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.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Kilkenny, Minnesota’s formal twinning with Kilkenny, Ireland, representatives from the local Kilkenny are traveling to Ireland and will take part in the St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations.
According to Kilkenny, Minnesota council member Julie Balfe, who will be part of the Ireland-bound contingent representing the city, the trip will commemorate the twinning and will help highlight historical and ancestral roots.

Duaine Ellsworth Flanders, 81, of Benson, MN passed away at his home Sunday, March 6, 2022.
Duaine is survived by his wife Peg, children Steph, Sue Ellen, and Bruce, brother Richard Flanders of Devils Lake, ND, and sister Jan (Mack) Evans of Elysian, MN.

A benefit will be held this Saturday at the American Legion in Morristown to help raise funds for the family of Stephanie Wesley, the 52-year-old Faribault woman who was struck by a Rice County Sheriff’s deputy patrol car on Highway 60 in Morristown around 2 a.m. on January 29 and died at the scene.
Wesley’s long-time friend Ashley Bright of Morristown is helping organize the benefit.

LaVonne Helen Bertha Matz, age 76, of rural Waterville, died on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at Whispering Creek in Janesville.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.