goblirsch, age 94, of Sleepy Eye passed away on Thursday, September 13, 2018 at Sleepy Eye Medical Center after a brief illness.
Visitation will be on Thursday from 4 to 7 pm and will continue on Friday from 7:30 until 10 am at the Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye. There will be a parish prayer service Thursday at 4pm at the funeral home.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the St. Mary's Catholic Church, Sleepy Eye, on Friday, September 21, 2018 at 10:30 am. The clergy will be Msgr. Eugene Lozinski.