COMMENTARY BY JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER One year ago this week, the front page of The Courier featured a photo of Sonora Myers and an accompanying story about the stage production in which she would take on the leading role - “Matilda The Musical.” It was the issue of March 12, and Myers and the team behind the production of the 2020 Schmeckfest musical was just eight days away from opening night. But circumstances beyond anybody’s control had something to say about it and it wasn’t long before the rhythms and workings of the everyday world changed.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER A sports cooperative between Freeman’s two schools and Marion took another step forward Monday night, March 8 when the Freeman Public School Board reviewed a document outlining what the partnership could mean for all three schools involved. While not finalized, and while no action was taken, members of the Freeman School Board appeared to support what they saw and agreed to take the next step — hosting a special school board meeting and inviting the public to learn more and ask questions.

It turns out there will not be an election for the Freeman School Board after all. The Freeman Public School business office said early Wednesday afternoon that it had discovered that the petition turned in by Cody Spangler is invalid because Spangler is not a registered voter. That paves the way for Doug McCune and Emily Andersen, who turned in valid petitions, to take the seats on the board currently held by Corey Gall and Mark Miller, who chose not to see re-election.

For the first time ever, a Freeman City Council meeting can be observed from the comfort of home. The March 3 meeting was live-streamed on Golden West Channel 90, and also on YouTube. The link can be accessed by clicking here. The city has purchased equipment that allows the municipality to live-stream council meeting tonight and going forward, including cameras and microphones. 

Normally, staff and volunteers at Heritage Hall Museum and Archives (HHM&A) would be busy this time of year gearing up for an influx of visitors as part of the annual Schmeckfest activities at the adjacent Freeman Academy campus. “Of course, nothing has been normal since COVID-19 spread across the globe and reached South Dakota in early March last year 2020,” says Marnette (Ortman) Hofer, executive director and archivist of HHM&A. “The cancellation of Schmeckfest 2020 was the start of a dramatic drop in visitors to our museum over the past 12 months.”

The 2021 South Dakota Chislic Festival Board of Directors is making plans for its third South Dakota Chislic Festival to be held on Saturday, July 31 at Freeman’s Prairie Arboretum located in the southwestern corner of the Hutchinson County town. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. “After having suspended the 2020 Chislic Festival due to COVID-19 safety concerns, we are filled with excitement after the resounding success of the 2019 festival,” organizers say. “The board has regrouped with determination to offer the same incredible experience for 2021 festival attendees.

TIM L. WALTNER  - FROM THE COURIER ARCHIVES As Freeman’s Bruce Mueller was competing in the South Dakota Centennial Games in Sioux Falls last week, he couldn’t help recalling a track meet of 35 years earlier. Last week he won six gold medals, just like he did on a May afternoon in 1954. It is a 35-year-old bittersweet memory. It was 1954 and Mueller was a sophomore at Freeman Junior College. Mueller and Gordon Brockmueller, also a sophomore, were the core of a rather loosely structured FJC team.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER A second public meeting with Tom Oster has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 7 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Freeman High School gym. Like the meeting that was held on Jan.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER The Freeman City Council made two significant decisions during its regular meeting Wednesday night, Feb. 3. 1. The council agreed to spend $220,000 for Sayre and Associates’ design of a new Main Street and committed another $2 million to the $3 million project — something that is expected to help leverage the city’s position as it seeks additional funding through grants.

The 2021 Region 2B Wrestling Tournament has been moved from Freeman Public to the McCook Central gymnasium in Salem, region officials announced on Tuesday. The change in location comes because the South Dakota High School Activities Association is requiring a reduction in fan attendance by 50%, said Freeman Athletic Director Kristina Sage. Because McCook Central’s gym is larger than Freeman’s — which has a capacity of just under 1,000 — more fans will be able to attend.