The 18th Miss Elysian was crowned Thursday, June 30 as part of the Elysian 4th of July celebration.
This year’s queen is Ava LaFrance, daughter of Joel and Nicole LaFrance. Her attendant is Katrina Brekke, daughter of Troy and the late Audrey Brekke.
Crowning the new royalty were 2021 Miss Elysian Paige Atherton and Attendant Mariah Boyd.

The Saemrow family has been named Rice County’s 2022 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota.
Charles Saemrow first settled the Saemrow farm in the early 1890s. Charles’ son, Herman took over the operation in the 1930s. He was followed by his son Herb in the 1950s. Then, in the 1980s, Herb’s sons Ron, Gordon, Keith, and Wayne assumed ownership. The four brothers and their families own and run the operation.

This year’s Honorary Survivor of the Le Sueur County Relay for Life knows both sides of cancer.
For close to 43 years, Julie Harmon of New Prague has worked as a nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System (formerly Queen of Peace), New Prague Hospital.
She lives the role of a caregiver.
In July 2018, the role was reversed when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, a first for her family.

Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason reports that at approx. 0640 hours on July 1, 2022, deputies responded to a residence located on the southwest shore of Lake Washington, in Washington Township for a Missing Person Report.

After a third place finish in the Section 1A Softball Tournament the WEM softball team received a number of post-season awards.
They also presented team awards and named their 2022 letter winners.
The Bucs finished with an 11-12 overall record and were the Class A West Sub-Section Champions. As a team they received the Minnesota High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Academic Gold Award. As a team, the Bucs carried an impressive 3.829 grade point average.

Area residents looking for ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, there are several options.
New Prague will have fireworks the evening of Sunday, July 3, east of New Prague Middle School. The American Legion Post 45 Park Ballroom and Jeff Belzer’s are sponsoring the fireworks show. Before the fireworks people can get treats from Dawgs on the Run, Kona Ice and Cookie Dough Bliss. Linda Fahrenkamp will sing the National Anthem to begin the show, with fireworks at 10 p.m.

After three straight 13-60 League wins, the Waterville Indians amateur baseball team is now the top team in the league.
The biggest win among the three was a 6-4 victory over previously undefeated Minnesota Lake Sunday, June 26. Waterville also shutout Janesville, 2-0, Wednesday, June 22 and shutout Waseca, 9-0, Friday, June 24.

Dennis and Iny Schmidtke have been named the grand marshals of North Morristown’s 2022 Fourth of July Celebration.
The Schmidtkes are co-managers of the celebration’s popular beer garden, along with Jeff Spitzack. They’ve also volunteered in the hamburger stand and have helped with the silent auction. They also make and donate multiple homemade pies each year.

Longtime Elysian residents, volunteers, and business owners Wayne and Teri James have been named Elysian’s 2022 Fourth of July grand marshals.
Wayne was born and raised in Elysian, and Teri has called Elysian home since she was four years old.
“We grew up almost next door to each other and were best friends,” Teri shared. “We didn’t start dating until my senior year of high school.”
Both Teri and Wayne attended Waterville-Elysian High School and worked at Teri’s dad Ralph Nusbaum’s gas station until they graduated from high school.

ReLou A. Schwichtenberg, of Mankato, formerly of Elysian, died on Friday, June 17, 2022, from Alzheimer’s Disease at The Pillars of Mankato.

Rose Hollermann, daughter of John and Michele Hollermann of Elysian, has committed to play for Germany’s professional wheelchair basketball team, RSV LahnDill. The team made the announcement on June 1.
RSV Head Coach Janet Zeltinger stated: “We are delighted to have signed Rose, one of the strongest players in the world, whose enormous physicality makes her a high-scoring threat. With her enormously ambitious athleticism, she is a perfect fit for our team.”
Hollermann most recently played for the professional Spanish club BSR ACE Gran Canaria.

What about them?
They are interesting, at least at the time you read them. And maybe even down the road when you bring up some of this useless information just for conversation sake.
I was rummaging through a book called The Best of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader and pulled out many facts which mean nothing to almost everyone, except me… for conversation sake that is.
These aren’t things you need to know, but maybe you can wow that person in your life who thinks he or she knows it all.
Here you go…

The Morristown American Legion Post 149 received its charter in 1919. At that time, they had approximately two dozen members.
Dave Schmidtke, a 1944 graduate of Morristown High School, was honored Friday, May 27 by a number of current Legion members, with a plaque recognizing him for being a 75-year member of the American Legion.
The ceremony was held at the New Perspective Senior Living facility in Faribault, where Dave lives with his wife Lila. The couple has been married for 72 years.

Senior Riley Sammon and sophomore Evan Lange-Wenker were named the Most Valuable Players for the WEM boys and girls track and field teams this spring.
Sammon advanced to State in the 4 x 100-meter relay and scored 15.5 points in the Gopher Conference Meet. She was the team’s top pole vaulter.
Lange-Wenker advanced to Sections in the high jump, was the team’s top 300-meter hurdler, and one of the top sprinters for the Bucs.
The Most Improved Players were Tatum Richards and Preston Grams.
The Rookies of the Year were Kyeria Morris and Aric Williams.

A crash Friday, June 10 at approximately 11:10 p.m. caused significant damage to a pick-up truck and the home of Curt and Misty Kendall of Waterville.
According to Waterville Chief of Police John Manning, the Waterville Police Department, Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Department, Waterville Fire and Rescue, and North Memorial Ambulance responded to the accident on the 500 block of 2nd Street South for a motor vehicle accident.