No. 8 Menno will host No. 9 Freeman Academy/Marion in the Region 5B Tournament play-in game Monday, Feb. 21. The game has been moved from the evening to 2 p.m. because of expected incoming winter weather. The winner of Monday's game will travel to top-seed Centerville Tuesday.  In other action on Tuesday, No. 4 Freeman will face No. 5 Scotland at 7:30 p.m. in Centerville. Also, No. 2 Viborg-Hurley will face No. 7 Gayville-Volin and No. 3 Irene-Wakonda will play No. 6 Alcester-Hudson; both of those games are hosted by Viborg-Hurley.

The ward map of Freeman published in the Feb. 17 issue of The Courier had Ward 1 and Ward 2 flipped. The map published here is correct.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEREMY WALTNER On March 5, 2021, with Freeman Academy/Marion facing Viborg-Hurley in the third round of the Region 5B Tournament, Connor Epp dazzled the crowded house inside the Freeman High School gym with the game of his life: 25 points, eight assists, five steals and five rebounds. But that’s not what he remembers.

A reminder that those seeking election or re-election to the city council or school must have their signed petitions turned in by the end of the day Friday, Feb. 25. A number of petitions had been turned in as of early this week:

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Meeting in regular session Monday night, Feb. 14, the Freeman School Board honored a request from Growing Dreams Learning Center to allow the non-profit day care/preschool facility to continue to operate from its location in the east wing of Freeman Elementary through the 2022-23 school year.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER ‘The city of Freeman took a big next step toward completion of the Westward View housing development at its regular monthly meeting Monday night, Feb. 14 when it accepted a bid for the construction of W. 5th Street, Westward View Circle — both of which will provide access to the 18 available lots — and curb and gutter that goes along with it.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Between teams, team personnel and fans, as many as 1,500 people are expected to pack the Freeman High School gym this coming Saturday, Feb. 19 as the local school district hosts the Region 2B Wrestling Tournament for the third time since 2014. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. sharp with action beginning at 9:30 a.m. The finals are expected to be underway by 5 p.m.

This photo shows the Barnett Center on the campus of Northern State University in Aberdeen in March of 1999, the year the Freeman High School boys finished fourth the State 'B' Basketball Tournament. The Barnett Center is still hosting the 'B' Tournament, and this week's Courier has cover story about the Freeman Academy/Marion boys and their quest to get there. Read it online Wednesday afternoon and in print starting Thursday.

Assuming the South Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors signs off on the deal early next month — and it almost assuredly will — local football fans can expect to cheer on a brand-new team starting in fall: The Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy ___________________. Hallelujah.

I don’t know whether to chuckle or cringe at two nuggets of “wisdom” published in the Freeman Courier 100 years ago this week; both are printed in the History section on page 6A but should also be shared here. The first, from an exchange: