The calendar year of 2019 will be filled with many projects in Le Sueur County.
One of the county’s biggest projects in the last three decades is the construction of the new Justice Center in Le Center.
The project is scheduled to be completed and ready for occupancy in August of 2019.
The county is currently hiring a number of new correction officers and dispatchers.
They are also working on the transferring of probation, court administration, court rooms, judicial court areas, and all sheriff’s department personnel to the new justice center.
The WEM girls basketball team improved to 6-2 in the Gopher Conference with a 62-55 win over Maple River Tuesday, Jan. 22 in Mapleton. The Bucs are 13-3 overall and second in the conference behind undefeated Medford. WEM will host Faribault BA Thursday, Jan. 24, travel to NRHEG Friday, Jan. 25, and host Cleveland Tuesday, Jan. 29. For more on WEM's game with Norwood-Young America check out the Jan. 24 edition of the Life/Enterprise.
Elysian native Rose Hollermann has been named to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) final roster for the 2019 U.S. Women's U25 World Championship Team. For more on Hollermann and her selection to the elite team, check out the Jan. 24 edition of the Life/Enterprise.
The WEM boys basketball team improved to 14-1 overall with a 78-33 nonconference win over Belle Plaine January 15 and a 68-42 Gopher Conference win over Maple River January 21. The Bucs have won 11 straight games and will host NRHEG Friday, Jan. 25, Faribault BA Monday, Jan. 28, and Hayfield Friday, Feb. 1. Hayfield is the only team to defeat the Bucs this season. For more on the Bucs win over Belle Plaine, check out the Jan. 24 edition of the Life/Enterprise.
Lorraine Minnie Reineke, age 96, passed away on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at Pleasant Manor Nursing Home, Faribault.
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church, Faribault on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Jared Matthew and the Rev. Daniel D. Mead officiating. Interment will be at Meadow Ridge Memorial Park, Faribault.
Visitation will be at the church for one hour prior to the service on Saturday.
The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office reported that three vehicles had fallen through the ice on Madison Lake on Saturday, Jan. 19.
Captain Paul Barta said the vehicles had fallen through the ice in the area of the narrows on Madison Lake, southwest of the Point Pleasant Resort and Campground. He added the area had open water within the past week.
The first vehicle, a Ford Escape, broke through the ice and became fully submerged at 11:51 a.m. All three occupants were able to escape with no apparent injuries.
Genevieve “Gen” (Jewison) Roessler, age 99, a long-time resident of Elysian, believes in keeping busy, a practice for which she credits her own longevity.
“Keep busy. Always have something to do. Help out whenever and wherever, and pray a lot,” she advised. “And, don’t smoke and drink… or do so very little. I had a half a beer on July Fourth each year to celebrate.”
Roessler, who now resides at the Benedictine Center in St. Peter, will turn 100 years old on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, sat down recently to reflect on her own century of keeping busy.
LE CENTER - Le Sueur County received outstanding bids on their $12.635 million general obligation capital improvement bond sale.
A total of eight bidders attempted to purchase the funds which will be used to fund the remaining non-jail portions of the County's Justice Center and the second phase of remodeling to the current courthouse in Le Center.
The Justice Center will use $9,720,000 of the money and the Phase II Courthouse Remodel will use the remaining $2,915,000.
For much of the last five weeks, the WEM boys basketball team has been leading all Class A teams in point differential.
With a pair of 30+ point wins last week they continue to lead the state by outscoring their opponents by more than 33 points per game.
The Bucs defeated Blooming Prairie, 83-58 Tuesday, Jan. 15 and United South Central, 84-44, Friday, Jan. 11 to increase their winning streak to nine straight.
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School students are preparing for the Gopher Conference One-Act Festival Saturday, Jan. 19 in Waterville. The Buccaneers will perform Tyrone J. Butler's play "Pickin" an exploration of where teasing and bullying can lead if allowed to continue unabated. For more on the One-Act Play check out the Jan. 17 edition of the Life/Enterprise.
Two WEM/JWP juniors had the top performances for the Grizzly wrestling team last week.
Jaxson James and Brant Melchert each won multiple matches during the week.
James won both of his matches during duals with Glencoe-Silver Lake (GSL) and Mankato East Thursday, Jan. 3.
He pinned Muhammed McMahon of Mankato East in 3:03 at 160 pounds. He won by a 9-0 major decision at 160 pounds over Carter Ziegler of GSL.
Melchert picked up a pair of wins at the NYA Central Invitational Saturday, Jan. 5 in Norwood.
A number of City of Waterville residents and businesses will be without power Monday, Jan. 14 and Monday Jan. 21 due to work being finalized by Xcel Energy.
Some of the work Xcel Energy needed to complete within the city was done following the September tornadoes.
Residents who live between Reed Street South and Highway 13 will lose power for about 6 to 10 hours on Jan. 21.
Residents along Lake Street East between Mill Street North and 3rd Street North will have an outage of about 4 to 6 hours on Jan. 14 and another outtage for and hour or 2 on Jan. 21.
Eight students from Waterville-Elysian-Morristown’s Morristown building have been named Bucs’ Pride Focus Students for December 2018.
Fifth graders selected for the honor include: Liza Baker, daughter of Pat and Pam Baker, and Owen Scheurer, son of Elisha Volkman and Justin Scheurer. The Fifth Grade Team wrote:
“Liza Baker was nominated for showing Bucs’ Pride by always being positive and working well with others. She is willing to help other students. Liza shows pride in her work, is attentive in class and is always a willing participant. Great job, Liza!”
Le Sueur County Judge Mark Vandelist sent a strong message to the Le Sueur County Historical Society (LCHS) and its membership on January 3 when he rejected the society’s request to split the fees for the retired judge overseeing the case.
Vandelist stated the disputes within the organization are only hurting it, and if the membership and Board of Directors want to deplete the society’s resources by continuing their contentious disputes, there is little doubt their actions may have an adverse financial effect.
On Sunday Jan. 13 at approximately 9:30 p.m. the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office received information that a threat directed at the Cleveland Public School had been posted on a social media group chat site.
According to Sheriff Brett Mason, Le Sueur County Deputies investigated the matter immediately obtaining a copy of the group chat where references to shooting and stabbing up the school were made.
