JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER The Freeman Public School Board voted unanimously Monday night, Nov. 9, to establish its winter sports attendance policy — at least for the time being — in anticipation of the basketball and wrestling seasons set to begin next month. The board agreed 5-0 to allow fans to attend without restriction with the exception of students in grades K-4 who do not have a sibling competing. That applies to varsity/junior varsity and middle school athletics.

BY JEREMY WALTNER  |  COURIER EDITOR & PUBLISHER The Tigers delivered the first blow. But the Pride won the fight — and the night.

A positive case of COVID-19 inside the Freeman Middle School-High School building has prompted school administration to alter instruction for the remainder of the week, and possibly into the coming weeks. In-person instruction has been suspended for students in grades 4-12 Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5 and 6, with remote learning set to take place on Friday.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER The Freeman City Council last week voted 6-0 to allow families and individuals who want to use the Freeman Community Center auditorium for recreation to do so free of charge, as long as another scheduled event is not taking place. School-sanctioned teams — like Marion/Freeman wrestling — who want to use it for practices will still be assessed a fee.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER With the South Dakota High School Activities Association expected to make a decision on what football reclassification looks like during a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, Freeman Public Superintendent Kevin Kunz has held off with further discussions about a possible partnership with Marion.

Revenge, they say, is best served cold. To that end, Canistota/Freeman is hoping next Friday night is downright frigid.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER The final cross-country race of Morgan Edelman’s career is one she will remember, not for the finish, but for the weather conditions she and the 119 other runners competing in the Class B field endured. “I only fell once,” the Menno senior said following her 55th-place finish in her seventh and final state cross-country meet held in snowy, slippery and cold conditions at Hart Ranch Golf Course just south of Rapid City Saturday morning, Oct. 24. “It was not fun; I couldn’t feel anything.”

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Voters across the country will head to the polls next Tuesday, Nov. 3 for a general election headlined by a contentious race for president between Republican incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. But there’s more on the ballot than that, including in South Dakota, where voters will weigh in on three ballot issues — two of which would legalize marijuana in the state and a third that would legalize sports betting in Deadwood.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER As COVID-19 cases surge across South Dakota — active cases went from an average of 2,594 the third week of September to 8,983 the third week of October while average daily hospitalizations went from 58 the third week of August to 332 the third week of October — the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a major impact locally.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER The 2020 State Cross-Country Meet will be remembered for the wintery weather conditions that moved across the Black Hills Saturday morning, Oct. 24. Freeman Academy runners and fans will remember it for something else, too: One of the best all-around finishes in recent memory, if not program history.