When Dennis and Iny Schmidtke received the call they were selected as the 2026 Morristown Dam Days Grand Marshals they were shocked and honored.

“We are thrilled to death to be honored,” Dennis said. “We are overwhelmed and were not expecting this. Both of us find it easier to give things than to receive them.”

WEM junior Gavin Atherton won the Section 2A True Team 200-meter and 400-meter Championships Tuesday, May 5 helping the JWP/ WEM Bulldogs place 3rd among the 14 teams.

Atherton was timed in 22.72 which edged out Oilver Schull of St. Clair (22.75), and Lucas Proehl of Maple River (22.97). Atherton ran the 400-meter dash in 51.51, which was almost a second faster than St. Clair’s Wyatt Lein. Atherton also placed third in the 100-meter dash (11.27).

Elysian, Kilkenny, Morristown, and Waterville have scheduled Memorial Day Ceremonies for Monday, May 25, 2026.

Elysian Ceremony The Elysian American Legion Post 311 Honor Guard will start with stops at Greenland Cemetery (7 a.m.), German Lake Cemetery (7:20 a.m.), St. Peter (Bell) cemetery (7:55 a.m.), Cannonville Cemetery (8:20 a.m.), and the Waterville Veterans Memorial (8:45 a.m.). The Elysian Ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Elysian Veterans Memorial at Sunset Park.

A total of 67 seniors will don caps, gowns, and tassels in anticipation of graduating from Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School at 7 p.m. Friday, May 22 in the Waterville gymnasium.

Of these 67 seniors, 41 have been named honor students.

The 2026 Class Motto is “It’s hard to turn the page when you know someone won’t be in the next chapter, but the story must go on.” The class flower is the Peruvian Lily.

To see more on this story pick up the May 21, 2026 print edition of the LifeEnterprise paper. 

WEM junior Alix Velzke had a week to remember while playing three games for the Buccaneer softball team.

She was the winning pitcher in two of her team’s three games, including four hitless innings pitched against Medford. At the plate she was 6-for-9 with four runs scored, six RBI, two walks, three doubles, a triple, and a home run.

WEM opened the week with a 6-2 loss to Randolph Thursday, May 14. The following afternoon the Bucs defeated Medford, 11-1, in five innings. Saturday in their regular season finale, WEM downed Waseca, 7-4.

The 41st Annual Morristown Dam Days Celebration will begin with the coronation of Miss Morristown 2026 on Wednesday, May 27, at 7 p.m. in the Morristown Community Center, 402 Division Street South. Admission is two dollars and a Dam Days button. Dam Days buttons will be sold at the door.

Miss Morristown 2025, Addison Langer, will crown Miss Morristown 2026 and share her memories of the past year.

Candidates will be judged on poise, personality, appearance, educational accomplishments, activities, community involvement and talent.

Barbara Ruth Weber, age 89, of Amery, Wisconsin, formerly of Waterville, passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Amery, Wisconsin.

Track and field enthusiasts knew when JWP and WEM decided to combine their teams for the 2026 season good things were in the making.

Both teams have had great success not only as individuals but as complete teams.

The Bulldog (JWP/WEM) girls team will now show the state how good track and field is in this area.

They are one of only 12 teams in Class A to advance to the Class A True Team State Championships. The event...

To see more on this story pick up the May 14, 2026 print edition of the LifeEnterprise. 

Congratulations to our WEM 2nd grade Poppy Poster Contest winners and to the Poppy Coloring contest winners. All entries will be on display at the Legion. Thank you WEM students for your beautiful art work! Thank you Lisa Becker for coordinating the contests!

The winners of the Poppy Poster Contest:

1st Place and winner of $25 – Archer Splett in Mrs Skurkay’s

2nd grade class 2nd Place and winner of $15 – Beau Holicky-James

3rd Place and winner of $5 – Alia Culhane in Mrs Skurkay’s class

Honorable Mention in alphabetical order:

The WEM softball team played five games last week, four of which were nonconference, and came away with two wins.

The biggest game of the quintet was a a 4-3 win over NRHEG Thursday, May 7 in New Richland. The Panthers had only two losses in the Gopher Conference before losing to the Bucs.

The week started with a 10-1 loss to Cleveland Tuesday, May 5. The Clippers are 14-3 this season and one of the favorites in Section 2A to advance to State.

Dozens of WEM Future Farmers of America (FFA) members received awards during their annual end-of-the-year awards banquet held Wednesday, May 6 in Waterville.

State FFA Awards, officers retiring and newly elected, Greenhand Degrees, Chapter Degrees, and senior recognition were among the awards presented.

Senior Clare Landrum received her State Degree and was the recipient of the James Tracy Scholarship. She is also the outgoing WEM FFA President.

Two WEM groups advanced to State competition.

Linda Kay Fitts (née Jacobs), 75, of Excelsior, passed away on April 29, 2026.

Loren “Curly” Joseph Schwartz, age 67, of Elysian, died at his home on the evening of Thursday, May 7, 2026, following a difficult but brave battle with cancer.

Harlan Kurt "Haggy" Hagberg , age 66, passed away on May 9, 2026, at his home in Waterville. Harlan was a kind, caring, humorous, hard-working man who brought joy to those around him. He worked his entire life as a blacktopper, paver operator, and was proud to do so. He started at Alexander when he was 18 and also worked for Bituminous Roadways and ended with Nielsen’s Blacktopping. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him and loved him. His memory will live on in their hearts forever.

    Le Sueur County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) Mark Roemhildt delivered his final department report to the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners at their regular meeting on April 21.
    “I am just across six years in this position,” Roemhildt said. “My last day will be Friday, May 1. My last day in the office, however, will be this coming Friday (April 24), and then Joe will have the keys to the castle.”
    Succeeding Roemhildt is Joe Fisher, who was hired to the position on April 6. He had been training for the three weeks before the meeting.

Nancy Jo Stoering passed away on April 27, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Her journey began in 2014 with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, followed by breast cancer in 2016, and later metastatic breast cancer in 2025, each faced with remarkable strength and resilience.