New Prague will be celebrating Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, but there will be changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New Prague Veterans Honor Guard will still be visiting area cemeteries and the featured speaker will be Donald Walser, who was the Judge Advocate of the American Legion, Department of Minnesota, for 20 years. This year there will be no parade along the community’s Main Street as it would be difficult to observe social distancing for veterans and others that participate in the parade.

St. Wenceslaus School eighth grade teacher Jamie Schoenbauer, left, and principal Kim Doyle surprise an eighth grade student from the New Prague school with a cross and sign the afternoon of Monday, May 18. About a dozen teachers and staff from St. Wenceslaus School were driving around the New Prague area to surprise the 27 eighth graders who are graduating from the parochial school. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Minnesotans will once again be able to access the majority of driver and vehicle services starting May 19, but office visits will look different with changes made to protect the health and safety of customers and staff in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Governor Tim Walz has directed all flags at state and federal buildings in Minnesota to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, May 15, 2020, in honor of peace officers who have been killed or injured in the line of duty.
 “On May 15 we honor the Peace Officers who gave their lives to protect ours, and thank the 11,000 Law Enforcement Officers who serve our state for their dedication to protecting Minnesota communities,” said Governor Walz.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office recently renewed its partnership with Crime Stoppers of Minnesota, a tip line that allows people to anonymously provide crime information to law enforcement.
“Our community members are considered the eyes and ears of law enforcement,” said Sheriff Luke Hennen.  “There are times when witnesses may be able to provide valuable information but don’t always want to be identified.”

Two planes make their way over Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague around 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Aircraft from the 148th Fighter Wing, 133rd Airlift Wing and 934th Airlift Wing were flying over locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to honor frontline workers in the COVID-19 response. While staff from Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague gathered on the roof, more than 70 area residents were in the parking lot and the general vicinity to watch the fly over greeting the two planes with cheers and applause.

We heard you greater Minnesota. This Wednesday, May 13, aircraft from the 148th Fighter Wing, 133rd Airlift Wing and 934th Airlift Wing will be flying over locations in the northern and southern portions of the state to recognize frontline workers in the COVID-19 response.

It was a busy first day at the New Prague Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 9. Located in the parking lot of New Prague Commons, along Main Street on the east side of town, there were nine vendors selling a mixture of products. The Farmer’s Market will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. It will add Wednesdays by mid-June when there is more agricultural produce. The New Prague Farmer’s Market has adopted guidelines concerning COVID-19, such as asking people to wear face masks. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

The New Prague High School graduating class of 2020 had a very remarkable feat achieved by 3 of their classmates scoring 1000 points during their New Prague High School Basketball careers! It’s a big accomplishment when you have 1 person score one thousand points. However, to have 3 players in the same class is remarkable. Congratulations to Amanda Giesen, Parker Johnson, & Emily Russo and thanks for being such great role models for future Trojan basketball players!

UPDATED INFORMATION 5-11-20
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office was able to determine the identity of the remains belonged to Manuel Ramirez, age 36, Kenyon.
On October 28, 2019, The Rice County Sheriff’s Office had taken a call of a vehicle that had crashed in a ditch/ravine near the area Mr. Ramirez’s body not was found. No one was inside the vehicle at the time. Deputies and Investigators had searched the area on different occasions with no success finding Mr. Ramirez.

Lonsdale residents had a parade to help lift their spirits the evening of Tuesday, May 5. Vehicles from the Lonsdale Police Department, Lonsdale Fire Department, Rice County Sheriff’s Office and an assortment of Rice County departments made their way through Lonsdale neighborhoods for about an hour. Area residents came out to wave and watch as the vehicles passed by. For more see an upcoming print edition of The New Prague Times and Montgomery Messenger. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Rice County Public Health is encouraging residents to follow the CDC recommendation to wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. The use of cloth face coverings may help slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the chance that a person who has the disease but doesn’t know it, spreads it to others. According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should:
Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
Be secured with ties or ear loops
Include multiple layers of fabric

Rice County Public Health has opened a COVID-19 helpline today, to answer COVID-19 related questions and to help connect residents to local resources during the pandemic.
The Rice County COVID-19 Helpline number is 507.384. 6459. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Messages may be left on the helpline, and calls will be returned the following business day.    
If you have been placed in quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19, call the helpline if you need essential needs assistance in order to maintain isolation or quarantine.

(The following is an update from the Minnesota State Patrol on the Monday, April 27, two-vehicle crash.)

Road closure alert for CH 42 from CR 17 to CR 83 will begin Monday, April 27th. Access to Minnesota Green will remain available for the duration of the project. Please see the project web page for map of location and detour.
Road closure alert for CH 42 from CR 17 to CR 83 will begin Monday, April 27th. The public will be detoured to CR 16. Closure of the entire length will be until August 2020. Dakota Parkway to CR 83 will be closed until the end of the season.
www.scottcountymn.gov/1944

On March 31, 2020, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Scott County 911 Dispatch Center received a report of sounds of gunshots fired near the End Zone Bar & Grill, located at 10491 260th Street East, Elko, MN.
 
The Elko New Market Police Department was dispatched to the scene and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office also responded.  The responding officers were contacted shortly thereafter by Northfield Police Department, advising they had received a call from an individual residing in their jurisdiction reporting to be a victim of the above-mentioned shooting.