Le Sueur County has a furry, four-legged crime fighter.
The county’s newest K-9, “Jett”, started work on November 20.
The county secured Jett, a purebred German Shepherd, last autumn when he was around nine-weeks-old. Jett was bred locally from Kozie Shepherds in southern Minnesota and attended his K9 academy with Le Sueur County Deputy Joe Kern at Performance Kennels in Buffalo. Nationally Certified K9 Trainer, Steve Pearson, was responsible for training Jett.

Dennis Jasperson, standing, talks with Zach Thompson, Tara Thompson and Audre Johnson during the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague Thursday, Nov. 22. Johnson helped start the annual event, which is now in its 10th year. While she turned the event over to Donna Galvin and others last year, she still helps volunteer for the dinner, greeting people at the door but staying out of the kitchen. Galvin said they had one of their largest turnouts this year. See more in an upcoming print edition of The Times.

The owners of Farmhouse Market, a tech-savvy local and organic foods market that was recently featured in the New York Times, have partnered with four New Prague High School students to launch a new business extension they hope will increase tourism and business for downtown New Prague.

Julie Yackley was born in Inchheon, South Korea, and was adopted in May, 1986, by Don and Janice Yackley of New Prague. Even before the adoption her mother was diagnosed with cancer, a disease that claimed her life in 1993, when Julie was just 7 years old. A year ago, she lost her father to ALS - Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Father Kevin Clinton, center, offers a blessing on several tractors the morning of Sunday, Nov. 18, at St. John the Evangelist Church of Union Hill. The brief ceremony was also to celebrate this time of blessings and thankfulness at the end of the harvest. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Elko New Market Police Chief Steve Mortenson, left, receives a plaque from New Prague Police Chief Jim Gareis during the Thursday, Nov. 15, open house for Chief Mortenson’s retirement. Held at Elko New Market City Hall, Mortenson was honored by fellow law enforcement officers and residents of Elko New Market. Mortenson is retiring after eight years as the city’s police chief and 29 years in law enforcement. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

A Czech cultural organization whose ambassadors have appeared in events throughout Minnesota and other states for close to two decades will come to an end next month.
Domaci Inc., and its groups, the Domaci Czech Folk Dancers and the Czech Heritage Junior Royalty, will hold its final performance and royalty ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 2. Directors Arnie and Deb Ziskovsky, the founders of Domaci Inc., have been leading and coordinating the ambassadors for 19 years, and they are ending it with their annual event, Hometown Holidays at the Park Ballroom in New Prague.

Alexa Barta, a graduate of New Prague High School and the University of Minnesota- Morris, has earned a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award for 2018-19.
A statistics and Spanish graduate of UMM, Barta will spend nine months teaching English in Brazil, beginning February, 2019.
Barta earned an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) award, which will place her in a classroom abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. She also will represent the United States as a cultural ambassador during her time overseas.

New Prague Area Schools presented Veterans Day ceremonies throughout the day on Monday, Nov. 12, in cooperation with the New Prague Veterans Honor Guard.
The first of the ceremonies was held at 8:30 a.m. at New Prague Middle School.

A Le Sueur County judge has ordered the Le Sueur County Historical Society (LCHS) to turn over all of its financial records and books, hold a fair and democratic election for members, and allow the additional members to join the lawsuit against it, among other things.
This order was filed on November 8.
A lawsuit was filed against LCHS on February 21 by 16 members who allege the existing board of LCHS has mismanaged the society, has murky financial dealings, and followed anti-democratic processes, which, they state are contrary to Minnesota law and LCHS bylaws.

Girl Scouts from New Prague and their leaders on Saturday, Nov. 10, held a vigil for the three Girl Scouts and their leader who died in a hit and run a week ago in Wisconsin. Before the vigil the Girl Scouts cleaned up the park north of Casey’s in New Prague. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Megan Hanson of New Prague had the opportunity of a lifetime last weekend.
The 37-year-old wife and mother of four ran in the New York City Marathon - her first ever marathon, on Sunday, Nov. 4.
Hanson, moved to New Prague about a year ago with her husband Jon and four children, Liam, 8, twins Lincoln and Leland, 6, and Luca 3. She’s been running about six years and had never run more than a 10-kilometer race or a couple of halfmarathons before. She took up running shortly after having her twin sons.

The Elko New Market Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner on Thursday, Nov. 1, at The Firehouse Grille with more than 30 people attending. It was noted the chamber had four ribbon cuttings for new businesses this year and is planning to hold its Ladies Night Out in the spring. The community has also opened a branch of Hope for the Community food shelf, which has been helping hundreds of families since it began five months ago.