Menno/Marion topped Parker 36-20 for its first win of the season while No. 1 Canistota/Freeman lost a wild game to No. 2 Howard 16-14 in triple overtime. The game was tied at 8-8 after the first quarter and stayed that way until the Pride scored on their third possession of overtime. But, trailing 14-8 on their next (and final) possession, the Tigers scored a touchdown on fourth-and-4 to tie the game at 14 and then converted a 2-point conversion on a fake extra point attempt to win the game.

Ruth E. Preheim, 104, of Freeman, S.D., passed away Wednesday, Sept. 9 at the Oakview Terrace in Freeman. Public visitation and viewing will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11 at Walter Funeral Home in Freeman, and will continue from 12 to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at the funeral home with a private family burial to follow at the Salem Mennonite Church cemetery, rural Freeman.  

Flags are flying at half staff across the country today, Friday, Sept. 11, on the 19th anniversary of the worst terror attack on the United States in this country's history. The attacks by the terrorist group, al-Qaeda, came the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 and resulted in 2,977 fatalities and more than 25,000 injuries. The most recognizable and memorable devastation came in New York City as the World Trade Center was targeted by two hijacked airplanes.

Freeman built a 2-0 lead over unbeaten Gayville-Volin in Gayville Thursday night, Sept. 10, but the Raiders rallied to take the win in a thrilling volleyball match featuring two good teams. The Raiders (5-0) won 23-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 17-15.

Autumn Huntimer, who is originally from Harrisburg and has been a Freeman resident for the past five years, stands in the newly refurbished space above the former Kairos and Delicious Flavor building on Main Street that will, starting next week, become a preschool. Huntimer, who has a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential and has worked in a preschool setting the past eight years, is opening Dreamations Preschool for children ages 3, 4 and 5, as well as an afterschool program.

This was the view from above during the Labor Day old-fashioned plowing bee two miles north of Freeman Monday, Sept. 7. More than a dozen tractors and plows turned up about 40 acres of soil in a field owned by Steve Friesen, which had been most recently used for oats. The Labor Day plowing been has been a tradition in the immediate Freeman area for many years.

If you missed the “A Day in the Life of Freeman” documentary that aired on South Dakota Public Television late Monday evening, Sept. 7, no worries. You can view the 25-minute film online by clicking here, and it is scheduled to air again on SDPB next Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m., so set that DVR.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER For those who know Ray Schultz, it’s hard to imagine him doing anything other than what he has done professionally for the past five decades — build cabinets. But that’s not what the lifelong Freeman resident set out to do when he graduated from Freeman High School in 1963 and enrolled at Southern State College in Springfield. Instead, Schultz, who retired from cabinet making this year after 50 years in business, wanted to be an industrial arts teacher before quickly realizing that teaching wasn’t for him.

  JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Those living in the Menno community as well as the surrounding area will want to mark their calendars for two big upcoming events in town — the Menno Volunteer Fire Department Car Show on Saturday, Sept. 19 and the Pioneer Power Show the following weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27. CAR SHOW

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Enrollment at Menno High School is as high as it has been in at least the last six school years. According to numbers provided by the business office at Menno Public School, Pre K-12 enrollment stood at 294 at the beginning of the school year. That’s an increase of 19 students over the start of the 2019-2020 term. Enrollment numbers include students who are enrolled at both Jamesville Colony and Maxwell Colony, which are both in the Menno School District.