It's another game day at Merchants State Bank Field as the District 6 Amateur Baseball Tournament gets underway. The first game begins at 6 p.m. and features No. 4 Wynot against No. 5 Crofton, which will be followed by No. 3 Freeman facing No. 6 Menno. The winners will play Lesterville and Tabor on Sunday at 5:30 and 7 p.m., with the losers of today's games playing an elimination game next week Thursday, July 28. 

The the baseball field being prepped for another game, players from Scotland/Menno warm up before facing Platte-Geddes in the second round of the S.D. Region 4 American Legion Tournament being played at the Lily Pad in Menno. The Trappers lost 14-4 and will try to come back through the consolation bracket in a must-win game; they face Tabor at 5 p.m. today. Other games scheduled for Thursday include Parkston vs. Alexandria at 3 p.m. and Mt. Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney against Platte-Geddes at 7 p.m. The tournament continues Friday and concludes Saturday.

This photo accurately summarizes what the summer in Freeman has been like as a number of construction projects are underway. This road closed sign is a new one and blocks traffic on Cedar Street as the concrete roadway is poured in the Westward View housing development. Work also continues on the Main Street project, The Hangar at Freeman Public Schools, and the Salem Mennonite Home is currently having work done in the ramp area between the two wings.

This is the Hole No. 5 tee box located at Freeman's new Frisbee Golf Course on the south side of the Freeman Prairie Arboretum, which is now open to the public. The nine-hole course is a project spurred by the Freeman Lions Club, with Hole No. 1 located just off the gravel driveway/parking area near the corner of Cedar Street and the South County Road. Game play is free and open to the public starting this week. Look for more on this in the July 21 edition of The Courier.

This is the framework for one of the extended curbs being built as part of the city's Main Street project. These zero-grade extensions are being included at the intersections of Main and Third and Main and Fourth streets and will provide better accessibility and safety for those visiting downtown.

This photo taken by Freeman resident Evan Waltner and shared with The Courier shows the gazebo at the Prairie Arboretum on a foggy early Sunday morning. The light illuminating the gazebo is coming from the amphitheater sound shell. 

Anne Pankratz of Marion stands on the grounds of the Freeman Prairie Arboretum, where in two weeks the fourth South Dakota Chislic Festival will take place. Pankratz is a festival board member and the subject of this week’s 5-Minute Interview, where she talks about the need for volunteers. Check it out in print and online. 

Concrete work continues to move along at a good clip as workers now have both the northbound and southbound lanes poured, as well as the curb in the west side of the Main Street roadway. 

Coaches and players with the Canistota/Freeman 14U Sticks come together along the third-base line following their disappointing loss to Centerville in the championship round of the SD VFW Class B 14U Region 6 Tournament. The Sticks lost twice to Centerville — 4-3 on Tuesday and then 9-5 on Wednesday — to see what had been a successful season come to an end. 

This photo display and these refreshments — homemade cookies courtesy of Elizabeth Anderson, a member of the Friends of the Library Board of Directors — are there for public consumption inside the Freeman Public Library in celebration of 15 years on Main Street. The public is invited to walk inside, have a look and grab a treat, anytime this week. The front doors are open despite the construction project, and the library can also be accessed through the back door.