UPDATED at 2 p.m. 1-14-19
Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn announced the name of the victim in the death investigation. He identified that it was David Amundson, 44, of New Prague, who was found in a field near his vehicle on January 13, 2019, at 30th Street West and Halstad Avenue in Wheatland Township.
UPDATED at 3:45 pm. 1-13-19

The Elko New Market City Council at its Thursday, Jan. 10, meeting had three members take the oath of office and adopted a resolution appointing a member to fulfill a term. From left are Jon Schwichtenberg, who was appointed to fill the remaining two years of a term that ends in 2020, council member Dawn Seepersaud, Mayor Joe Julius and council members Kate Timmerman and Josh Berg. Mayor Julius and council members Timmerman and Berg each took the oath of office at the beginning of the meeting. They were elected to office in November.

Diane Goulson has been put in a very different position the last few months.
The longtime New Prague resident and pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church near Belle Plaine, Goulson was diagnosed in November with pancreatic cancer. She’s facing a series of chemotherapy treatments and surgery, but she’s not facing it alone. She has her family (husband Daryl and daughters Meredith, Rebecca and Erica) along with friends and people from her church who continue to be supportive throughout the process.

The 2019 fee schedule in Lonsdale has been set and it does not include an increase to the water and sewer fees.
Every year the city council makes adjustments to the fee schedule and sets the schedule at its first meeting of the new year. On Thursday, the council did just that, making 15 adjustments.
Lonsdale City Administrator Joel Erickson said that the reason for making these adjustments is to recoup costs incurred by the city, not to make a profit on the items.
In particular, the cost for fingerprints for non-residents is doubling in price.

Third District Le Sueur County Commissioner John King of Le Sueur was named the chairman of the Le Sueur County Board Tuesday, Jan. 8.
First District Commissioner David Gliszinski of New Prague, was named the vice chair during the board's first meeting of 2019.
The Le Sueur County New Prague Times News was named the county's legal newspaper.
The Lake Region Life was named the county's 2nd legal newspaper.
Newly elected officials were also sworn in by Judge Mark Vandelist.

Highway 21 north of the intersection of that road and Seventh Street NE is currently closed due to the New Prague Fire Department dealing with smoke and a possible house fire on the west side of the highway. Around 2:15 p.m. the fire department was summoned to the scene after a call was received of smoke coming from a window of the house. The New Prague Police Department was also called to the scene to detour traffic around the area.

The first night of Chamber Bingo drew a crowd of 165 people on Thursday, Jan. 3, at the New Prague Golf Club. Held by the New Prague Chamber of Commerce, the evening was sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System of New Prague. The large crowd required tables to be set up on two floors of the golf club. The weekly evening of bingo and prizes continues through March 28. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

As 2018 drew to a close, Praha Village, New Prague’s new senior apartment complex at 1100 First St. SE, was in the finishing stages of preparing to open to residents. Within the first month of 2019 they expect to be open to independent living residents on Tuesday, Jan. 15, although people can move in before that date. Assisted living and memory care residents will be in by February 1.

New Prague’s Seth Fischer will be competing for the third time in the X Games in Aspen, CO, January 25-28.
Fischer, 20, is a 2016 New Prague High School graduate and qualified for his first X Games two years ago in the sport of Snow BikeCross. Racers compete on machines that are a cross between a snowmobile and a motorcycle. The machines have one ski on the front and a track system on the back, and compete on a course similar to motocross.

Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague has announced the birth of the 2019 New Prague New Year's Baby.
A boy, Cale Matthew Graf, was born at 8:02 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, to parents Matt and Jeana Graf of New Prague. Cale weighed in at 11 pounds, 8.9 ounces and was 24 inches long at birth. He has two older sisters, Sophia and Sierra ages, 5 and 4.

The Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant is looking for young women of Czech, Slovak or Moravian heritage to compete for the state title. The 30th annual Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant will be held on April 13, 2019, at the American Legion Club in Montgomery, Minnesota. 

The Ptarmigans had a hard fought game, but came up with an 8-0 win in the 59th Annual Sno-Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29, in Memorial Park. It was a cold day for the game as temperatures only reached the teens, with very little snow cover as rain earlier in the week melted most of it away leaving a hard frost. The Ptarmigans increased their record to 17 wins. For more see an upcoming print issue of The Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

The Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners approved the final pay 2019 levy in the amount of $20,716,550, a 6.9 percent increase over the 2018 levy. This levy was approved during an early evening meeting Tuesday, Dec. 18. For more information on the levy check out the Dec. 27 edition of the Life/Enterprise.

After more than 36 years in the financial/banking industry, Ed Hrabe is calling it a career.
Hrabe was hired to manage the State Insurance Agency, operated by the State Bank of New Prague, in 1982. After a year and a half, bank president Don Sirek asked him to join the bank’s lending department. He was later promoted to assistant vice president and, in 2003, as vice president for the bank, which in 2016 became part of First Bank and Trust. Over the years he has helped thousands of customers in securing home, auto and other consumer loans.

The Elko New Market City Council adopted three resolutions at its Thursday, Dec. 20, meeting. One was a resolution approving the city’s 2019 budget, the second was to approve the 2018 tax levy, collectable in 2019 and the third was to approve use of debt service fund balances to cover under levied bonds.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s “Minnesota Morning” event featured breakfast pastries from Lau’s Czech Bakery in New Prague last Thursday, Dec. 20.
Klobuchar has visited dozens of Minnesota communities in recent months and after tasting favorite local foods, she decided to showcase these Minnesota specialties at her weekly Thursday morning coffee gatherings in her Washington, D.C. office.
“Locally owned shops and restaurants like Lau’s Czech Bakery keep our economy strong,” Klobuchar said. “I was happy to bring a taste of New Prague to my guests here in Washington.”