Our opinion: There’s a lot we don’t know about the coronavirus outbreak, but using the new disease as a pawn on the political chessboard isn’t good for anybody. Everyone seems to be talking about coronavirus — COVID-19 — and with good reason. We’re all struggling to understand the impact on everything from an individual’s health to the global economy and everything in between.

A team that many believe can content for a Class B championship got just about all it could handle from a resilient Freeman Academy/Marion team in the third round of the Region 5B Tournament Friday night, but second-seed Canistota held off the third-seeded Bearcats in the final three minutes to claim victory. The Hawks won 54-44 and will be one of two teams representing Region 5B in next week’s SoDak 16; the other is Viborg-Hurley, the region’s top seed and another candidate for the B title.

You’re the Menno Wolves girls basketball team and its adorning fans, and there is good news and there is bad news. Let’s start with the bad.

Throughout her years playing basketball for the Freeman High School girls, Emmarie Edwards has viewed the “Last Play” mantra adopted by the team six seasons ago as a rallying cry — something the players wore on the backs of their shooting shirts that both united and motived the Flyers. Last Thursday night, on the basketball court in Tea, those two words took on a whole new meaning for Edwards and three other seniors — Jaimie Glanzer, Emily Miller and Izzy Sayler — whose prep basketball careers were suddenly over.

The No. 3 Freeman Academy/Marion boys (16-5) blew past No. 6 Irene-Wakonda (6-16) in the second round of the Region 5B Basketball Tournament in Marion Tuesday night, taking out the Eagles 61-34. The Bearcats will play Friday night for a spot in the SoDak16.

Freeman junior Clayton Smith eneded up sixth while Marion senior Daniel Cremer placed eighth after both wrestlers lost their final two matches of the State Wrestling Tournament.  Smith (38-11), wrestling at 220 lbs., was pinned in the 5th/6th place match while Cremer lost a 9-4 decision in the 7th/8th place match. Watch for a full report in the March 3 issue of the Courier.

When Freeman High School junior Clayton Smith took the mat against Winner’s Preston Norrid in the quarterfinal round of the State Wrestling Tournament’s Class B division Thursday, Feb. 27, this much he knew.

Marion/Freeman didn’t get the bonus of a longshot state qualifier in Salem on Saturday, but the three favorites to punch their ticket to this week’s State Wrestling Tournament in Sioux Falls got the job done. Marion senior Daniel Cremer and Freeman Public juniors Ethan Ortman and Clayton Smith all finished in the top four to collectively advance to the season’s biggest tournament for the second year in a row. For Cremer, this will be his fourth appearance at state.

There are three good reasons why the Freeman Public School Board should vote to approve the purchase and installation of new bleachers for the not-so-new-anymore Freeman Junior-Senior High School gym, which was discussed at the school board’s Feb. 10 meeting: 1. The money is there. 2. No other major improvement to the physical plant is anywhere on the horizon. 3. 28 years and counting. So, let’s break it down. THE MONEY IS THERE

Our opinion: Criminalizing medical treatment a misguided approach to ‘protecting children’ in South Dakota; state senate should strike down bill.   Last week, the Courier editorial raised concerns about Senate Bill 54, which would take local control away from citizens of cities and counties by banning their ability to ban use of plastic bags and plastic straws.