JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER When Freeman Academy students and staff reported for school on Friday, Nov. 6 it was a different kind of day — and it had nothing to do with concerns about COVID-19. Instead, it was the school’s annual Community Service Day in which members of the student body and faculty fan out across the town to rake leaves. No payment or donation is accepted.

Three performers/groups from Menno, two from Freeman Public and seven from Freeman Academy have all qualified for the Region 2B oral interpretation competition. In a field of six competitors in the Non-Original Oratory division, Freeman Public’s Lily Wipf, Freeman Academy’s Samuela Ndongosieme and Menno’s Maggie Miller will each be competing for one spot in the state field.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER The building that served as the government home for Hutchinson County from 1881 through most of 2019 will be coming down. Meeting in regular session Thursday, Nov. 5, the Hutchinson County Commission voted 4-0 to declare the former courthouse on Euclid Street surplus property, which will lead to its ultimate destruction and removal. Commissioner Steve Friesen told The Courier exactly when the building will be taken down will be based on room in the county’s budget, but it won’t be until sometime next year — possibly summer.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Update: Since this story went to print, Menno Public School announced late Tuesday night that all students in grades 9-12 will be learning remotely and that all high school activities have been suspended until Nov. 30.

Freeman Public Schools is moving to remote learning only for students in grades 5-12 beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17 for at least the week. This comes after seven new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the building Monday and several other new cases confirmed over the weekend. District administration said it made the decision because of the number of new cases and the number of staff members impacted.

A press release from Freeman Regional Health Services (FRHS) issued Friday afternoon, Nov. 12 confirms that a resident at Oakview Terrace Nursing Home has tested positive for COVID-19. The health care facility issued the release “in an effort to be transparent.”

In a year without much to celebrate, Canistota/Freeman gave its fans and communities something to cheer about in a big way with another Class 9A state championship Thursday night, Nov. 12.

Players from Canistota/Freeman celebrate their semifinal win over Howard last week. The Pride will take the field one last time this season when they face Warner for the Class 9A title tonight, Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The game will be played at the DakotaDome in Vermillion; the team plans to leave from Freeman High School at 3:45 p.m. South Dakota Public Broadcasting is once again televising all seven South Dakota championship games today, tomorrow and Saturday.

Students at Freeman Public who are considered close contacts with a positive COVID-19 case are no longer excluded from school and school-related activities for 14 days — the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control that the district had been following.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Freeman Regional Health Services Board of Directors is in the process of looking for a new Chief Executive Officer following the decision by current CEO Nick Brandner to retire.