Minnesota Outdoors is a non-profit organization that grants trips to children and young adults with life threatening illnesses and to veterans.

Brody Muellerleile, the 13-year-old son of Jason and Sara Muellerleile, had a chance to take part in one of these adventures last fall. He took part in the Minnesota Outdoor Adventure Foundation mule deer hunt in Colorado.

Sara found this organization online and applied for Brody. They sent the family on a trip to Give a Kid’s World back in 2022. Brody was granted this trip right after COVID.

Buccaneers have shown steady improvement

Starting his fourth year as head coach, David Schuster has seen his teams improve from four wins his first year to 13 wins the last two years.

This season Schuster is looking for his team to continue to improve with one of the conference’s top players and five seniors set to lead this team.

“I do believe we can compete with any team in the conference had finish with a better record than last year,”Schuster said. “We have the athletes.”

During the Advent/Christmas season of the 60s and 70s as a student at Trinity Lutheran School in North Morristown, young Juanita Krueger looked forward to four things: performing, singing, and doing recitations in the Christmas Eve program and making homemade ornaments in art class for the real Christmas tree that graced her childhood classroom. Some of these ornaments Juanita still has in her collection, today.

At a meeting of the Le Sueur County Officials Association, State Senator Rich Draheim (22, R) and State Rep. Terry Stier (22B, R) were present to share information from the state legislature that affects the area. The meeting was held Dec. 3 at Le Sueur City Hall.

“I don’t want to say it was the most confusing year, but probably the most uncertain year I have seen in my nine years,” Draheim said, noting the size of the state government has tripled in funding since he took office in 2017.

Troy Russell Holling, age 62, of Waterville, passed away at his home with his loving wife by his side on December 24, 2025, following a seven‑month battle with cancer.

Four WEM/JWP wrestlers picked up two wins during the Grizzly Triangular Thursday, Dec. 18 in Waterville.

Otto Root (114), Brady Murphy (145), Charles Adams (172), and Kavan Sheehy (215/285) each won both of their bouts while the Grizzlies split the two duals.

Class A 4th ranked Kenyon-Wanamingo averted an upset with a 46-23 win. The Knights trailed to two matches late in third period and turned the tables and picked up falls. This was an 18-point swing in the dual.

WEM/JWP recorded six, six-point victories on their way to a 39-35 win over Cannon Falls/Randolph.

It wasn’t quite as low as the 3.9% increase from last year, but the Le Sueur County budget and levy passed was still among the lowest of the last decade.

On Dec. 2, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners held its annual Truth in Taxation meeting to hear residents’ concerns. The hearing was followed by the official vote on the next budget.

The final levy was set at $30,337,063, which represents a 4.4% increase over last year.

The only years where the increase was lower were in 2021 (4%) and 2025 (3.9%).

The Waterville City Council approved the 2026 proposed budget and levy during their regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The levy will see an increase of $186,442 which is an increase of 15 percent over the 2025 levy. Last year the city levy increased $118,108, which was an increase of 10.5 percent. The levy covers all city departments and debt service, but does not include the water and sewer departments.

According to City Administrator Teresa Hill, the proposed levy increase of 15 percent is only 12 percent with added taxable value included in the taxpayer statements.

WEM senior Brady Murphy became the 13th Grizzly wrestler to reach 100 career wins when he pinned Ben Scheffler of Kenyon-Wanamingo in 80 seconds Thursday, Dec. 17 in Waterville.

Murphy joins 11 other WEM student/athletes and one from JWP who have achieved this milestone. His record through Thursday evening is 101-33.

The City of Morristown passed its final budget for next year at its Dec. 1 regular meeting. The passage followed their Truth in Taxation hearing. The hearing was held at the top of the meeting, which, in total, lasted for more than two and a half hours.

The levy was passed at $717,574, a 6% increase over the current year’s levy of $676,957.

A few residents voiced concerns about the increase during the public hearing. Comments ranged from how the tax money was being spent to the difficulty of being able to sell a house with the tax rates too high.

WEM senior Addison Condon has her name etched on Buccaneer School records in two sports.

She holds volleyball and track and field records and has been an All-State performer in both sports.

She is now adding her name to another WEM sports milestone after scoring her 1,000 career point in the Tuesday night girls basketball game against Mayer Lutheran.

Condon becomes only the seventh WEM player to score 1,000 points. Through her four-year varsity career, Condon has amassed 1,066 which is fifth all-time.

The WEM/JWP wrestling team competed in five different duals last week, winning one of the five.

The Grizzlies hosted a triangular Thursday, Dec. 11 in Janesville and dropped a 49-22 decision to Class A state-rated Le Sueur-Henderson and were defeated by Waseca, 40-27.

The week ended with three duals at the Dave Sharberg Duals at Byron Saturday, Dec. 13. WEM/JWP defeated Dover-Eyota, 46-29, lost 34-33 on a tiebreaker to Rochester Mayo, and lost to Plainview-Elgin-Millville (PEM), 53-11.

Led by Most Valuable Player Tim Boese, the Morristown fire Department not only won their first game, but their first championship in the 3rd Annual Fire Fighter Floor Hockey Fundraiser.

The event was held Saturday, Dec. 13 at the WEM High School gymnasium.

Through the first two years, the Morristown Dept. was winless in four games.

This year they turned the tables on the other three teams from Elysian, Kilkenny, and Waterville, winning their first championship.

John “JK” Michael Kelly, of rural Waterville passed away at his home December 4, 2025, after a rapid and courageous battle with cancer.

John was born on September 28, 1956, to Walter and Ludmilla (Edel) Kelly of rural Kilkenny.  He attended Treborn Country school, Holy Redeemer Catholic School and graduated from Montgomery High School in 1974.  He later attended Austin Vocational College earning his FCC License in Radio Broadcasting.

WEM senior Talen Taylor was named the WEM football Most Valuable Player during the end-of-the-season awards recognition Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Taylor, a three-time All-District Player and the 2025 District Player of the Year, had a fantastic all-around season for the team which advanced to State.

On defense he finished with a team-high six interceptions, scored a defensive touchdown, had a fumble recovery, numerous pass break-ups, and 10.5 tackles.

Bucs tie for Gopher Conference title

The Gopher Conference announces the 2025 Girls Volleyball Awards and the 2025 Player of the Year is WEM senior Addison Condon.

Condon is a senior outside hitter for WEM. She is a 3-time All-Gopher Conference recipient. Addison becomes the fourth Buccaneer to reach the 1,000 career milestone for both kills and digs. She finished her career with over 1,345 kills and 1,760 digs. Addison was named to the 2025 and 2024 MNVBCA Class AA AllState Team and received the 2025 MNVBCA Academic All-State Award.