Region 4B girls basketball action will begin Monday night, Feb. 20 with No. 8 Freeman Academy/Marion (6-14) facing No. 9 Gayville-Volin (5-15) at 6 p.m. in Marion. Action will continue with four games on Tuesday and two games Thursday.

For more than 80 years, this building served students attending Freeman Public School — first students at all grade levels and then, following the opening of the current junior-senior high school in 1975, students in grades K-6. The two-story brick structure opened in 1926 — two years following a fire that destroyed the previous school building located on what is today Lions Park. The building no longer exists; it was razed in 2009.

Bob Schoenwald, 65 of Marion, S.D., passed away on Feb. 8, 2023 at the Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, S.D. A memorial Service will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, February 20 at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church Hall, Marion. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Arrangements provided by Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home.

Kent Mueller is featured in the 5-Minute Interview published in this week's Courier. Here it is.

Ten wrestlers from Marion/Freeman will hit the mat at McCook Central in Salem this Saturday, Feb. 18 for the Region 2B Wrestling Tournament. Action begins at 9:30 a.m. and will continue throughout the day. Those who are scheduled to compete for the Rebels are as follows: 106 — Brody Gossen (29-7) 113 — Easton Tschetter (31-13) 120 — Finley McConniel (23-18) 126 — Alaric Knittel (9-14) 132 — Keaton Preheim (26-14) 145 — Zac Sayler (17-14) 152 — Chris Flores (10-23) 160 — Riley Tschetter (29-13)

As is obvious in this photo of Bob Pidde clearing snow in front of his Main Street business, Jamboree Foods, the area was hit with another round of weather late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as several more inches of snow, coupled with high winds and cold temperatures, made for tough conditions. Driving was difficult if not impossible late last night (there have been many reports of cars in ditches), prompting schools in Freeman and Menno to cancel classes for the day. Additionally, the city of Freeman's rubble site and Heritage Hall Museum & Archives are closed.

Tara Lynn Sheldon, age 46 of Yankton, S.D., passed away unexpectedly on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, at her home. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 20 at the United Church of Christ (Congregational), Yankton, S.D., with Rev. Jacqueline Hickox-Morgan officiating. Burial will be in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Avon, S.D. at approximately 2 p.m., Monday afternoon. Visitations will begin at 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb.

Dawn Walz, owner of Vintage Vault Floral and Fashion in Freeman, prepares an arrangement for delivery Tuesday morning, Feb. 14 on what is among her busiest days of the year.

A proposal that would have expanded an athletic partnership between Menno and Scotland to include boys and girls basketball, track and field and wrestling gained approval from the Menno Board of Education on a 3-2 vote, but the Scotland School Board failed to pass it 3-4. Both boards were in regular session Monday night, Feb. 13.

The sun shines through Old Glory atop the fire and ambulance hall in Freeman on a mild Monday morning. Highs were expected to reach into the mid 40s on Monday before the weather turns; moisture is in the forecast for the next two days, with a good chance of snow on Wednesday.