Maintenance on the city of Freeman's water tower will begin Monday, July 13 and is expected to last for 45 days. The city announced on Friday that, while there will be no water outage during this time, there may be a reduction in water pressure. Because water reserves will be used, residents are being asked to conserve usage as much as possible during this time.

Sprinklers water the first fairway at Valley View Golf Course shortly after sunrise Friday, July 10. The 9-hole course, located one mile south of Freeman, opened in 1992 and is in its second year being run as a municipality of Freeman.

Driver education has been underway at Freeman Junior-Senior High School all week as instructor Tyler Uecker has instructed students in the school's chorus room Monday through Thursday, July 6-9. Driving begins next week and will continue through much of July.

Lane McCune fishes at the Freeman Prairie Arboretum early Tuesday afternoon, July 7.

For the first time since the Freeman Public Library closed its doors to the public and suspended all organized activities amid coronavirus concerns in mid-March, driver license renewals are returning. The station is set up for appointments inside the library's front entrance; with all slots for the July 7 renewals full, they will also be available Tuesday, July 14.

It was a picturesque scene at Merchants State Bank Field in Freeman Sunday night, July 5, as the community celebrated Independence Day. Youth softball and baseball games in the afternoon were followed by town team action as the Freeman Blacksox hosted Tabor — and won 4-1 behind a strong pitching outing from Nate Brohem. The day also included chislic sponsored by Merchants State Bank, other concessions and fireworks to cap the night, which were again sponsored by CorTrust Bank.

Menno's Dylan Lehr is pictured during the national anthem prior to the Mad Frogs' Fourth of July baseball game against Freeman on a warm but comfortable Saturday night. Menno won the traditional Independence Day game 12-5 to improve to 9-4 on the season. The Blacksox will take a 5-11 record into tonight's home game against Tabor that will be part of Freeman's celebration. Youth softball games begin at 12 p.m., with baseball games to follow beginning at 3 p.m.

The color guard made up of American Legion chapters from Menno, Tabor, Wagner and Yankton, as well as the VFW from Scotland, lead the Fourth of July parade down Fifth Street in Menno Ssturday morning. The traditional and popular celebration drew hundreds of guests and included 60 entries from Menno and surrounding communities. A Menno FFA pork loin feed in the city park followed; baseball and fireworks is on tap for tonight and Freeman will celebrated Independence Day on Sunday afternoon and evening.

Those hoping to land a parking spot along the first base line for this Sunday's baseball game will have a tough time finding one. Even by the middle part of this week, vehicles were lined up in anticipation of Freeman's Indepedence Day celebration on July 5. Activities get underway with girls softball games at 12 p.m. and will continue throughout the afternoon and evening. The Blacksox will take the field against Tabor starting at 7:30 p.m., with fireworks to follow.

Andre Eisenbeis helps a customer at the Freeman Farmers Market Wednesday evening, July 1. The local farmers market is held every Wedensday during the spring/summer produce season from 5 to 7 p.m. on the east side of the Freeman Shopping Center parking lot.