The second of a third tank from Chart Industries made its way down New Prague’s Main Street the night of Saturday, Sept. 14. The first tank travelled through New Prague on Friday, Sept. 13, and the third is scheduled to go through town the evening of Monday, Sept. 16, depending on weather. The three 172,000-gallon tanks were being transported from Chart Industries’ New Prague plant to a Minnesota River port in Savage. For more see an upcoming print issue of The New Prague Times. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

Donald J. Grinde, age 40, of New Prague, died suddenly at his home on Thursday, September 12, 2019.  Donny was born on August 14, 1979 in St. Paul to Ronald J. and Kathy K. (Buchman) Grinde.  He grew up in the Lakeville area and attended Lakeville Public Schools.  He married the love of his life, Rachael M.

Chart Industries in New Prague will be shipping three 172,000-gallon tanks from its New Prague plant to a Minnesota River port in Savage over the next few days.
The first tank, which is 168 feet long, 17 feet wide and 18 feet tall, will leave the New Prague facility sometime Friday evening, Sept. 13. The tanks, which weigh 395,000 pounds empty, will head south on Highway 21 to Main Street, then go east on Main Street/Highway 19 through downtown New Prague and continue on to Highway 13, then head north on Highway 13 toward Savage.

The New Prague Trojan girls swim and dive team defeated Litchfield 60-40 Thursday, Sept. 5, to go to 2- 1 on the season (1-1 Wright County Conference). They also placed third at the Blomington Kennedy Invitational Saturday, Sept. 7. New Prague will host Dassel Cokato Thursday, Sept. 12, and Waconia on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Trojans 60, Dragons 40 New Prague placed 1-2 in two individual events, Ella Lund won the 200 freestyle and Julia Basset was second in a personal best time of 2:24.52, while in the 200 individual medley, Payten Schieffer and Riley Siegle took the top two spots.

Seven years ago Martin Brett of Kilkenny, Ireland, made a trip to Kilkenny, MN.
At the time, Brett was the mayor of the community and was extended an invitation to come to Minnesota.
Mayor Brett was present for the first Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration, but he also attended for another reason.
The two cities signed a formal twinning, which is an official document which declared them sister cities.

The New Prague Ice Arena Association Board of Directors recently received a completed feasibility study regarding adding a second sheet of ice to the 23-year-old facility located on 12th Street NE.
The study, according to Kevin Cassidy, manager of the Ice Arena, was done to determine where the association stands, how much revenue could be produced and how much revenue is leaving the community to purchase ice outside the community.

Mother Nature showed off its awesome power last week, as Hurricane Dorian made its way along the eastern seaboard. Thankfully, much of the U.S. was spared from its fury, though there was some major flooding and damage when the hurricane made landfall in North Carolina.

Farmhouse Market owners Paul and Kendra Rasmusson, have opened a two-bedroom inn above their store at 120 West Main Street.
Featuring top-notch finishes designed to encourage out-of-towners to visit New Prague for longer than just a day trip, the inn houses two rooms, each with their own bathroom, and a shared common space. The inn can be rented by the individual room or as a 2-bedroom suite.

The New Prague Trojans played one of their best matches of the season Thursday, Sept. 5, but came up short in a 1-0 loss to state power Orono. They rebounded with a 3-1 win over Section 1AA rival Rochester Mayo.

The New Prague Trojan girls tennis team split a pair of dual meets last week, losing to Chanhassen and defeating Holy Family Catholic. The team placed fourth at the Brainerd Invitational Saturday, Sept. 7.
New Prague’s meet with Mankato East on Monday, Sept. 9, was postponed due to rain. The Trojans were scheduled to compete at Orono Tuesday, Sept. 10, then host Delano Tuesday, Sept. 17. New Prague faces Hutchinson at home on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Memorial services for Arthur Erickson, of Glenwood, MN, formerly of Starbuck, MN, will be held on Monday, September 16, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Indherred Lutheran Church, rural Starbuck, MN, with Reverend Dr. Joel Rolf officiating.  Visitation will be on Sunday, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.  Burial will be in the church cemetery. 

Randy D. Barrington, age 51, of Belle Plaine, died peacefully surrounded by his loving family at his home on Sunday, September 8, 2019.  Randy was born on March 29, 1968 in New Prague to Wayne A.

The rainy weather ended just in time for Heidelberg's annual Community Day and Car Show on Sunday. While the event didn't have as much attendance as previous years, a good amount of people still came. There were vendor booths selling baked goods, clothing, plants and food. Inside of the pavilion were brats, burgers and more food for sale. Kids had the park and a couple of giant inflatables to keep them entertained. See more in the print edition.

The New Prague Trojans played three quarters of outstanding football, leading 21-7 over Rochester Mayo late in the third quarter.
But the Spartans scored on the final play of the third, then added three more touchdowns in the fourth, including two in the final three minutes, to claim a 36-21 win Friday, Sept. 6, in New Prague.
New Prague scored on its first drive of the game and again midway through the second quarter to take a 14-0 lead. But Mayo answered with a kickoff return to cut the Trojans’ lead to 14-7 at halftime.

September 6 marks a big anniversary for this newspaper.
It was on that date, in 1889, that the first edition of The New Prague Times was published. New Prague was a growing community whose population had nearly tripled, from 384 in 1880 to 955 in 1890. It was becoming a center of commerce and agricultural production.

First Bank & Trust serves up a delicious meal during their Customer Appreciation Day on Thursday, September 5.