JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER A survey made available to Freeman Public School District patrons this fall generated overwhelming support for school leadership to engage in dialogue with neighboring districts regarding both athletic cooperation and school consolidation. 

This week's 5-Minute Interview is with the physical therapy staff at Freeman Regional Health Services in recognition of October being Physical Therapy Month. The men and women who work in the local PT department have varying levels of experience. From left: Tony Miller has been there 25 years, Becca Schultz arrived in 2017, Elizabeth Waltner joined the staff in June and Mike McCue came on board in 2010. Read this week's 5-Minute Interview online Wednesday afternoon and in print on Thursday.

After meeting in executive session Wednesday night, Oct. 20 at the conclusion of its regular monthly meeting, the Freeman School Board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Jim Kaufman as the school's vo-ag teacher and FFA advisor, effective immediately. School Board President Emily Andersen told The Courier late Wednesday evening that ag classes and FAA will continue with "minimal disruption" until a permanent replacement is found. The district will use substitutes in that transition, she said.

As many readers probably know by now, The Courier is making a change regarding how it views its relationship with readers and — importantly — how readers view their relationship with the weekly newspaper that covers the communities of Freeman and Menno.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Why go to Las Vegas when you can gamble in your own backyard? That’s sort of how Lance Pankratz feels about farming, which in 2021 proved to be a wildcard thanks to the persistent question of whether moisture would relieve drought conditions that threatened the harvest and stirred up thoughts of nine years ago, when dry weather decimated the crops.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Tim L. Waltner, who first started working for the Freeman Courier in 1973, was named editor in 1977 and published the weekly from 1984 to 2016, was honored last week by the South Dakota Newspaper Association (SDNA) for his many years of service as chair of the South Dakota First Amendment Committee.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Freeman Public was represented at last week’s Region 3B Cross-Country Meet by a group of underclassmen girls with eyes on a big goal — a top three finish in the team standings that would qualify all five runners for the Oct. 23 state meet in Sioux Falls. The Flyers didn’t quite get it, but they set the stage for what could be a fun run for the program.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Another cross-country season, another Region 3B meet and another outstanding showing from the Freeman Academy/Marion boys, who last week finished second in the team standings. It was the ninth time in the last 10 years that a Freeman Academy boys team finished in the top two in the region and the 10th year in a row they’ve been in the top three.

Freeman Academy junior Jada Koerner ran away with the individual goal medal as Freeman hosted the Region 3B Cross-Country Meet on a windy Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Valley View Golf Course. Her time of 20:33.14 was 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER As Our Savior’s Lutheran Church prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary this coming Sunday, Oct. 10, Theresa Jacobson thinks back on her 10 years of pastoral service and care to the tiny congregation 6 miles south of Menno with warm regard and profound perspective. After all, the Stone Church, as it is commonly called, wears the armor of “small but mighty,” and wears it well.