JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Fifty-five years after Orville A. Waltner established Valley Electric Service as his own business — named for Valley Township south of town, where Waltner lived — the Freeman-based business is under new ownership. Ryan Sorensen has purchased it from Ted Pidde Jr., in a sale that was finalized Tuesday, Dec. 29.

For many, the year 2020 will be remembered for the coronavirus pandemic that significantly altered life as it had been known. For one rural Freeman family, however, the year will be remembered for something else — one where a husband and father nearly lost his life, only to overcome the threat of death through perseverance, support from family and friends, great care from the larger medical community and unwavering faith, prayer and belief in a larger purpose.

The following was submitted by the Salem Mennonite Home in Freeman and signed by its administrator, Shirley Knodel. Salem Mennonite Home (SMH) has been vigilant since the onset of the pandemic in an effort to keep our residents and staff safe from COVID-19. These measures came from recommendations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the South Dakota Department of Health, Freeman Regional Health Services (FRHS) and Avera.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER One month after showing little interest in what a possible partnership with neighboring Marion could look like — sports cooperation in the short-term and, later, school cooperation — officials from Freeman Public agreed to revisit the issue with the help of Tom Oster, who works with school districts on long-term planning and has his own consulting firm based in Volga.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER The home in which Lee Friesen was raised in the 1970s and 80s was one that encouraged creativity. Growing up at 113 N. Elm in Menno, Lee and his siblings — older sisters Catherine, Mieca and younger brother Shawn — were always invited to express themselves and go after whatever it was that piqued their interest.

Personally, I think it’s an exciting time to be in healthcare. Hear me out. Work used to be almost monotonous. Routine. Ear infection? Chest pain? Appendicitis? Go through the system. Whatever the issue was, be it medical or surgical, there’s usually a pathway. Go here. Follow-up there. If this, then that. ER. Admit to the hospital. Discharge. Physical therapy. Go through the system.

The Freeman Public School Board made no change to its ineligibility policy at a special meeting held via Zoom Thursday night, Dec. 10, but may consider additional leniency because of COVID-19 challenges in the future.

According to a public notice printed on page 9B in this week's Courier, the city of Freeman will consider issuing an on-sale liquor license to Mimi’s Diner when it holds its second meeting of the month Wednesday, Dec. 16. The notice lists the location of Mimi’s Diner as 239 S. Main; that’s the building that is currently home to Doc’s Mess Hall and was Delicious Flavor Bakery and The Kairos before that. The Dec. 16 hearing will come less than three weeks after Josue “Sway” Torres announced he would be closing Doc’s Bar and Mess Hall Jan. 2.

Freeman Regional Health Services (FRHS) Oakview Terrace nursing home received a visit on Dec. 1 from a representative from the South Dakota Department of Health. These surveyors are being sent to SD health care facilities as part of the state commitment to take critical steps to ensure health care facilities are prepared to respond to the threat of COVID-19.

BY SADAF CASSIM  - FOR RURAL REVIVAL If you have ever driven on old 44, just southeast of town, you might have noticed in the middle of the fields, a small house-like structure. And perhaps on a different day you spotted that same structure but most definitely in a different field. Happily, your senses are, in fact, sound and can be explained by an uncommon agricultural practice: the mobile chicken coop. While not a new concept, this unique and innovative practice is certainly not standard amongst the farms one finds in South Dakota.