After a very successful high school career, WEM graduate Brielle Bartelt has continued her outstanding play at the next level.
Bartelt, a freshman at Iowa Lakes Community College, was named to the Division II All-Region Third Team, which includes 14 teams.
Sophomores Jaeda Whitner (1st Team), Rachel Puok (2nd Team), and Waseca graduate Rachel Breck (2nd Team) were also honored from the Laker team.
Bartelt played in all 31 games, averaging 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. She hit 55 three-pointers added 44 steals, and 12 blocked shots.

Evelyn Alma Delaske, age 101, of Waterville, died on March 8, 2022, at Carriage House Senior Living in Le Center.

As journalists, we rely on open government and freedom of information principles to keep the public informed about its government. Sometimes, we are met with roadblocks.
Sunshine Week, which is spearheaded by the LifeEnterprise News Leaders Association, champions open and transparent government at all levels. That means from the local school board or city council meetings, to the emails a state representative sent that supports a bill, all the way up to the President at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C.

WEM freshmen Keegan Kuball and Carson Petry are the latest Grizzly wrestlers to advance to the Class A State Wrestling Tournament.
Kuball won the Section 2A heavyweight division Saturday in Blue Earth. Petry was the Section 2A runner-up at 113 pounds. Both will compete Friday, March 4 starting at approximately 10:30 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Penny Terrell, age 70, passed away on February 13, 2022.
She was preceded in death by parents Ralph and Margaret and sisters Fay, Kay, and Joan. She was survived by siblings Ralph (Jodi), Margaret, Beth, Blair (Shannon), Pat (Sue), Judy (Bob), Tim (Robin), Chris, Jeanne (Tim) and Maureen; as well as many relatives and friends.

Eugene "Gene" Harold Schwake, age 83, of Waterville, died on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at Traditions of Waterville.

A young woman has died in a house explosion, Saturday, Feb. 26, according to Le Sueur Count Sheriff, Brett Mason.
While the woman’s identity has not been officially released, Facebook posts have indicated it was Kailey Mach.

The Minnesota State High School League and other organizations are launching an initiative in light of recent events. In a statement released today:

It’s 7:30 a.m.—almost an hour before school starts— but 10 brainy Buccaneers are already seated in desks, deep in thought.
They are the members of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School’s Knowledge Bowl Team.
A few students munch their breakfasts.
Many down caffeinated drinks.
All are focused on solving the question at hand, a brand-named brainteaser that Knowledge Bowl Advisor (and Spanish teacher) Tom Walker has posed: resonating percussion instruments of a political faction.

With one Gopher Conference game to play, the WEM girls basketball team has a chance to finish in second place after two more conference wins last week.
The Bucs defeated JWP (50-32) and Faribault BA (64-50) to improve to 11-4 in the conference, one half game in front of Maple River and a game behind NRHEG. The Bucs will play at NRHEG Friday, Feb. 18.
The week opened with the 18 point win over JWP. The Bulldogs managed only nine first half points, seven by Claire Adams who finished with 12 points. WEM held an 18-9 halftime lead and never trailed.

FFA Week has a new title at WEM High School, FFA/ Snow Week.
The WEM FFA will run daily activities as they have for years, with the addition of coronation.
Three males and three females in each of the high school grades were chosen as royalty. They were voted on by WEM staff based on their PBIS traits. Grade level students will then vote for their king and queen of the court. The royalty includes:

Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn. of Blue Earth, died Thursday night at age 59 of kidney cancer, his wife said in a Facebook post.
Hagedorn represented the Minnesota’s First Congressional District, that includes 21 counties from South Dakota to Wisconsin, along the Iowa border. The district covers much of the southern third of the state and includes Rochester, Austin and Mankato.

Tom died peacefully at the Northfield Care Center surrounded by loved ones on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at the age of 87.

Paul Thomas Brekke, age 79 of rural Waterville, passed away at his home on the evening of Wednesday, February 2, 2022.

The work of former Le Sueur County resident Edward S. Curtis, a world renowned photographer of Native Americans during the late 1800s and early 1900s, is being celebrated in the form of a free exhibit in the lower-level of the Elysian Area Library and Heritage Center, now through mid-March.
With more than 85 large prints on display and indigenous artifacts, the exhibit is the largest of its kind to be featured in the area—a salute to Curtis’s ties to Elysian Township.

John (Jake) “Pops” Keohen, age 83, of Montgomery, beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great grandfather left this earth to join his heavenly Father on February 8th, 2022.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Kay; his sons, John “Jake”, Pete, Matt, Tim’s widow, Diana; stepchildren, Scott (Diane), Craig (Carolyn), Pam (Larry), Faith (Randy) and sister, Kathryn (Tatty); 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Jerry; sisters, Mary Hennes and Patricia Rynda; brother, Jerry and son, Tim “Wally”.