The WEM boys basketball team split a pair of Gopher Conference games last week.

They defeated Medford, 86-67, Tuesday, January 6 and were defeated by United South Central, 67-64, Thursday, January 8.

The squad is now 2-3 in the Gopher Conference West Division and 4-7 overall. They will host Randolph Friday, January 16, play at JWP Tuesday, January 13, and at Faribault BA Thursday, January 22.

In the win over the tigers, senior Talen Taylor scored 30+ points for the third straight game. He finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.

Ron and Laura Romnes decided to take a chance on starting an archery business.

So far, the customers have flocked in as quickly as the arrows have flown throughout their building in Elysian.

“It’s been awesome seeing people in here shooting their bows and arrows and socializing with each other,” Laura mentioned. “We’re building a community here.”

With how many have welcomed the Romneses and Elysian Archery, you would have thought they had been here for a while. Although they haven’t lived in Elysian for many years, they’ve been in the area.

The unexpected death of a WEM seventh grader has the WEM communities shocked and grieving.

Twelve year old Brady Kessler, son of Cierra and Tyler Pumper and David Kessler, had a stroke Saturday, Jan. 10. He subsequently passed away on the evening of January 11 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester due to complications from the stroke.

More than 100 classmates, teammates, family, and friends were able to say their last goodbyes to Brady at the hospital before he passed.

Late last week an emergency meeting was called for Monday, Jan. 12, of the city council for the City of Kilkenny. No large emergency was present other than information that Nicole LeBrun, the current city clerk, had found a new position elsewhere and a replacement would need to be figured out.

Kilkenny Mayor Tammy Holicky seemed happy for LeBrun, saying that she found an “amazing position somewhere else,” which LeBrun wanted to keep private.

Linda Marie Weaver, age 77, of Kilkenny, passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul after a brief illness.

Minnesota DNR recognizes nine conservation officers

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Enforcement Division recently recognized nine conservation officers for their lifesaving efforts in the past few months.

The WEM girls basketball team scored more than 70 points in a game for only the second and third times this season during a split of two games last week.

The high-water mark for the Bucs was set earlier this year when they scored 74 points in a win over Kenyon-Wanamingo.

The Bucs scored a season-high 77 points Tuesday, Dec. 30 in a 91-77 loss to Tri-City United (TCU). Four days later they set a new season-high when they defeated Cleveland, 79-39, Saturday, Jan. 3.

Three players scored 20 or more points in leading the WEM boys basketball team to a 92-72 win over Tri-City United (TCU) in a nonconference basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 30.

In what is believed to be the first time in school history three players scored in excess of 20 points in one game, the Bucs scored a season-high behind 37 points from Talen Taylor, 28 points from Cole Bartz, and 20 points from Jacob Androli.

WEM never trailed in the game against winless TCU, building a modest 36-23 halftime lead.

Minnesota Outdoors is a non-profit organization that grants trips to children and young adults with life threatening illnesses and to veterans.

Brody Muellerleile, the 13-year-old son of Jason and Sara Muellerleile, had a chance to take part in one of these adventures last fall. He took part in the Minnesota Outdoor Adventure Foundation mule deer hunt in Colorado.

Sara found this organization online and applied for Brody. They sent the family on a trip to Give a Kid’s World back in 2022. Brody was granted this trip right after COVID.

Buccaneers have shown steady improvement

Starting his fourth year as head coach, David Schuster has seen his teams improve from four wins his first year to 13 wins the last two years.

This season Schuster is looking for his team to continue to improve with one of the conference’s top players and five seniors set to lead this team.

“I do believe we can compete with any team in the conference had finish with a better record than last year,”Schuster said. “We have the athletes.”

During the Advent/Christmas season of the 60s and 70s as a student at Trinity Lutheran School in North Morristown, young Juanita Krueger looked forward to four things: performing, singing, and doing recitations in the Christmas Eve program and making homemade ornaments in art class for the real Christmas tree that graced her childhood classroom. Some of these ornaments Juanita still has in her collection, today.

At a meeting of the Le Sueur County Officials Association, State Senator Rich Draheim (22, R) and State Rep. Terry Stier (22B, R) were present to share information from the state legislature that affects the area. The meeting was held Dec. 3 at Le Sueur City Hall.

“I don’t want to say it was the most confusing year, but probably the most uncertain year I have seen in my nine years,” Draheim said, noting the size of the state government has tripled in funding since he took office in 2017.

Troy Russell Holling, age 62, of Waterville, passed away at his home with his loving wife by his side on December 24, 2025, following a seven‑month battle with cancer.

WEM senior Brady Murphy became the 13th Grizzly wrestler to reach 100 career wins when he pinned Ben Scheffler of Kenyon-Wanamingo in 80 seconds Thursday, Dec. 17 in Waterville.

Murphy joins 11 other WEM student/athletes and one from JWP who have achieved this milestone. His record through Thursday evening is 101-33.

It wasn’t quite as low as the 3.9% increase from last year, but the Le Sueur County budget and levy passed was still among the lowest of the last decade.

On Dec. 2, the Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners held its annual Truth in Taxation meeting to hear residents’ concerns. The hearing was followed by the official vote on the next budget.

The final levy was set at $30,337,063, which represents a 4.4% increase over last year.

The only years where the increase was lower were in 2021 (4%) and 2025 (3.9%).

Four WEM/JWP wrestlers picked up two wins during the Grizzly Triangular Thursday, Dec. 18 in Waterville.

Otto Root (114), Brady Murphy (145), Charles Adams (172), and Kavan Sheehy (215/285) each won both of their bouts while the Grizzlies split the two duals.

Class A 4th ranked Kenyon-Wanamingo averted an upset with a 46-23 win. The Knights trailed to two matches late in third period and turned the tables and picked up falls. This was an 18-point swing in the dual.

WEM/JWP recorded six, six-point victories on their way to a 39-35 win over Cannon Falls/Randolph.