Kilkenny Fire Department’s annual fundraising ATV/UTV ride held on Saturday, Aug. 8, drew in larger numbers than last year. The run brought in 329 riders and 158 ATV/UTV’s. In comparison to last year, that is up from 200 riders and 94 vehicles.
The 2026 route started as usual at Little Irish Park in Kilkenny for registration, which began at 10 a.m. Riders left Kilkenny at noon and went to Elysian, then to The Bait Bucket in Cleveland, and to Lakefront Bar & Grill on Clear Lake in Lexington, before returning back to Kilkenny at the Toy Box Saloon.
For the past five months the Nick and Sarah Bemis family have been going through something which no young family should have to.
It was early in the morning on March 18 they were told their three-month-old daughter, Brynlee, had cancer.
The family has been through hundreds of ups and downs over the past half a year after hearing this news from an emergency room doctor in mid-March. But the fight continues and as of late, the positives have finally started to outweigh the negatives.
One of the longest running Minnesota County Fairs is celebrating its 169th year next week.
The Le Sueur County Fair begins Thursday, August 20 at the fairgrounds in Le Center, and runs through Sunday, August 23. It is the last county fair before the Minnesota State Fair.
Every year the fair board approves improvements to the grounds and this year will be no different, with many new spruced up areas.
Kilkenny Fire Department’s annual fundraising ATV/UTV ride held on Saturday, Aug. 8, drew in larger numbers than last year. The run brought in 329 riders and 158 ATV/UTV’s. In comparison to last year, that is up from 200 riders and 94 vehicles.
The 2026 route started as usual at Little Irish Park in Kilkenny for registration, which began at 10 a.m. Riders left Kilkenny at noon and went to Elysian, then to The Bait Bucket in Cleveland, and to Lakefront Bar & Grill on Clear Lake in Lexington, before returning back to Kilkenny at the Toy Box Saloon.
Two local 4-H youth are stepping into one of Minnesota 4-H’s most prestigious leadership roles. Le Sueur County is one of only five counties in the state to have more than one State Ambassador selected.
Elizabeth Holicky of Le Center and Audrey Keltgen of Le Sueur have been selected as members of the 2026– 2027 Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador Team, joining 30 other outstanding young leaders from across the state.
One of the longest running Minnesota County Fairs is celebrating its 169th year next week.
The Le Sueur County Fair begins Thursday, August 20 at the fairgrounds in Le Center, and runs through Sunday, August 23. It is the last county fair before the Minnesota State Fair.
Every year the fair board approves improvements to the grounds and this year will be no different, with many new spruced up areas.
Construction on a new fish hatchery facility outside of Waterville has been pushed back until 2027, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The delay comes from the amount of time it takes to get all the required permits approved.
Construction was first expected to begin this spring, and then in September.
The Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant is looking for queen and junior ambassador candidates for its 37th annual event.
If you are of Czech or Slovak decent and live within Minnesota, and are between the ages of 12-15 for junior ambassadors or between ages 16-23 for queen by Aug.1, you can apply through their website at missczechslovakminnesotapageant.com.
The applications are due by Aug. 1 and a contestant meeting will be held on Aug. 9. The pageant will be held at the Park Ballroom in New Prague after the Dožínky Days on Sept. 19.
As we approach America’s 250th birthday, it’s a great time to remember our country’s heritage and teach kids the importance behind this momentous occasion! From the Founding Fathers who were relentless in their quest for freedom, to the ordinary Americans across the country who made Independence Day the celebration that it is today.
The 133rd Annual North Morristown 4th of July Celebration will be held Saturday, July 4th. This is the oldest 4th of July celebration in the state.
The stands and games will begin at 9 a.m. This popular 4th of July Celebration will open with the Flag Raising at 9:45 a.m. by the American Legion.
The Theme Baskets/Silent Auction also begins at 9 a.m. with a wide variety of items to bid on. This will run until 1 p.m.
The Sakatah Cemetery Association is continuing to work on upgrading and improving veteran gravestones which have deteriorated over the years.
Many of these veterans no longer have family members who can attend to repairs of these stones. Stars have been purchased by the Cemetery Board to ensure that every veteran has one on his/ her grave year around and not just for Memorial Day weekend. The veterans’ service was year round, and the Board felt this honor should be maintained year round.
The candidates for Miss Elysian, Junior Miss Elysian, and Princess of the Lakes have been getting ready for their respective competitions which are scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 at 7 p.m. at the Elysian Fire Hall.
For the fifth time, a Junior Miss will be selected. This portion of the pageant is for local girls who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.
Two young women are looking for the title of Miss Elysian 2026. They are Isabella Cage, daughter of Elliott and Lisa Cage and Liviana Lee, daughter of Jacob and Leslie Lee.
Eight-year-old Mariella Masso is already one of the top wrestlers in the nation.
Now she has become one of the top weight lifters after winning a number of titles last weekend in Chicago at the USA Power Lifting (USAPL) Nationals.
As a 6-year-old, Masso was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the girls 6U, 60 pound weight division by the World of Wrestling. She also was named to the 1st Team Girls World All Star Team.
Two years later the daughter of Mark and Shey Masso of Waterville is a record-setting lifter.
A handful of individuals attended the Cannon River Fish Project update during a meeting in May at the Waterville Event Center.
The meeting discussed the scope of the plan dealing with the Gorman Lake Dam and Schmidtke's Dam in Morristown.
There was a timeline set out and discussion was also held on the possible impacts of the project, which is scheduled to be completed sometime during the 2026 calendar year - most likely in the winter months.
Here is some information about the project and updates:
Le Sueur County took a step to pump the brakes on data centers being built in the county. At the Board of Commissioners meeting on May 26, the county unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on data center construction.
The moratorium covers unincorporated areas of Le Sueur County. Cities within the county can still make their own decisions.
“If a city wants to have a data center, we don’t have any control over that at all,” Commissioner David Preisler said. “If they want to, they’re not affected by this ordinance. They’ve got their own planning and zoning.”
Outstanding weather, great events, huge crowds highlight weekend festival
Thousands of bullheads (12,000+) were served, the rain and clouds stayed away for most of the weekend, the temperatures were warm but not bad, queens were crowned, the food stands were outstanding, and fun was had by all.
The 2026 Waterville Bullhead Days Celebration held June 5 through June 7, which is in its 61st-year.
One of the highlight events of the weekend was the Friday night crowning of Miss Waterville and Junior Miss Waterville.