Matt Konop is the central character in a story that unites the Two Rivers area with the City of Domazlice lived most of his adult life in Two Rivers and passed away in 1983 Army’s 2nd Infantry Division in World War II as a lieutenant colonel OTHER NEWS: Lakeshore Big Band performs at Capitol April 8 OTHER NEWS:  Meow app meeting led to underage sex — then a high stakes felony case Konop was selected by his division’s commanding officer to head an advance party of soldiers charged with liberating cities and villages in western Czechoslovakia in April-May 1945 following the defeat of the Germans His leadership was sought based on his Czech lineage and ability to speak Czech It was soon recognized that one of the towns being liberated by Lt was the ancestral home from which his family emigrated in the 1860s This caused the local citizens to welcome him “one of their own” who had returned to liberate their city from the Nazis celebrates that liberation by a company of American GIs This amazing bit of history, linking the communities of Two Rivers and Domazlice, has been celebrated over the past decade by Matt Konop’s grandson, Patrick Dewane, whose one-man show, “The Accidental Hero,” has played to audiences across the U.S. and Europe. Learn more about the show at www.accidentalhero.net has expressed an interest in establishing a Sister City relationship or cultural exchange with Two Rivers Patrick Dewane has floated the concept of such a relationship with the City of Two Rivers and the Two Rivers Historical Society The idea has won endorsement from both entities including a resolution of support adopted by our city council March 6 Council President Patrick Gagnon shared some research done by an area resident who traced more than 60 family names from western Czechoslovakia to the Two Rives area there is a lot of Czech ancestry in Two Rivers An initial meeting of a citizens’ steering committee was held March 16 at Lester Public Library A delegation of Two Rivers-area residents is planning a trip to Domazlice this May to kick off the exchange and to lay the groundwork for future visits The group includes former Kurtz’s owner Jim Christensen who knows that region (and its beers) very well watch the city’s Facebook page or feel free to call the city manager’s office Lisa Kuehn joined the city manager’s office this week in the position of administrative assistant to the city manager/deputy city clerk In this position, Kuehn is the face and voice of the city manager’s office, assisting the public with service and information requests. She also keeps the office organized (no small task), is in charge of the public meetings calendar and various agendas, and is one of the administrators of the TR City Hall Facebook page Lisa will also assist City Clerk Kim Graves with voter registrations and election administration and is Kim’s backup as clerk of the city council She comes to the position with nine years of municipal government experience with the City of Manitowoc the past five years with the Office of City Clerk Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley can be contacted by calling 920-793-5532, or by emailing gbuckley@two-rivers.org For travel to the United States on a temporary basis For foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of participating countries* to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less Outside of Czech Republic: +420-257-022-000 or from U.S Learn more about quality higher-education opportunities in the U.S that you will not find anywhere else in the world Find the closest American Space in Czech Republic where you can connect with the U.S government agencies work with Czech Republic Cultural Attaché Erik Black and representatives of the Boy Scouts of America attended the ceremonial unveiling of a memorial to the U.S Army’s liberation of Domažlice in World War II The families of four American veterans — Matt Konop and Herman Geist — raised approximately twenty thousand dollars to create the memorial which awarded the four men honorary citizenship in 2016 contributed a similar amount to fund the creation and construction of the memorial By | 8 June, 2021 | Topics: Events, News We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience World javelin champion Haruka Kitaguchi is keen to reap the rewards of her early qualification to the Paris Olympics training at her own pace at her Czech Republic training base The 25-year-old twice rewrote national records in 2023 she qualified for Paris and became Japan's first woman world athletics championships gold medalist in an event other than the marathon "It'd be great if I can win the gold medal in Paris but it won't be easy," Kitaguchi told Kyodo News recently "(Having already booked the Paris spot) I can prepare without being fixated about qualification standards and relax while analyzing my rivals' progress." She began her Olympic preparation in Japan in November but returned to Domazlice in early January going through two sessions a day under 49-year-old coach David Sekerak "The biggest thing is getting feedback straight away The training has been better," Kitaguchi said Kitaguchi hurled herself into the limelight in Japan last year but is also making a name for herself in the Czech Republic she has been honored by Domazlice for raising the town's profile and promoting sports "It's rare for overseas athletes to be covered by Czech television who marvels at her 2019 decision to move here when she was unable to understand what people said in training "I'm not sure if I could do something so assertive now and thanks to that many people are paying attention to me I'm a Japanese athlete but have been able to operate beyond Japan's typical boundaries." Kitaguchi became the first Japanese to win a Diamond League season championship She is looking to make her Olympic year debut in April at the athletics series' second event in Suzhou After finishing 12th in her Olympic debut in 2021 Kitaguchi is ready to apply in Paris her lessons from three years ago I know from last time that other throwers become more intense at the Olympics," she said "But it's important not to think I have to do something different just because of that I feel it's best if I can express my own self." Athletics: Kitaguchi becomes 1st Japanese to win Diamond League title Athletics: Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi wins women's world javelin throw title Athletics: Japan misses out on men's relay medal at world championships To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved TWO RIVERS – Patrick Dewane will perform “The Accidental Hero” at The Washington House Museum The performance will be in honor of Veterans Day. Veterans will receive free admission while general admission is $15 and Two Rivers Historical Society members pay $10. Tickets and more are at https://www.tworivers-history.org/ticketed-events/ The one-man show is based on Dewane’s grandfather’s long-lost manuscript — the jaw-dropping true story of Two Rivers’ own Lt the only language spoken on his grandfather’s farm near Stangelville And Czech would be his superpower the last week of World War II earning him the assignment of commander of the advance party to liberate Czechoslovakia History: See what this Manitowoc Civil War soldier wrote home about from the front lines in April 1864 Of all the places to poke across the border Army sent Konop to the same remote villages his grandparents had left for Stangelville in the 1860s The jubilant Czechs gave Konop a hero’s homecoming parading him around town on their shoulders as their liberator The experience flipped Konop’s sense of who he was the Communist regime outlawed the telling of his story a long-forgotten manuscript was discovered in a basement History: The Waverly was a first-class hotel in Two Rivers. Today, it's home to Waverly Inn Pub & Pizzeria. both in America and the free Czech Republic and the second life of Konop’s heroics prompted the cities of Two Rivers and Domažlice 2 performance in the Grand Ballroom of The Washington House Museum is limited People are advised to reserve tickets in advance Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com, or follow him on X at @breidHTRNews. PlayListenA Story of LiberationGo Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories We have added it to a list of your favorite stories Matt Konop carried atop the shoulders of the residents of Domazlice after the town was liberated from Nazi occupation Minnesotan Patrick Dewane will present a one-man play at the Minnesota History Center called "The Mushroom Picker: A Family Story about World War II." It's part of the History Center's ongoing exploration of Minnesota's Greatest Generation The play is based on a memoir written by Dewane's grandfather It tells the story of one man's remarkable experiences during World War II which Konop never talked about while he was alive MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all Matt Konop as a child.Courtesy of Patrick DewanePatrick Dewane says his grandfather Matt Konop was born near Green Bay in tight-knit community of Czechoslovakian immigrants and their descendants my people spoke Czech for 50 years in this country before they learned English," said Dewane As a result of his upbringing in that insular community Konop was fluent in both English and Czech when he joined the Army shortly before the U.S Konop saw quite a bit of combat duty in Europe his division led the liberation of Czechoslovakia from Nazi occupation MPR's Jim Bickal spoke with Patrick Dewane about his grandfather's story TWO RIVERS - The Sister Cities of Two Rivers and Domažlice are participating in a music exchange between the Two Rivers High School student drummers and the Domažlice student drummers Two Rivers students will visit Domažlice in November and Domažlice students will be in Two Rivers in May 2020 Eight Two Rivers hand drumming students have been selected to represent their city and school: Nicole Moreau In addition to family stays and attending school and events the students will perform in at least two major concerts: Nov and "30 Years Without Communism" celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution with Czech They will perform a world premiere piece written by Two Rivers High School Band Director Andy Pagel "Sister City Drumming," which was inspired by The New World Symphony composed by Czech composer Anton Dvořák The idea for the exchange began in July 2018 when a delegation from Domažlice visited Two Rivers to celebrate the partnership between the two cities and Pagel discovered that their music programs included drumming They discussed the possibility of a music exchange with their Sister City committees and their school administrators the Two Rivers delegation to Domažlice met with their representatives and returned to Two Rivers with a proposal that was approved by both schools for 2019 and 2020 Two Rivers School District Superintendent Lisa Quistorf and Sister City Committee Lead Brenda Koprowski have been instrumental in making the exchange a reality Here is what the students had to say about being part of the exchange: “A wonderful opportunity for students of different cultures to come together to celebrate both music and history our town’s share.” — Joaquin Guynes“Being a part of the music exchange trip is exhilarating because of the opportunity it opens to learn about another culture and represent our town and music program abroad.” — Blas Guzman“It’s going to be a great experience and I’m very thankful to be a part of it.” — Garrett Pagel“I’m really excited to have this amazing opportunity to form connections with another nation through music.” — Haley Vanne“I’m extremely lucky to get to experience their culture and learn a different way to interpret music in the Czech Republic.” — Brooke Jennings"I’m very grateful that I have been given this amazing opportunity to travel to the Czech Republic and perform pieces with students from our Sister City and other countries." — Nicole MoreauFunding for this trip is being made possible through sponsorships Interested sponsors and donors through the Sister City Delegation are asked to contact Brenda Koprowski People can also contact Andy Pagel at Two Rivers High School regarding sponsorships at 920-793-4425 RELATED: Running cross country has motivated Valders' Nate Griepentrog to pursue physical therapy RELATED: Valders High School's Josiah Welch: From homeschooled to Stellar Student An international express train and a regional passenger train collided near the village of Milavče between the Domažlice and Blížejov stations in the Plzeň region of the Czech Republic resulting in the deaths of three people and dozens of injuries The incident occurred at approximately at 8:05 a.m Two of the fatalities were Czech train drivers one of whom was driving the express train from Munich The third fatality was a woman on the RegioShark regional train according to emergency responders at the scene Another five people are in serious condition and South Bohemia joined the rescue effort The most seriously injured were transported by helicopter to hospitals in Motol and Střešovice in Prague and to the University Hospital in Plzeň Further casualties were taken to the Domažlice Hospital which has canceled all operations planned for today and made several beds available in case more injured people needed to be hospitalized Dozens of people suffered lighter injuries such as bruises and scratches said regional rescue service spokeswoman Mária Svobodová said There were about 60 firefighters on the scene Emergency workers from South Bohemians and Germany are also helping "Three German speakers are in the care of crews from Germany and were subsequently transported to German hospitals," Svobodová said Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Petr Poncar said the slightly injured and uninjured people were taken to the local cultural center in Milavče A post-traumatic intervention team is at the scene and police psychologists have also gone there Firefighters have set up an information line at 950 330 330 for people affected by the incident People who had been on the trains involved in the accident and left the scene without contacting emergency services are asked to call that number as well 📞 HZS Plzeňského kraje zřídil informační linku pro OBÄŒANY POSTIŽENÉ TOUTO MIMOŘÁDNOU UDÁLOSTÍ na telefonním čísle 950 330 330. https://t.co/mwrZ6yrTqd Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček visited the scene "I am just returning from the site of the train accident in Domažlice they do an excellent job," he said on Twitter "The causes of the accident are being investigated; according to all information there was a failure of the human factor at the express train which did not stop at the Stop signal," he added PrávÄ› se vracím z místa vlakového neÅ¡tÄ›stí na Domažlicku Velké podÄ›kování zdravotníkům odvádÄ›jí výbornou práci Příčiny nehody se vyÅ¡etÅ™ují podle vÅ¡ech informací doÅ¡lo k selhání lidského faktoru u rychlíku který nezastavil na návÄ›stidle Stůj The Czech Railway Inspectorate (DI ČR) is investigating the incident Damages are expected to run into tens of millions of crowns The inspectorate confirmed that the accident happened on a single-track section where one of the trains was supposed to wait for the other to pass before entering DI ČR spokesman Martin Drápal told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) that the exact circumstances of the accident were not yet clear Drápal said the Railway Inspectorate could reach its preliminary conclusions by the end of today but a full investigation will take several months Aktuální pÅ™edpoklad obnovení provozu po nehodÄ› u Milavčí na Domažlicku je v pátek 6 srpna ve večerních hodinách The German express train is owned by the private railway operator Landerbahn a daughter company of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Landerbahn director Wolfgang Pollety expressed sympathy to the victims of the train accident Landerbahn said it is responsible for the operation of the Alex train only on German territory and the Czech Railways (CD) is responsible for this train on Czech territory Traffic on the single-track international Prague - Plzeň - Furt im Wald - Munich line has been suspended The Railway Administration (SŽ) tweeted that service on the line would resume on the evening of Aug An alternative bus service is running between Domažlice and Staňkov stations Czech Railways spokesman Petr Št'ahlavský told ČTK that those affected would be compensated according to the law Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. Why not enjoy it with our daily newsletter? News from Czechia, curated insights, and inspiring stories in English. Three people died and dozens more were injured on Wednesday when two trains collided at a village in the west of the Czech Republic number Ex 351 belonging to the German firm Die Laenderbahn collided with a regional train between the Czech towns of Plzen and Domazlice which was coming from the opposite direction Rescuers said two of the dead were Czech engine drivers one of whom was operating the German train The third victim was a female passenger on the regional train.  Several foreigners were travelling on the German train and some of them were among the injured has killed three and left dozens of people injured," national rail operator Sprava zeleznic said on Twitter.  "All the passengers have been evacuated from the trains," the firm added.  National police said every passenger was accounted for adding that the accident happened shortly after 8am (0600 GMT) at Milavce rescuers said 31 people whose lives were not in danger were being treated and seven others were in a critical state.  According to footage shown on Czech public television one part of the German train was completely mangled though both vehicles remained upright.  Die Laenderbahn said in a statement that "the running of the train on the Czech side is the responsibility of the CD" - 'Situation is serious' -Czech Transport Minister Karel Havlicek said "the Ex 351 did not respect a signal.. "The situation is serious," Havlicek said as he headed to the scene of the accident Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis tweeted his "sincere condolences to the families of the dead this summer is full of tragedies," he added.  several ambulances and dozens of rescuers were dispatched to the site the Bavarian ambulance service and doctors from (the German city of) Cham are also at the scene of the rail accident," Czech police tweeted "German police have also offered assistance," they added.  Two train crashes in the Czech Republic in July last year left three people dead and dozens injured The Czech Republic has seen several other fatal railway accidents over the years including one that killed 118 people and injured another 100 in 1960 when the country was still a part of Czechoslovakia.  please register for free or log in to your account An emergency personnel works on a site of a train crash near the town of Domazlice Czech Republic: Three people died and eight were seriously injured on Wednesday when a Munich-to-Prague express train ran through a stop signal and collided with a local commuter train in the Czech Republic Several passengers were taken by helicopters to hospitals from the crash site near the western Czech village of Milavce Fifty people suffered lighter injuries not requiring immediate treatment A police spokeswoman said three people had been killed She could not confirm local media reports that the dead included the drivers of the two trains and one passenger "The Ex 351 went through a signal indicating Stop...and collided with a passenger train," Transport Minister Karel Havlicek said on Twitter 140 km (85 miles) southwest of the capital Prague The fast train struck a local train travelling from Plzen to Domazlice said a spokesman for Ceske Drahy (Czech Railways) which operates both trains He said the two train drivers were both Czech A Reuters photographer described the smashed driver's cabin in the express train's locomotive and the wrecked front of the local train Both trains remained upright on or near the tracks