Michael Walter will be Freeman’s next mayor.  The local businessman won the seat over Terry Waterman in the Freeman City/School Election held Tuesday in conjunction with the June 2 Primary Election. Walter drew 259 of the 400 votes — about half of which were filed by absentee voting — for 64.5%. He will take office next Monday, June 8. Voter turnout for the city election was at 45.5%, with 403 of the 886 registered voters living in the city of Freeman weighing in.

When the cast of “Matilda the Musical” gathered for rehearsal on Thursday night, March 12, absent was the star of the show, Sonora Myers, the 14-year old cast in the title role. She had fallen ill and was running a fever and her parents, Aaron and Consuelo, made the decision to keep her home that night from practice for the 2020 Schmeckfest musical. With concerns about COVID-19 mounting, Consuelo said she proceeded with an abundance of caution. “I guess I’m a rule follower,” she told the Courier. “I was trying to be respectful and trying to keeping the rest of the cast healthy.”