Blasts and booms were the name of the game for this group of Freeman boys Friday night as they discharged fireworks from the Freeman High School parking lot. It will be a busy weekend for this kind of activity as Independence Day nears. Fireworks will be sold through July 5 and may be legally discharged through the following Sunday.

The reconstruction of Main Street isn't the only road work taking place in Freeman. This shows what will be W. Third Street coming off Cedar Street, which will lead into the new Westward View housing development. Concrete work on curb and gutter is expected to start within the next week. Also, an updated schedule for the Main Street project shows concrete work starting at the end of next week (July 7-8) as opposed to the middle of the month. Workers will start with the west side of Main Street (southbound traffic) before moving to the east.

This drone photo offers a great look at what was happening on Main Street Thursday morning as workers from Slowey Construction were adding additional fill to the gravel roadway in anticipation of paving — a hallmark moment that is expected to being around the middle of July.

This is the corner of Main and Fourth streets, which looked notably different on Wednesday morning than it did 24 hours earlier. That's because workers reconstructing Main Street took down the large tree that had stood on that corner for generations on Tuesday afternoon — a symbol of "out with the old, in with the new" that is marking this $5.1 million capital project taken on by the city.

It's full speed ahead as Slowey Construction continues to work through Phase 1 of the city's Main Street Project. All storm sewer inlets between Third and Fifth streets have been installed and roadway grading was the order of the day early this week. Once completed, Reede Construction will begin installing concrete curb and gutter throughout the primary business district, which will be followed by fine roadway grading in preparation for paving. Also, further north between Well and Henry streets, utility work is underway.

Aaron Pendergast prices fireworks at Plus Fireworks, which is now open for its inaugural season in Freeman on the east side of Highway 81 just south of Knodel Contractors. The wholesale fireworks stand is owned by Josh Payer of Sioux Falls and is one of several pop-up shops he operates in smaller communities. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Firework sales are permitted in South Dakota from Monday, June 27 through Tuesday, July 5. The final day to legally shoot them is July 10.  

Ty and Carolyn Preheim serve up a rack of ribs at Freeman Academy's Ribs and More at the Ranch fundraiser Saturday evening, June 25. The annual event included ribs and other food options, music and a festive spirit in the school's boulevard. 

This Main Street business was originally built as First National Bank of Freeman and has been home to a number of businesses, including Stern Oil Company. This photo was taken in the late 1980s; note the lawn mowers out front and the telephone booth to the left. Today this fully renovated two-story brick structure is home to Vintage Vault Floral and Designs. Stern has operated from its Highway 81 home just south of Freeman since the 1990s.

This is how Zac Tenneboe, who goes by Magic Zac, ended his performance at the Freeman Community Center Thursday afternoon, June 24. The 30-minute entertaining show of tricks was the kickoff to the 2022 Summer Reading Program at the Freeman Public Library and drew about 40 people — mostly kids. This year's Summer Reading Program is using the theme "Oceans of Possibilities" is geared toward youth of all ages, including tweens and teens. It runs through July 25. To learn more, go to freemanlibrary.org.

Round alfalfa bales sit together on the South Dakota prairie near the Turkey Ridge Valley southeast of Freeman on a beautiful early summer morning. The farmland is flush with rich color these days as periodic rainfall and high heat have fed the rural environment, although dry conditions continue to be of concern inspire of the late-spring moisture. And there is but a slight change of moisture in the extended forecast.