Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague now offers a drive-through screening process for patients who meet criteria for COVID-19 testing. Transmissions of COVID-19 are increasing statewide and across the nation and other institutions have successfully used the drive-through approach.
According to a press release, as a first step, patients must call their Mayo Clinic Health System primary care clinic. A provider or nurse will determine if patients meet criteria and will schedule a drive-through test.

Gov. Tim Walz announced Sunday that all of Minnesota’s K-12 schools will close for eight school days starting Wednesday to try to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Walz and state Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker made the announcement Sunday morning in St. Paul.

The Minnesota State High School League put out an announcement Friday regarding cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Effective Immediately:
The Minnesota State High School League is immediately cancelling the Girls Basketball State Tournament.
Additionally, all Boys Section and State Basketball Tournaments have been cancelled.
Section Speech Tournament events for the week of March 15-21 have been postponed indefinitely.
The Adapted Floor Hockey games scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14 will NOT be played either.

The WEM Girls' Basketball team won the state tournament quarterfinal game against Heritage Christian Academy, 58-46!
The Bucs will play Minneota High School tomorrow, Friday, March 13 at noon at Williams Arena.

UPDATED March 13, 2020- The Adapted Floor Hockey games scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 13 and 14 will NOT be played.

Richard “Dick” Edward Gilsdorf, age 88 of Elysian, died on the morning of Saturday, March 7, 2020 at his home.

Thursday, March 12, 2020 UPDATE
MANKATO, Minn. – (3 p.m.) Highway 93 from Highway 169 to Henderson is expected to reopen by 6 p.m. this evening, Thursday, March 12, after being closed since March 8 due to flooding on the Rush River.  Crews have been working to clear debris off the road and make repairs to shoulders and culverts.
 The shoulders of southbound Highway 93 are extremely soft due to exposure to the floodwaters. MnDOT is advising no travel on the shoulders until they dry out and repairs can be made.

The WEM girls' basketball team defeated Sleepy Eye-St. Mary's, 79-68, to win the Section 2A Championship Friday, March 6 at MSU-Mankato. The Lady Bucs will now play in the Class A State Tournament, starting Thursday, March 12 at the University of Minnesota. The Bucs will play Heritage Christian Academy at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at Maturi Pavillion at the University of Minnesota.

Rachel Anne Morris, age 34, of Morristown, died Monday, March 2, 2020 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis.
Funeral services will be held at Peace United Methodist Church, Morristown on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. with the Reverend Elden Eklund officiating. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Morristown.
Visitation will be held at Boldt Funeral Home, Faribault on Sunday, March 8, 2020 from 3 – 7 p.m. and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.
Rachel’s family requests casual attire at her visitation and funeral service.

Margaret passed away on Monday, February 10, 2020, in her Minneapolis home at the age of 87 with her loving family at her side. She was preceded in death by her husband Jerry in 2007 and her son, Keith in 2004.
Margaret was the daughter of Marion and Eva (Hagel) Burke, born and raised in Waterville and graduated from the Waterville school system. She was a dedicated class reunion attendee at her reunions and so enjoyed getting together with her classmates/ friends.

Rachel Anne Morris, age 34, of Morristown, died Monday, March 2, 2020 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis.
Funeral services will be held at Peace United Methodist Church, Morristown on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. with the Reverend Elden Eklund officiating. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Morristown.
Visitation will be held at Boldt Funeral Home, Faribault on Sunday, March 8, 2020 from 3 – 7 p.m. and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.
Rachel’s family requests casual attire at her visitation and funeral service.

The WEM girls’ basketball team played one of its best defensive games of the season Monday, March 2 in the South Sub-Section Championship.
All year long the Buccaneers have been a very good defensive team. In their biggest game of the season, their defense again was superb.
WEM limited Springfield to 18 first half points and 44 in the game. a game in which the Bucs won 57-44.
The championship was the first in school history after losing five other times in the Sub-Section title games.

A Las Vegas homicide suspect is in police custody after being located in Rice County.
Mark Doocy, 60, of Blooming Prairie, was arrested on March 4 at the Flying J Truck Stop at I-35 and Highway 19. According to Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn, Doocy was arrested and forced to leave his vehicle after he refused to cooperate with officials.

The Le Sueur County Board cruised through a very light agenda Tuesday, March 3.
The regular meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes, but was followed by a special road and bridge work session.
A number of items which were dealt with during the regular meeting involved the highway department.
A couple of final payments were approved for work done this past year.
Crane Creek Asphalt received final payments of $148,200.72 for the CSAH 15 project from CSAH 22 to CSAH 26, and a payment of $69,056.47 for the CSAH project near Heidelberg.

Spring Load Restrictions on Rice, Le Sueur and Scott County State Aid Highways and County roadways will go in to effect at 12:01 a.m., Friday, March 6, 2020.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued a notice that Spring Load Restrictions on the state highway system in the south, southeast and metro frost zones go in to effect on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Ending dates for spring load restrictions are variable and based on how weather is affecting roadway strength.
The Spring Load Restriction map is posted on the MNDOT website at mndot.gov/loadlimits.

Merle Warner is retiring after working over 38 years with the US Postal Service as a Rural Carrier.
Warner delivered Route 1 which includes addresses south and west of Waterville as well as all rural Elysian addresses.