Emma Schoenwald and friend Evelyn Lafrentz found enjoyment in a ditch full of water not far north of their Dewald Street homes in Freeman Monday evening, July 7. The opportunity followed a hard rain that dumped more than 2 inches of rain locally, with lesser amounts in rural areas. The strong system...

Mark Johnson and Austin Smidt man two grills used for cooking chislic during Freeman's Independence Day celebration Sunday, July 6. The traditional chislic stand was staffed mostly by baseball players, with Merchants State Bank sponsoring the 225 dozen sticks of the traditional food, with all of it ...

Dustin Tschetter chalks the left field line Sunday morning, July 6 in advance of a day of baseball at Merchants State Bank Field and the adjoining softball park. It's Freeman's turn to host an Independence Day celebration, and action will begin at noon with the first games of the day, as well as the...

Scenes like this played out over and over again as thousands packed the streets of Menno late Friday morning, July 4 for the traditional Independence Day parade. There were 87 entries representing Menno and the surrounding area, and the processional lasted a full hour. Watch for a full report in the...

Isla Andersen, daughter of Menno native and community resident Brittney Massey, goes through the line at the Menno FFA-hosted Fourth of July feed inside the city/school auditorium following Friday's Independence Day parade. Thousands once again stormed Menno for the Fourth of July celebration, which...

Will Stuck, a children's performer who works with libraries around the country, introduces himself and his show to those who are taking part in the Summer Reading Program offered by the Freeman Public Library Wednesday afternoon, July 2. Struck was in town to help the local library celebrate the mid...

This was the scene at the Freeman Junior-Senior High School parking lot late Sunday night, June 29 as a group of local boys put on a fireworks show —  a tradition in recent years. A good-sized crowd was on hand and showed appreciation afterward, even collecting money to help fund the 2026 show. The ...

Ted Pidde Sr., right, is pictured with Bill Morefeld, center, and Leo Laber inside the Freeman Meat Market in this undated photo. Morefeld purchased the building in 1930, with Laber becoming manager in 1948. Laber purchased the operation in 1974 — one year after Pidde assumed ownership of Ferd’s Mea...

Marnette Hofer, archivist and executive director at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives, welcomes a nice crowd to the Sunday afternoon program exploring the ins and outs of the one-room country school, which once upon a time dotted the rural landscape. Watch for a report on the program online later this...

This photo was posted on Facebook by Heritage Hall Museum & Archives in advance of its Sunday afternoon program on one-room school houses. Here is what was included with the post: One-room country schools weren't air conditioned, but the Bethel Church, where we're hosting a 2 p.m. program this after...