JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER An hour-and-45-minutes. That’s how much time it took for 450 racks of ribs, 24 brisket, six pork butts and a couple hundred hot dogs to disappear at last year’s Freeman Volunteer Fire Department Firehouse Rib Cook-Off held at the Swimming Pool Park. “That’s a ton of food gone in a short period of time,” said Chad Soulek, founder and chief organizer of the event that will return this Saturday, Aug. 14 for the eighth time in as many years. “That was crazy.”

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER When students from Freeman Public and Menno return to school for another term next week, it will be business as usual. Classes begin at both districts Wednesday, Aug. 18; while it will be a full day in Menno, Freeman Public will dismiss at 1 p.m. Freeman Academy will begin the 2021-22 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 25.

Bob Pidde is finally getting his chance at recognition as the newest inductee into South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. The former Freeman standout who went on to play at South Dakota State University was originally to be inducted into the hall of fame in 2020, but the ceremony was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM THE 2021 SOUTH DAKOTA CHISLIC FESTIVAL

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Joann Smith and other organizers of the South Dakota Chislic Festival stood in awe as they gazed out the east windows of the Freeman Prairie Arboretum visitor’s center late Saturday morning, July 31. Just beyond them, hundreds upon hundreds of men, women and children of all ages had clogged the festival’s main artery past the food booths and into the beer tent, and turned the grounds of the 40-acre site into one giant ant farm.

CANISTOTA/FREEMAN 14U STATE TOURNAMENT PICTURES HERE!

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER One year ago, on the last Saturday of July, the Freeman Prairie Arboretum was quiet. The sprawling, 40-acre grounds located on the southwestern portion of Freeman was supposed to be alive with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the third annual South Dakota Chislic Festival but, like many other things, the 2020 event was canceled because of ongoing concerns about the coronavirus and the spread of COVID-19.

The Canistota/Freeman Sticks didn’t just host the 2021 Class B VFW State 14U Baseball Tournament last weekend. They won it.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Tabitha Schoenwald will be the newest member of the Freeman City Council.