Generations Theatre Company will be performing its second show this summer with this weekend’s performance of “The All Night Strut - American Songbook Standards,” Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, at New Prague High School, 221 12th St. NE. Times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday.

We frequently receive columns and statements from the politicians who represent the area. More often than not, they are complaining about what the ‘other’ side of the political spectrum is up to. This week, an email from Rep. Terry Stier, R-Belle Plaine, reached the in-box.

Stephen A. Swenson, age 81, of New Prague, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2025. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Steve lived a life marked by love, service, and quiet determination.

He met the love of his life, Jean, on a blind date at the circus—an unforgettable beginning to a 57-year marriage. They were married on June 15, 1968. After living in the Twin Cities for several years, Steve and Jean followed their dream of country life and moved to a hobby farm in New Prague in 1977, where they raised their family and built a life full of meaningful work and community.

Thomas Duane (Lynch) Wegleitner, age 42, of Lonsdale, died tragically on Saturday, June 21, 2025, as a result of a motor vehicle accident in Nebraska, while returning from his daughter’s pageant.  The actions he took to avoid the oncoming vehicle saved his family’s life.

Thomas R. Walther, age 89, passed away on July 9, 2025, at Mala Strana in New Prague after a long battle with metastatic prostate cancer.  He is survived by his son, John (Brenda) and daughter, Janice; granddaughters, Arianna, Maya, Renata; sister-in-law, Nancy.
   Tom grew up in Minneapolis and was the youngest of four children.  He attended Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Minnesota.  After college, he served as a Specialist in the Army.

Elko New Market honored Jim Marsh, who helped found the city’s volunteer fire department and was one of its assistant fire chiefs, as Marsh was named grand marshal of Fire Rescue Days’ Community Parade, Saturday, June 28.
“That was one heck of a surprise,” said Marsh, who now lives with his wife in Savage. “I never expected that in any way, shape or form.”

With the July 4 holiday in the rearview mirror, many area town baseball teams are turning their focus to being in top form for the stretch drive and a spot in the Minnesota Baseball Association postseason tournaments.
In District 3B, Jordan, Union Hill, Webster and New Prague hold the top four spots. Eagle Lake was fifth in the standings last updated June 29. The top five teams receive a first-round bye in the playoffs. The fifththrough 11th-place teams will play a best-of-three series.

St. Wenceslaus Catholic Parish, based in New Prague, welcomed Rev. Timothy Norris to its staff beginning Tuesday, July 1.
Norris has been a priest for 31 years, most recently at Church of Saint Stephen-Holy Rosary in Minneapolis.
“I’ve known of him for a number of years,” said Rev. Eugene Theisen, pastor of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Parish. “He’s a good, holy, but quiet priest.”
“So far, it has been a lot of moving in,” Rev. Norris said. “I’ve received a warm welcome.”

During the June 23 school board meeting, directors Carrie Cuff and Dan Call cast two votes in opposition to the school board’s plans to ask New Prague School District voters to approve in a single question an increase in the amount of property taxes it can use to fund daily operations. One of the votes was far more interesting than the other.

Joyce Mary Denzer, age 77, of Blaine, formerly of Montgomery, died following a three-year courageous battle with cancer on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at her home.

‘I’m lucky. I’m alive. I get to be here’
She recalls being told it was not common for women her age to develop cancer. Twenty-two years later, Shauna Swanepoel wants to do whatever she can to help any person, regardless of their age, receive that diagnosis.

New Prague city staff has received complaints this month about the dog park at 701 12th St. NE, specifically about the tall grass, estimated by some residents to be three-feet high, in the large dog area. City staff is considering how best to deal with the situation.

Tomorrow, Friday, July 4, we’ll celebrate the nation’s 249th birthday. It’s quite a feat, celebrating so many birthdays until you think about how young a country we are compared to some of the other great democracies around the world.

Franciscan nun worked at St. Wenceslaus for nine years
Her close friends describe Virginia Heldorfer as someone who with compassion and will unconditionally accept people wherever they are on life’s expedition. She enjoys funny stories and good conversations over a cup of coffee.

For Jacob Bongers and his family, Home Town Bats’ ninth annual benefit home run derby was a grand slam of an evening.
A crowd estimated at 600 attended the Saturday, June 28, event at Don Giesen Field in Union Hill. Sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted the crowd who came out to raise funds for the Bongers family and watch local town ball players hit 193 home runs during the evening.
“It’s surreal, with all these people, many who we don’t even know, coming out to help our kid,” said Paul Bongers, Jacob’s dad. “It’s a position in life we never knew we would be in.”