Krista Bahnsen sees.
She sees her almost- 14-year-old son, Cooper, struggle, adapt, and overcome challenges every day.
Cooper is legally blind. He also has cerebral palsy, ADHD, and is cognitively delayed due to a stroke he suffered in utero. He is also outgoing, funny, a sports enthusiast, and quick to find a good deal on tickets to sporting events.

Hundreds of rescued dolls will soon be shipped from Minnesota to Haiti to fill the arms of orphans at Christmastime.
The special “dolly project” came to life after Darlene Carlson of rural Janesville, a member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, overheard that some children at the Haitian orphanage her church supports through Sacred Heart Mission didn’t receive a gift for Christmas.

WEM 4th grader Dylan Edelman, son of Jeremy Edelman and Teri Holicky of Waterville, was greeted by the WEM Elementary School staff during the first day of school Tuesday, Aug. 27. (Jay Schneider photo)

Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalist Brittney Tiede, 18, of Le Center will be bringing home an almost 90-pound butter head from the Minnesota State Fair.
The Tri-City United High School graduate shined in the dairy ambassador pageant at the State Fair Band Shell on August 21. The young ladies were judged on their personality, communication skills, knowledge of the dairy products and the industry, and their commitment to dairy promotion.

Audene Greenwald of rural Waterville and Ted Zwart of rural Elysian were named the 2019 Le Sueur County Outstanding Senior Citizens Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Le Sueur County Fair in Le Center. For more on these award winners check out the Aug. 22 edition of the Life/Enterprise.

Le Sueur County Historical Society has shed its vacant Waterville property and is focusing on the future.
The announcement of the sale was made during the society’s August 7 regular meeting in Montgomery.
“I have no idea what they (previous LCHS board members) were going to do with it, and it’s no use to us. It’s a drag financially as it’s taxable as a regular dwelling, so no reduced taxes, and we can’t afford to keep it,” stated LCHS Chairman Bill Stangler.

After a ceremony flag raising, Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason welcomes people to the new Le Sueur County Justice Center in Le Center. A large crowd showed up for tours of the new facility, which will house the Sheriff's Office, county jail, courtrooms and court administration and Emergency Operations. Read more in an upcoming edition.

The annual Kilkenny Fire Department ATV Ride will be held Saturday, August 10.
This is the fourth year the Kilkenny Fire Department has been in charge of the event. The ATV Run was started by the Kilkenny Park Committee approximately eight years ago.
Last year more than 320 machines and more than 500 people participated.
Registration begins at 10 a.m. at Little Irishman Park, which is located behind St. Canice Catholic Church.
The ride starts at 12:30 p.m. and the route features a 30-mile scenic ditch ride.

For the past 10 months, Waterville resident Anna Aguilar has spent time deployed in the Middle East while serving as a Staff Sergeant in the Army National Guard’s 34th Red Bull Infantry Division.
This was her third time deployment and Aguilar isn’t sure if it will be her last. She has received no confirmation whether or not it will be.
While Aguilar has been gone, her daughter Aurora has attended daycare at Little Wonders Day Care in Waterville, which is owned by Brenda Novack.
Actually, the youngster has been with Novack since she was seven weeks old.

Long-time Le Sueur County Veteran Service Director Jim Golgart informed the Le Sueur County Board his plans to retire.
Golgart, who started with the county in 2000, plans to retire as of June 5, 2020.
“After careful thought and consideration I have decided to retire from my position of the Director of Veteran Services for Le Sueur County,” Golgart said to the board from a written statement.

Storms late Friday night and early Saturday morning dropped more than five inches of rain in Waterville.
This rain, combined with already high water tables, raised Lakes Tetonka and Sakatah, along with the Whitewater River, to dangerously high flooding levels.
The 2.5 inches of water in less than an hour Saturday, July 20 proved to be too much for the lakes to handle.
Many areas are currently under water and a number of streets are unpassable.

When the new board of the Le Sueur County Historical Society took control on June 3, it inherited remarkable problems, among them old buildings with no heating/ cooling/ventilation and some with mold growing in the basement.

A Waterville man was killed and a Cannon Falls man sustained life-threatening injuries during a two-vehicle crash on Highway 60 on Wednesday morning, July 10, at approximately 4:45 a.m.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol incident report, William Elmer Potter, 27, of Waterville sustained fatal injuries in a two-vehicle crash that occurred just west of Faribault.

Cancer survivors made the first lap at the 26th Annual Le Sueur County Relay for Life on Friday night, July 12, at the Le Sueur County Fairgrounds in Le Center. The event, which celebrates the fight against cancer, remembers those who lost their battle with cancer, and raises money for the American Cancer Society, will be held until midnight. The closing ceremony will be at 12:45 a.m.
Pick up a copy of this week's paper to read more about local teams and their fight against cancer.

A Waterville man was killed when a vehicle crossed the center line on Highway 60 and collided with his sedan.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol incident report, William Elmer Potter, 27, of Waterville sustained fatal injuries in a two-vehicle crash, west of Faribault, on Wednesday morning, July 10 at approximately 4:45 a.m.
Potter was driving a 1992 Buick LeSabre Custom Sedan eastbound on Highway 60 when a westbound 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by Andrew Joseph Stein, 40, of Cannon Falls, crossed over the center line and collided with Potter’s vehicle.

Sophia Alladin, daughter of Chad and Molly Alladin, was crowned Miss Elysian 2019 Tuesday, July 2 as part of the Elysian 4th of July celebration. Attendants are Akalie Molitor (1st attendant) and Alexis Schatz (2nd attendant). Breanna Muellerleile, daughter of Jason and Sara Muellerleile, was crowned Princess of the Lakes 2019. Her attendants are Payton James and Jacelynn Mulder. For more on the Elysian 4th of July celebration check out the July 11 edition of the Life/Enterprise.