JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER “We’ve never had a place to call our own.” That statement from Freeman High School head wrestling coach Chris Sayler set the tone for a request of the Freeman Public School Board to approve a new wrestling facility on the district’s campus — specifically, in the grassy area near the bus lane immediately east of the Freeman Elementary gymnasium.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER “Pandemic,” the Menno High School one-act original that recounts the first two months of the coronavirus pandemic, won a superior at the State One-Act Festival held remotely in Brookings Friday and Saturday, Feb. 5 and 6. Menno performed late Saturday morning and was notified of the top honor early Tuesday evening, Feb. 9. Additionally, Kyle Kyriss, Carly Herrboldt, Caden Fischer, Adrian Nusz, Brady Fergen, Kaelea McCoy, Chandler Dant, Salome Carr, Alexis Hogeland earned honors for outstanding performances.

Say hello to Courtney Unruh, who took over as CEO at Freeman Regional Health Service on Jan. 1 following the retirement of Nick Brandner. Unruh, a community native who returned to Freeman with her husband, Patrick, five years ago, is the subject of this week's 5-Minute Interview. Read it online later Wednesday and in print tomorrow.

As expected, the Freeman Public School Board accepted the resignation of Will Massey in special session Wednesday night, Feb. 3, effective immediately. It was the only action item on the agenda. Massey had been the dean of students, math teacher and head boys basketball coach.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER The “Pandemic” lives on. Less than a week after giving the home performance of their original one-act play recalling the early months of the cornavirus pandemic, Menno students advanced to the State One-Act Festival by placing second in the Region 1B competition last week Wednesday, Jan. 27. The 35-minute play will be presented by a cast of 17 and a crew of three as part of the state competition in Brookings Saturday, Feb. 6.

Nominating petitions for upcoming vacancies on city councils and school boards in both Freeman and Menno may now be taken out. Those seeking election/re-election have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 to turn those petitions into the respective governing office. Should an election be necessary, it would be held on Tuesday, April 13 in both Freeman and Menno. Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake. Freeman City Council Four terms will expire on the Freeman City Council. They are as follows:

For more than 40 years, the Hanson Anderson basketball preview books have featured South Dakota’s top boys and girls basketball players on its covers. During that time, three from Menno have been chosen: Megan Smidt (2001-02), Morgan Edelman (2020-21) and Jeff Liebl (1981-82). The trio of Wolves standouts were all together for a photo when the Wolves hosted Gayville-Volin for a doubleheader last week Tuesday, Jan. 26.

BY JEREMY WALTNER, EDITOR Last spring, in the early days of a pandemic that would change lives and ways of life, Viki Graber came across an article online about a woman whose husband was admitted to a nursing home. Rather than relying on remote visits and other means of distant communication, she solved the problem of separation and isolation by getting a job washing dishes at the nursing home. “That always stayed in the back of my mind,” said Viki, a Freeman native who has spent most of her adult life living and working in Goshen, Ind.

Sand Pike, LLC has announced that development is underway for a DakotaPlex housing project to meet the demand for affordable housing in the Freeman area. Land for the development is located in the vacant space immediately south of the Freeman Community Center on Wipf Street. Site work will begin in spring, with completion of the first units in the fall of 2021.

Bart Pfankuch - South Dakota News Watch South Dakota health officials and medical providers have been near the top of the nation in administering COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, but a significant new challenge awaits as the state moves into a much larger, more difficult-to-define population of people who may qualify for a shot.<