The fire detectors and the WEM School in Waterville were activated when an air-handler belt broke and caused another to create a lot of smoke in the mechanical room. Friday, Feb. 1 at approximately 12:40 p.m. The students were all evacuated until Building and Maintenance Director Scott Allen and the Waterville Fire Department deemed all was OK for the students to re-enter the building. According to WEM Superintendent Joel Whitehurst, no one was in danger and school resumed shortly after the evacuation.

The WEM Board of Education is continuing through the process of planning for the upcoming building project.
A construction manager, R.A. Morton & Associates, Inc., had been selected earlier this month after interviews with four companies.
With this part in place, the board will approve the sale of the general obligation bonds Wednesday, January 30 in a special meeting.
During their regular January meeting Monday, Jan. 28, the board set a February 11 meeting to interview potential architects.

A project aimed at informing young people about the many career opportunities available in agriculture recently landed five 4-Hers a trip to Washington, D.C.

Staff writer and columnist Lisa Ingebrand, who works for the Lake Region Life, Elysian Enterprise, and the Montgomery Messenger, was honored for her writing during the 2019 Minnesota Newspaper Association’s (MNA) Annual Convention on January 24 in Bloomington. Ingebrand earned third place honors for her work as a writer in the Arts and Entertainment category among weeklies with up to 1,500 in circulation. This was her tenth MNA Award in 15 years with the local newspapers.

Due to projected deteriorating weather conditions, the United States Postal Service has suspended delivery for Wednesday, Jan. 30, for Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, Iowa and Western Illinois.
A press release issued Tuesday afternoon said retail operations at local offices will be available, but may be limited.
There will be no collection mail pickup from business or collection boxes. In addition, there will be no residential or commercial package pick-up service.

Winter Storm Warning for Le Sueur County, Minnesota
From 3:00pm CST, Sun Jan 27 until 6:00 am CST, Mon Jan 28
Action Recommended: Make preparations per the instructions
Issued by: Minneapolis - MN, US, National Weather Service,
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM SUNDAY TO 6 AM CST MONDAY... *
WHAT...HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 8 INCHES EXPECTED.
WHERE...PORTIONS OF CENTRAL, EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. *

The calendar year of 2019 will be filled with many projects in Le Sueur County.
One of the county’s biggest projects in the last three decades is the construction of the new Justice Center in Le Center.
The project is scheduled to be completed and ready for occupancy in August of 2019.
The county is currently hiring a number of new correction officers and dispatchers.
They are also working on the transferring of probation, court administration, court rooms, judicial court areas, and all sheriff’s department personnel to the new justice center.

Elysian native Rose Hollermann has been named to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) final roster for the 2019 U.S. Women's U25 World Championship Team. For more on Hollermann and her selection to the elite team, check out the Jan. 24 edition of the Life/Enterprise.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office reported that three vehicles had fallen through the ice on Madison Lake on Saturday, Jan. 19.
Captain Paul Barta said the vehicles had fallen through the ice in the area of the narrows on Madison Lake, southwest of the Point Pleasant Resort and Campground. He added the area had open water within the past week.
The first vehicle, a Ford Escape, broke through the ice and became fully submerged at 11:51 a.m. All three occupants were able to escape with no apparent injuries.

Genevieve “Gen” (Jewison) Roessler, age 99, a long-time resident of Elysian, believes in keeping busy, a practice for which she credits her own longevity.
“Keep busy. Always have something to do. Help out whenever and wherever, and pray a lot,” she advised. “And, don’t smoke and drink… or do so very little. I had a half a beer on July Fourth each year to celebrate.”
Roessler, who now resides at the Benedictine Center in St. Peter, will turn 100 years old on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, sat down recently to reflect on her own century of keeping busy.

LE CENTER - Le Sueur County received outstanding bids on their $12.635 million general obligation capital improvement bond sale.
A total of eight bidders attempted to purchase the funds which will be used to fund the remaining non-jail portions of the County's Justice Center and the second phase of remodeling to the current courthouse in Le Center.
The Justice Center will use $9,720,000 of the money and the Phase II Courthouse Remodel will use the remaining $2,915,000.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School students are preparing for the Gopher Conference One-Act Festival Saturday, Jan. 19 in Waterville. The Buccaneers will perform Tyrone J. Butler's play "Pickin" an exploration of where teasing and bullying can lead if allowed to continue unabated. For more on the One-Act Play check out the Jan. 17 edition of the Life/Enterprise.

A number of City of Waterville residents and businesses will be without power Monday, Jan. 14 and Monday Jan. 21 due to work being finalized by Xcel Energy.
Some of the work Xcel Energy needed to complete within the city was done following the September tornadoes.
Residents who live between Reed Street South and Highway 13 will lose power for about 6 to 10 hours on Jan. 21.
Residents along Lake Street East between Mill Street North and 3rd Street North will have an outage of about 4 to 6 hours on Jan. 14 and another outtage for and hour or 2 on Jan. 21.

Eight students from Waterville-Elysian-Morristown’s Morristown building have been named Bucs’ Pride Focus Students for December 2018.
Fifth graders selected for the honor include: Liza Baker, daughter of Pat and Pam Baker, and Owen Scheurer, son of Elisha Volkman and Justin Scheurer. The Fifth Grade Team wrote:
“Liza Baker was nominated for showing Bucs’ Pride by always being positive and working well with others. She is willing to help other students. Liza shows pride in her work, is attentive in class and is always a willing participant. Great job, Liza!”

Le Sueur County Judge Mark Vandelist sent a strong message to the Le Sueur County Historical Society (LCHS) and its membership on January 3 when he rejected the society’s request to split the fees for the retired judge overseeing the case.
Vandelist stated the disputes within the organization are only hurting it, and if the membership and Board of Directors want to deplete the society’s resources by continuing their contentious disputes, there is little doubt their actions may have an adverse financial effect.

On Sunday Jan. 13 at approximately 9:30 p.m. the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office received information that a threat directed at the Cleveland Public School had been posted on a social media group chat site.
According to Sheriff Brett Mason, Le Sueur County Deputies investigated the matter immediately obtaining a copy of the group chat where references to shooting and stabbing up the school were made.