Two local 4-H youth are stepping into one of Minnesota 4-H’s most prestigious leadership roles. Le Sueur County is one of only five counties in the state to have more than one State Ambassador selected.

Elizabeth Holicky of Le Center and Audrey Keltgen of Le Sueur have been selected as members of the 2026– 2027 Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador Team, joining 30 other outstanding young leaders from across the state.

    One of the longest running Minnesota County Fairs is celebrating its 169th year next week.
    The Le Sueur County Fair begins Thursday, August 20 at the fairgrounds in Le Center, and runs through Sunday, August 23. It is the last county fair before the Minnesota State Fair.
    Every year the fair board approves improvements to the grounds and this year will be no different, with many new spruced up areas.

Two straight wins in the 13-60 League Tournament has given the Morristown amateur baseball team a chance to play in the Region 5C Tournament.

The Morries picked up a 9-2 win over Albert Lea Wednesday, July 29 and an 11-8 win over Blue Earth in the 13-60 League winner's bracket final Saturday, August 1.

Those two wins have moved Morristown into the eight-team, double elimination Region 5C Tournament, which starts Saturday, August 8 in Cannon Falls.

Construction on a new fish hatchery facility outside of Waterville has been pushed back until 2027, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The delay comes from the amount of time it takes to get all the required permits approved.

Construction was first expected to begin this spring, and then in September.

William Ernest Friedner, age 89, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 10, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

    The Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant is looking for queen and junior ambassador candidates for its 37th annual event.
    If you are of Czech or Slovak decent and live within Minnesota, and are between the ages of 12-15 for junior ambassadors or between ages 16-23 for queen by Aug.1, you can apply through their website at missczechslovakminnesotapageant.com.
    The applications are due by Aug. 1 and a contestant meeting will be held on Aug. 9. The pageant will be held at the Park Ballroom in New Prague after the Dožínky Days on Sept. 19.

Ralph Edward Gregor, age 76, of rural Waterville, died on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at his home.

Eagle Lake, a Class B amateur baseball team, came to Waterville Wednesday, June 24 and defeated the Waterville Indians, 12-2 in eight innings in a non-league game.

The Expos, who were previously in the 13-60 League with the Indians, scored five runs in the fourth inning and added four more in the eighth inning to pick up their ninth win in 12 games.

Dalton Grose started for Waterville and pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out two.

As we approach America’s 250th birthday, it’s a great time to remember our country’s heritage and teach kids the importance behind this momentous occasion! From the Founding Fathers who were relentless in their quest for freedom, to the ordinary Americans across the country who made Independence Day the celebration that it is today.

The 133rd Annual North Morristown 4th of July Celebration will be held Saturday, July 4th. This is the oldest 4th of July celebration in the state.

The stands and games will begin at 9 a.m. This popular 4th of July Celebration will open with the Flag Raising at 9:45 a.m. by the American Legion.

The Theme Baskets/Silent Auction also begins at 9 a.m. with a wide variety of items to bid on. This will run until 1 p.m.

Bulldog track and field teams earn All-Gopher honors

Seventeen JWP/WEM track and field athletes earned All-Gopher Conference honors following the 2026 spring season.

The girls team had 11 athletes named and the boys had six athletes named.

In order to make the First Team, athletes needed to win an event in the Gopher Conference Meet which was held in early May. Honorable Mention selections were picked based on their performances in the meet.

The Bulldogs boys and girls teams each won their respective conference championships.

Dorothy Esther Zellmer, age 97, of Waseca, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2026, at Colony Court in Waseca.

The Sakatah Cemetery Association is continuing to work on upgrading and improving veteran gravestones which have deteriorated over the years.

Many of these veterans no longer have family members who can attend to repairs of these stones. Stars have been purchased by the Cemetery Board to ensure that every veteran has one on his/ her grave year around and not just for Memorial Day weekend. The veterans’ service was year round, and the Board felt this honor should be maintained year round.

The candidates for Miss Elysian, Junior Miss Elysian, and Princess of the Lakes have been getting ready for their respective competitions which are scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 at 7 p.m. at the Elysian Fire Hall.

For the fifth time, a Junior Miss will be selected. This portion of the pageant is for local girls who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.

Two young women are looking for the title of Miss Elysian 2026. They are Isabella Cage, daughter of Elliott and Lisa Cage and Liviana Lee, daughter of Jacob and Leslie Lee.

Halfway through their league season, the Waterville Indians amateur baseball team remains on top of the 13-60 League with a 5-1 record after a 2-0 shutout of Janesville Sunday, June 21. 

The Indians are tied for first with Minnesota Lake, a team they defeated two weeks ago.

The win Sunday included another impressive pitching performance by Dallas McBroom.

McBroom pitched eight scoreless innings and among the 24 outs he recorded, 17 of them were by strikeouts.

Sam Stier shut the door in the ninth inning, picking up his first save of the season.

Three WEM baseball players were honored last week by Gopher Conference baseball coaches.

Seniors Jacob Androli, Andrew Krenik, and Noah Lanham received post-season awards. Lanham received the Sportsmanship Award. Androli was named to the All-Gopher First Team. Krenik was named to the Honorable Mention All-Gopher Team. Androli was named for the second straight season.

The top 25 players were named to the All-Conference Team. Each team has one player named to the Honorable Mention Team. Each team had one player selected to receive the Sportsmanship Award.