Governor Tim Walz, representatives of the state’s health care delivery systems, the Mayo Clinic, and the University of Minnesota (U of M) today announced a breakthrough for rapid, widespread testing of COVID-19 in Minnesota. Standing together at the State’s Emergency Operations Center, they launched a statewide testing strategy to test all symptomatic people, isolate confirmed cases, and expand public health surveillance tools.

A New Prague business, RaDon Inc., has signed up to help make masks for healthcare workers. RaDon, which manufactures horse apparel, is joining up to help another local initiative led by local resident, Rebecca Rausch, called Mask Army 4 Heroes. Mask Army 4 Heroes is on a mission to create an army of sewing talent to make masks by using H600 Halyard fabrics for healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. H600 is the sterile fabric used beneath instruments during surgeries, and per the University of Florida, is non-permeable and as protective as an N95 mask.

Thomas Edward Flicek, age 72 of Prior Lake, MN, passed away April 21, 2020.
Private family services will be held. Friends and family will be invited to a public burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date. Cards can be mailed to Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 104 West First Street, Jordan, MN 55352. Memorials are preferred and will be distributed in Tom’s memory by the family.

Click on this link to see the latest update on COVID-19 in Scott County.
https://www.scottcountymn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13920/COVID-19-Surveil...

https://www.health.state.mn.us/.../coronav.../situation.html

Francis (Fritz) Barta, 91, died on April 20th, 2020 at Central Health Care in Le Center, Minnesota, his family at his side.
He was born on September 27th, 1928 to Frank and Mary Barta (Malecha) on their family farm East of Lonsdale, MN; attending and graduating from school there as well.

Andrew John Maxa, Born ~August 23rd 1988 ~ Shakopee MN. Died ~April 7th 2020 ~ Jordan, MN, Graduated from New Prague High School.

Rice County is asking for donations from residents and businesses of homemade face masks and other Personal Protection Equipment, as there is a very high need and an even greater shortage of these items.  Donations received will be distributed to all First Responder agencies throughout Rice County including Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, and Ambulance services.

Lois E. Ivan, age 75, of New Prague, died suddenly on Saturday, April 11, 2020, at Mala Strana Care and Rehabilitation Center. Lois was born on November 13, 1944 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to Louis and Elizabeth (Egnotyak) Ivan. Lois attended School #9 and was an assembly worker, living most of her life in New Jersey, until relocating to New Prague, Minnesota, in September 2011 with her sister and nephew. Lois was a fan of the arts. She enjoyed painting ceramics and paint-by-number. She loved embroidery and reading novels.

Susan M. Kurkowski, 75, of New Prague, passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Jordan, surrounded by family.
Susan was born to Alvie and Claudia (Opsahl) Olson on July 20, 1944, in Barnesville, Minnesota. She grew up on the family farm and then moved to Minneapolis with her family in her teens.
Susan enjoyed going to the casino, watching cooking shows, puzzles, gardening, shopping for antiques, but enjoyed spending time with her family the most. Her love of Elvis Presley's music even enticed her to visit Graceland on two occasions.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for areas along and south of a line from Springfield through New Ulm to Cottage Grove in Minnesota, continuing to New Richmond and Rice Lake in Wisconsin. Alert area: Blue Earth; Dakota; Faribault; Freeborn; Goodhue; Le Sueur; Martin; Rice; Scott; Steele; Waseca; Washington; Watonwan.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for a small swath of
counties just to the north of that line, including the Twin Cities metro area.

The Easter Bunny was making his way through New Prague the morning of Saturday, April 11. About 50 people gathered in or near their cars in the New Prague High School parking lot to greet the Easter Bunny, who was accompanied by vehicles from the New Prague Fire Department, Police Department and North Memorial Ambulance for a brief parade. The Easter Bunny was also going through neighborhoods in New Prague to spread some cheer to families. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. Numbers are cumulative since Jan. 20, 2020. All data are preliminary and may change as cases are investigated.
Not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this data is not representative of the total number of people in Minnesota who have or had COVID-19.
Updated April 10, 2020
Updated daily at 11 a.m., with data current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.
Dates provided are those when the case, hospitalization, or death was first posted in this situation report.

Brad Drazan has been offered and has accepted the Head Boys Hockey Coaching position at New Prague High School pending board approval. Drazan comes from a family of educators, including New Prague Hall of Fame educators Fran and Irma Langer, and mom, Mary Drazan, a second grade teacher at Falcon Ridge Elementary. Drazan is a native of New Prague, Minnesota where he graduated from New Prague High School in 2008. He played hockey for the Trojans and was the captain of the 2008 Boys Hockey team.

Like all the other sports this late winter/spring, the New Prague Archery Club’s season was cut short, as well as having their state tournament being canceled - Sort of.
This year’s State Tournament was held this past weekend, “virtually”.
The state and national committees decided to hold the state tournaments virtually, as teams needed a qualifying score to move on to the National/and or World tournaments later in the summer if they are still held.