Crews are close to completing the construction on Highway 99 from Highway 13 to Highway 21 and from St. Peter to Le Center. Weather permitting, the detour east of Highway 13 could be removed by Friday, October 18.
The $8 million, summer-long project covered an assortment of improvements for the traveling public with many of the tasks centered on improving safety. Work on Highway 99 from the Minnesota River Bridge to Le Sueur County Road 38 included:
- Resurfaced from MN River Bridge to railroad crossing

Elysian’s newest business, The Rusty Flamingo, opened Saturday, October 12.
The business, which is owned by Kris Henry of Smiths Mill, is located at 205 5th Street SW (just south of Highway 60), Elysian.
Henry describes her store as an eclectic collection of new, used, repurposed, and handmade items, ranging from decor and gifts to furniture. Many of the items she—or members of her family—make or repurpose.
“I’ve always wanted to have a store like this, a place to sell unique items. So, really, this is a dream come true,” Henry stated.

The Le Sueur County Board received the 2018 audit report during their Tuesday, Oct. 15 meeting.
Amanda Mboga of BakerTilly provided the report.
Mboga said there were only two minor findings related to EFT policies and collateralization of deposits.
She added the county has exceeded the benchmarks her firm has set for them.
The 2018 financial statement highlights included the outstanding general obligation debt of $31,430,859, which is 28.8 percent of the county’s debt capacity.

Harold Pemble passed away on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at age 80.  He was born July 1, 1939 to Harry and Catherine Pemble.  Harold married the love of his life, Virginia Petersen, on October 20, 1962.  He proudly served in the United States Army.

Betty Schwartz, age 98, of Faribault and formerly of Morristown, died on Sunday, October 6, 2019 at District One Hospital, Faribault.
Funeral services will be held at Peace United Methodist Church, Morristown, on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 10 a.m. with the Reverend Elden Eklund officiating. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Morristown.
Visitation will be at the Boldt Funeral Home, Faribault, on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 from 4 to 7 p.m. and also at the church for one hour prior to the service on Thursday.

The WEM volleyball team is currently 25-2 this season after sweeping five opponents at the Cannon Falls Tournament Saturday, Oct. 5. The Bucs defeated Hastings, Immanuel Lutheran, Lake City, Tartan, and downed Medford in the Championship. This was the third time WEM has defeated Medford, the 2018 Class A runners-up. The Bucs will end their regular season scheduled Thursday, Oct. 10 at home against USC and Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Faribault BA.

Anthony "Tony" W. Schnoor, age 38 of Elysian died on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at his home.
Born on December 21, 1980, Tony was the son of Steve and Marni (Wood) Schnoor. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waterville and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Elysian. He graduated from Waterville-Elysian-Morristown high school and recently worked at JC press in Owatonna MN.

For the first time this season the WEM/JWP boys and girls cross country teams each finished first in an invitational.
Both Grizzly teams won their respective races in the Grizzly Pie Run Invitational held Thursday, Sept. 26 at Prairie Ridge Golf Course in Janesville.
The girls just missed a perfect score of 15, winning the race with a very impressive score of 18. NRHEG placed second (68), United South Central third (77), and Maple River fourth (81). Blue Earth Area and Blooming Prairie had runners, but did not field a complete team.

A once in a lifetime opportunity has now turned into a twice in a lifetime opportunity for WEM graduate Brady Taylor.
The 36-year-old, who now lives in Mankato, got a chance to do something most people would never consider doing.
At the beginning of January 2019, Taylor was a crew member on the Southern Wind ship which not only catches crab, but is one of the vessels highlighted on Discovery's television show Deadliest Catch.
The documentary series that follows real-life adventures of Alaskan crab fishermen. This occupation is the deadliest in the world.

A 30-year-old Waseca man, who was bicycling to work in Waterville, was killed when he was struck by a vehicle, Tuesday morning, October 1.
Anthony Michael Hodge of Waseca was killed in the collision on Highway 13 at about 6:40 a.m.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol incident report, Hodge was struck by a north bound 2000 Oldsmobile Bravado driven by Cynthia Jo Newman, 23, of Waseca.
Newman was wearing her seat belt at the time of the collision and was not injured. Alcohol is not believed to be involved.
Hodge was not wearing a helmet.

WEM Schools teamed up with Prairie Fire Children’s Theater to produce an awesome 1950’s rendition of “Cinderella.” Two performances, starring local youth, were held last weekend.
Pick up a copy of the September 26, 2019, Lake Region Life or Elysian Enterprise for more photos.

Virginia M. Stoering, age 89 of Springfield, formerly of Waterville, passed away on Thursday, September 19, 2019 in Springfield.

Trista Hering, daughter of Terry and Tina Hering and Seth LaFrance, son of Jeff and Lori LaFrance, were crowned the 2019 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Queen and King during the annual Homecoming Coronation held in Waterville Monday, Sept. 23. This year's Homecoming theme is "Clip the Ship." For more on the WEM Homecoming festivities, check out the Sept. 26 and Oct. 3 editions of the Life/Enterprise.

The Pittman Clan was among the hundreds of people to celebrate at Kilkenny's Half-Way to St. Paddy’s Day celebration on Saturday. With perfect weather, the town rolled out the green carpet to Irish dignitaries and people from around state and country. The day included music, food, lots of vendor booths and more. See the print edition for more coverage. (Wade Young photo)

Seven years ago Martin Brett of Kilkenny, Ireland, made a trip to Kilkenny, MN.
At the time, Brett was the mayor of the community and was extended an invitation to come to Minnesota.
Mayor Brett was present for the first Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day celebration, but he also attended for another reason.
The two cities signed a formal twinning, which is an official document which declared them sister cities.

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.