Amanda Mettler smiles for a photo behind the Salem Home sign that anchors the corner of the assisted living facility that will be merged with Freeman Regional Health Services by the end of the year. Mettler, who has been the director of social services at FRHS the past 13 years, now takes on the title of FRHS Senior Living Assistant Administrator and will split her time between both health care facilities. Read more about her new role in the Nov. 16 edition of The Courier.

Parents, family and fans are invited to pep rally/sendoff for the state-bound Freeman Public volleyball team at 9:30 a.m. at the high school gym Wednesday, Nov. 16. The Flyers will then leave for Sioux Falls from the school’s parking lot at 9:45 a.m., via an escort from the Freeman Volunteer Fire Department.

Click here for a look at what was a thrilling night for the Freeman volleyball team. 

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER It was the summer of 1976 — Ron Baker’s first year playing amateur baseball in Freeman. The Scotland native had spent the previous seven seasons playing for his hometown team and helped lead the Highlanders to a Class B state championship the summer before.

The Freeman High School volleyball team and its fans gather for a photo following its SoDak 16 win over Potter County in Chamberlain Tuesday night. The Flyers beat the Coyotes in three sets and will be the No. 8 seed at state; they will face No. 1 Warner in the opening round Thursday, Nov. 17 at 11:30 a.m. in Sioux Falls.

For Freeman High School seniors Kate Miller and Erin Uecker, their high school volleyball careers aren’t over quite yet. No, they’ve got a trip to Sioux Falls to make first.

Ron Baker and the late Warren Scherschlight, both of whom have ties to Freeman baseball, will be inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Hall of Fame during a banquet scheduled for Saturday night, Nov. 5 at Beseda Hall in Tabor. A social hour starts at 5:30 p.m. and a roast beef dinner and induction ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling 605-661-4889.

The Freeman High School girls are going to their fifth SoDak 16 in a row. Playing in the third and final round of the Region 4B Volleyball Tournament, the top-seed Flyers bumped, set and killed their way past the competition, ousting fourth-seed Scotland 25-12, 25-20, 25-19 at home.

Dirt work to bring the Westward View Housing Development to its final elevation has been intensifying in the past week as Knodel Contractors has been on site of the 14-acre project west of the water tower to see it completed before winter. This photo was taken Thursday morning. "This is the highest land in Freeman and it has been built up even more," said Carol Eisenbeis, the city's marketing and development coordinator.

JEREMY WALTNER - EDITOR & PUBLISHER In an effort to provide a continuity of care and strengthen its commitment to the larger Freeman community, Freeman Regional Health Services (FRHS) and the Salem Mennonite Home have announced plans to merge. A date has not been finalized, but FRHS CEO Courtney Unruh said the Salem Home will become an extension of FRHS after the final agreement has been signed — a formality — and that she is hopeful that all resources can be combined by the first of the year.