It was a busy day, even with the snow, during Small Business Saturday in New Prague. Held Nov. 29, the annual event is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving and encourages consumers to support small businesses during the holiday shopping season.

This year, shoppers dealt with snowfall that started late Friday night, Nov. 28, and continued through Saturday. While customers continued shopping through the morning, more came out earlier in the day. Most of the stores offering deals and specials were along New Prague’s Main Street.

Organizers of the annual Thanksgiving dinner at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague estimated they provided more than 200 meals to individuals and families. About 100 meals were served at the church and just as many or more were meals to go or delivered to someone.

Donna Galvin, who organizes the meals, said volunteers started to prepare the meal Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

The New Prague area will have several holiday events this weekend.

“I know SNAP has been the highlight of discussion for many, many weeks” Le Sueur County Director of Human Services Jamie Hayes said at the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners regular meeting on Nov. 18.

Hayes was before the board for the payment authorization of an elevator project, but had time left in her segment to talk about the ongoing federal issues with the SNAP program.

Some people feign grateful for all they have to be thankful for this time of year. Bill Beranek needs no reminder he has plenty to be grateful for when he gathers with friends and family at Thanksgiving.

Last December, Beranek, a New Prague resident, heard the words nobody wants to hear. He had cancer, an aggressive type of cancer in his prostate. While some prostate cancer patients are told doctors plan to hold off on treatment and observe the cancer for change or growth, Beranek’s doctor told him the cancer was so aggressive that doing nothing was not an option, he said.

The New Prague Area Historical Society (NPAHS) hosted an event, “The History of Medicine,” Wednesday evening, Nov. 19, featuring Dr. Michael Wilcox, MD, as the presenter.

The historical society judged the event a success as a capacity crowd filled the Werner Giesen Bierstube room at Giesenbrau Bier Co. in New Prague.

Dr. Wilcox delivered a comprehensive presentation on 11 prominent physicians who practiced in New Prague between 1875 and 1975.

This Friday, Nov. 21, New Prague High School’s students begin a two-weekend run of the musical, “Bye Bye Birdie” which the directors call a fun classic.

Allie Meyer and Matt Stensrud are directors of the production with showtimes Friday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. each night and Sunday, Nov. 23, 2 p.m. The second weekend of performances are Saturday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 30, 2 p.m.

“Matt and I read scripts and listened to soundtracks this summer and came up with lists of shows. ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ was on both of our lists,” said Meyer.

Sunday, Nov. 16, St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church welcomed veterans to a Mass by The Rev. Eugene Theisen, a veteran. Veterans were honored during the service and even children offered their thanks to the veterans.

After the Mass, 50-plus veterans and their spouses were the guests of honor at a special breakfast at the club room at the Park Ballroom. The breakfast, sponsored by Chuck Tupy and his insurance agency, was a continuation of a longstanding tradition in New Prague of recognizing and honoring veterans for their selfless service.

Autowash Systems, Inc. (ASI), the leading car wash distributor serving the Upper Midwest, announces the purchase of the New Prague Car Wash, located next to Casey’s Gas Station. This investment marks a new chapter in ASI’s ongoing commitment to advancing technician training and supporting the local community.

The primary purpose of this acquisition is to create a hands-on training facility for ASI technicians while showcasing the latest in in-bay automatic wash technology. As an added benefit, the wash will also be open to the community.

Since 1903, the Bruzek family has served New Prague and area families at times of grief and sorrow over the loss of loved ones.

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, a two-vehicle crash happened around 11:58 a.m. on the east side of New Prague.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol a flatbed towestbound on Highway 19 approaching 141st Street in the left lane. The tow truck was hauling recreational items and pulling a pontoon.

The tow truck rear ended a stopped Ford vehicle at the intersection. After the impact the tow truck and pontoon jackknifed blocking the westbound lanes.

The driver of the Ford vehicle was air lifted by North Memorial, with non-life threatening injuries.

New Prague High School’s National Honor Society recently held an induction ceremony with 53 new members inducted. The National Honor Society (NHS) now has a total membership of 93 members.

“I feel that new members add an influx of energy to the organization,” said Matt Stensrud, NPHS language arts teacher and National Honor Society advisor. “These are people that are motivated, passionate, and caring individuals, and it’s always great to see that many people apply and be accepted. They are what keeps the organization going.”

Recently, more than two dozen volunteers with Crossroads Church of Elko New Market picked apples at Nelson’s Apple Farm of Webster. The apples were sent to area food shelves to help families in need.

“It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon to get out and pick apples,” said Pastor Gordon Deuel of Crossroads Church. He noted their group got to see and help how apples are washed and packed at the apple farm owned and operated by Ross and Karen Nelson. Plus, those who helped were able to have an apple dandy, a deep-fried doughnut, afterwards.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office is opening its ninth annual greeting card design contest.

Voters in the New Prague Area School District approved the school district’s request for additional local revenue by a wide margin.

The New Prague Fire Department aided a farmer whose arm became caught in a corn picker Tuesday evening, Nov. 4, along the 23000 block of Helena Boulevard.

New Prague Fire Chief Steve Rynda said the call came in at 8:25 p.m. The farmer, a male in his early 60s, was working on the machine out in a field when his hand and arm became stuck in the machine, said Rynda, adding the farmer was the one who called the fire department.

After arriving on the scene, firefighters were able to free the farmer’s arm and hand.