WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM, Friday, January 7, 2022.
The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.Counties involved are Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Dakota, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, Martin, McLeod, Nicollet, Ramsey, Redwood, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan and Wright.

Freshman Keegan Kuball was a bright spot for the WEM/ JWP wrestling team during their quadrangular tournament in Chatfield Thursday, Dec. 23.
Kuball picked up three wins for the Grizzlies, including two by fall during the event.
Kuball received a forfeit against Ellsworth, WI. He pinned Caden Nolte of Chatfield in 2:54. He pinned Preston Horihan of Aquinas, WI in 4:23.
The Grizzlies lost all three duals and picked up only six individual wins.

The WEM Board of Education approved a slight increase to the school district’s levy for the 2022 pay year.
The board adopted a proposed levy in September based on the limits set by the Minnesota Legislature. The increase in levy is due to an increase in debt service.
But according to Business Manager Margaret Jewison, county assessors determine estimated market values for each parcel of property in the WEM School District.

The Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners approved the final 2022 levy in the amount of $24,611,528, which is an increase of $1.1 million or 4.8 percent from 2021.
This action was taken during the December 21 meeting.
County departments developed their proposed budgets during the months of April and May. Work sessions are held between the department heads and the county commissioners during June through August. In September the board sets the preliminary levy.

Gerald “Jerry” Arthur Gehrke, 75. Husband, Father, and Grandfather, Gerald “Jerry” Arthur Gehrke, passed away at his home in North Mankato Tuesday morning (December 21, 2021).

Janet Rae Quiram, age 88, of Waterville, died on Friday, December 24, 2021, at Traditions of Waterville.

Barbara "Bobbie" Frances O'Brien, age 71, of Crystal, died on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.

Senior Michael Taylor took a pass from senior Brady Nutter with less than a second to play and layed the ball in, giving the WEM boys basketball team a 40-38 non-conference win over Tri City United Thursday, Dec. 16.
The winning play ended a run which the Bucs trailed by seven points late in the second half. TCU held a 21-17 lead at halftime in a game which neither team shot very well. Both teams hit only one three-pointer. It was Jonathan Remme’s three-pointer which pulled the Bucs to within two points late in the second half.

Students at Trinity Lutheran School, North Morristown, performed a special “Miracle in a Manger” Christmas program as part of the morning worship service on Dec. 12 at Trinity Lutheran Church. The children acted out the story of Christ’s birth, which took place over 2,000 years ago. The program was filled with joyful songs and prayer. Pianist Susan Wagner and organist Val Braun provided musical accompaniment.

The Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office, with other area law enforcement, held its Shop with a Cop the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 8, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Prague. There were 23 children that participated in the annual event that allows children to find gifts for family members and something for themselves.

William C. Williams, 91, Buck Lake, MN, formerly longtime resident of Elysian, MN died Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at his home on Buck Lake.  He was born November 4, 1930 to William Walter and Hannah (Clark) Williams in Elysian, MN.  William grew up in Elysian, MN where he farmed his entire career.  He later moved to Buck Lake and had resided there for the past 28 years.  William was a wonderful singer, and played the saxophone in his youth.  He loved music, woodworking, and hunting and fishing in his younger days. 

Mayonne Francis Ackman, 84 passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at the Sandford Hospice House in Fargo, North Dakota.
Mayonne was born on October 31, 1937 to Joe & Edna Slechta. She was one out of four children and grew up in Waterville, MN. After graduating high school in 1956 she went to the Technical College in Faribault, MN for two years and then pursued her bachelor’s degree in Vocational Education. On October 18, 1969 she married the love of her life, Tom Ackman.

Le Sueur County received $3.7 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), part of a $2.2 trillion federal economic stimulus bill that was passed in March 2020 in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, how did the county spend those dollars?

MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation is preparing motorists for forecasted heavy snowfall rates Friday morning through Saturday morning. The heavy snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour are expected to reduce visibility, cause compaction on the roadways, and make travel difficult in south central and southwest Minnesota. 

Bernadine Ardell Struck, 72, of Montgomery, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on November 30, 2021. The family is inviting friends to pay their respects on Friday, December 17, 2021, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery.
Memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at Frieden's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lanesburg. Interment will be held in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis at a later date.

Bernadine Ardell Struck, 72, of Montgomery, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on November 30, 2021. The family is inviting friends to pay their respects on Friday, December 17, 2021, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery.
Memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at Frieden's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lanesburg. Interment will be held in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis at a later date.