Eight Grizzly wrestlers competed in the NYWA State Tournaments this past weekend in Rochester and three returned with top five finishes.

Second graders Ryatt Melchert, Rhett Melchert, and Maddox Knish each reached the podium in their respective weight classes.

Knish placed second in the 1st-2nd grade 61-pound weight class. Rhett Melchert placed fourth in the 1st-2nd grade 75-pound weight class. Ryatt Melchert placed fifth in the 1st-2nd grade 80-pound weight class.

NexGen Home Services received Waterville Chamber’s “Good News Megaphone” in February. Not only is the Chamber celebrating their relocation to Waterville but also their industry state award.

A law that was on the books in Minnesota since 1942 was repealed by the Minnesota State Legislature for 2026.

Minnesota Statute 97B.318, which stated “During the regular firearms season in the shotgun use area, only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns, and legal handguns may be used for taking deer. Legal shotguns include those with rifled barrels,” was effectively repealed as of Jan. 1, 2026.

    A law that was on the books in Minnesota since 1942 was repealed by the Minnesota State Legislature for 2026. 
    Minnesota Statute 97B.318, which stated “During the regular firearms season in the shotgun use area, only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns, and legal handguns may be used for taking deer. Legal shotguns include those with rifled barrels,” was effectively repealed as of Jan. 1, 2026. 

The 7th Annual Hoot Lanes Jr. League Scholarship Tournament was held on Sunday, March 21, 2026 and this one was bigger than ever.

This tournament is limited to bowlers that bowl in the Hoot Lanes Jr. League. 34 bowlers participated in the tournament which is the most in the seven-year history.

The event was another enormous success. The tourney awarded $12,000 in scholarships for the tournament which is also the most money ever donated.

There was also a $300 random draw by the Bowl4Life Scholarship Foundation and the winner of this scholarship was Mason Waugh.

Choir students receive “Superior” rating at Sub-Sections

The WEM Music Department has been very busy this year and during the final months of the school year they have many events planned.

Of those events, two are coming back to the district after not being held for years.

Most recently, the WEM Choir participated in the Sub-Section Music Contest Festival and they were awarded the top honor, a “Superior” rating.

For generations of Scouts and Scouters across Minnesota, Camp Cuyuna has been a place of adventure, faith, friendship, and lifelong memories. From campfires and merit badges to quiet moments along the lake, thousands of young people and volunteers experienced some of the most meaningful moments of their lives there.

Its Girl Scout Cookie Season and these three 8th Grade Girl Scouts are excited to be raising money to put toward their Silver Award Project. WEM Area Girl Scouts Mallory Wetzel, Tori Bruns, and Charli Atherton have started working on their project, which will consist of putting together activity bags for social workers and public health employees to bring with them to home visits, and they are also putting together foster care bags for children who are unexpectantly/involuntarily removed from their home. The foster care bags will consist of..

Rice County Highway Engineer Dennis Luebbe appeared at the Morristown City Council’s March 2 meeting to discuss the possibility of connecting a trail or sidewalk from Highway 60 to Verdev Drive.

“That project is still in our 10-year plan,” Luebbe said. “The county board approved it in the middle of February. We’re looking at trying to secure money from MnDOT, through one of their grants.”

Luebbe says they have tried to get a grant for that project for a few years.

WEM art students have been sharing their talents with the community in displays in Waterville and Faribault and beyond over the course of the last few weeks.

The Graphic Design students created personalized logos for hats and shirts under the guidance of visiting artist and local business owner, Brady Fisher of Brady Gifts and Promotional. Featured WEM designers include: Cody (Otten) Doring, Gage Bliss, Jackson Dahl, Gage Hobmeier, Nevaeh Geyer, Alix Velzke and Cora Shaw.

In last year’s legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law ending the shotgun-only zone for deer hunting in the southern and west-central counties of the state.

The action leaves each county currently in the shotgun-only zone with the decision of whether to pass an ordinance to maintain the ban on rifle hunting.

Le Sueur County can either do nothing and allow the rifle hunting ban to lift, or it can pass an ordinance to uphold the current law.

MnUSA Snowmobile Family of the Year Award - 2025

Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association’s (MnUSA) awarded Saturday, February 14 during that evening’s banquet at the annual Winter Rendezvous at SouthShore Hotel in Bemidji, the Snowmobile Family of the Year to the Mike and Cheryl Clevenger Family of Morristown and member of Faribo Sno-Go Club - Faribault, MN and Sakatah Trail Sno-Cruisers - Waterville.

A new member of the Waterville Police Department is currently in the process of going through training while still be utilizing by the department.

Leo, a new law enforcement therapy dog, is currently in the middle of his training which is being provided by Soldier’s 6, a non-profit based in Inver Grove Heights.

Waterville Chief of Police Bob Petrasek and the Waterville Police Department have been selected by Heart of America Whoodles to receive the canine who will become part of the department. Petrasek will be the dog’s handler.

The WEM Board of Education accepted the retirement letters of two long-time school district employees.

Jeff Boran, Activities Administrator/Community Education Director and Thomas Walker, High School Spanish and Social Studies Teacher, will be be retiring following this school year.

Boran submitted this letter to the WEM Board:

For the past 37 years it has been my privilege to work alongside excellent colleagues, administrators, members of the WEM Board of Education, teachers, coaches, custodial, transportation, and clerical and support staff.

NRHEG Secondary hosted the 2026 Gopher Conference Fine Arts Showcase Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. A total of 71 band and 87 choir students from NRHEG, Blooming Prairie, JWP, Hayfield, Medford, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Randolph, Triton, USC and WEM participated in this extraordinary event.

Waterville Police Sergeant Amy Mathias is now a certified D.A.R.E. Officer after completing training over the past month.

Mathias is scheduled to starting teaching the WEM fifth and sixth grade students next year, continuing the tradition the Rice County Sheriff’s Department had started with local students in Morristown over a number of years.