This was the scene early Wednesday evening as the reenactment of the First National Bank of Freeman robbery of 1935 played out before a crowd of several hundred. The production was directed by Jeremy Waltner and staged by actors portraying the four robbers (Kerry Hofer, Cullen Mack, Collin Waltner and Evan Waltner); the banker taken hostage (Dennis Lehmann); Emma Fensel (Becky Waltner), who encounters the robbers after making a deposit; two bystanders inside (voiced by Brett Pidde) and a narrator (Seth Loofbourrow).

The 14U Sticks will be playing in the South Dakota VFW Baseball Association State Tournament  The Freeman/Marion squad advanced by defeating Tyndall 9-2 in the Region 7 championship in Scotland Wednesday night, July 12. The Sticks were undefeated in region play, also topping Centerville 9-4 and Tyndall 3-1 in the opening round on Monday.

Clifford A. Herrboldt, 92, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2023 at the Dougherty House in Sioux Falls, S.D., with family by his side. A funeral service will be held Saturday, July 15 at 11 a.m. at the Salem Reformed Church of Menno, S.D., with Pastor Michael Hecht officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at a later date. Livestreaming of Clifford’s services can be seen at https://my.gather.app/remember/clifford-herrboldt. Online condolences may be sent at www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.

Shirley Wuertzer, 75, of Mitchell, S.D., passed away Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell. A funeral mass was scheduled for Wednesday, July 12, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Mitchell, with burial in Calvary Cemetery in Mitchell.

The pattern of wetter weather continues after another shot of rain during the overnight hours of Wednesday morning. Close to 2 inches was reported in Freeman with more than an inch falling in rural areas. This photo was taken by Dollar General along Highway 81 on the northeast corner of Freeman, looking to the southeast.

Riley Gall winds up to deliver a pitch on the opening night of the VFW Region 7 14U Tournament being hosted by Scotland this week. Gall and the Freeman/Marion Sticks won twice on Monday, defeating Centerville 9-4 in their first game and then Tyndall 3-1 in the nightcap behind a solid pitching performance from Gall. In the other game on Monday, Scotland/Menno fell to Tyndall 9-1.

This week's Monday on Main feature by Heritage Hall Museum & Archives showcases this classic photo with the accompanying description:

This art is included on The Courier's church sponsorship page this month, with the accompanying text:

This was the sky looking east from Freeman Monday night during a stretch of unsettled weather that moved through the area early this past week. Highway 81 is the road that runs from left to right (north to south). The region was blessed with another round of rain on Friday morning and the weekend is shaping up to be a beautiful one.

This photo of Freeman Blacksox player/manager Jake Weier and his son, Tucker, watching fireworks was taken by Emily Hofer and posted on the Blacksox Facebook page following the team's 5-2 win over Menno Thursday night, July 6. The game and fireworks display was postponed from Tuesday, July 4 because of concerns about the weather and was the final act on another Independence Day celebration. Thursday's win by the Freeman town team moved the Sox to 8-7 on the season while the Mad Frogs dropped to 0-11.