JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Emily Andersen didn’t just take the oath of office as a new member of Freeman Public School Board earlier this week, she was also elected board president. Andersen was elected on a 4-1 vote at the board’s reorganizational meeting Monday night, July 12. Slade Ammann, Doug McCune, Kyle Weier and Andersen all voted in her favor while Cody Fransen nominated and voted for former board chair Kyle Weier, who was ultimately elected vice president.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Organizers faced multiple questions heading into last Saturday’s South Dakota Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale. Would the weather allow for the outdoor event as planned or would they be forced indoors? How many would show up? Would people be eager to be out and about or were some still operating out of an abundance of caution on the backside of the pandemic? And just how much money would be raised? That is, after all, at the heart of this benefit for all that MCC stands for — worldwide relief. Well, now they know.

In an effort to avoid the need to raise water rates, the Freeman City Council has placed additional restrictions on outdoor watering within city limits. Those with odd-numbered houses or businesses may water only on odd-numbered days, while those with even-numbered houses or businesses may water only on even-numbered days. Watering continues to be limited to the hours of 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. The city of Freeman thanks you for your cooperation. 

A Fordson tractor and Oliver plow on display at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives are of particular interest this week. They represent an essential element in the story of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC); an event at the Prairie Arboretum Saturday, July 10, which will be raising funds for the international nonprofit, charitable relief, service, and peace organization. The South Dakota MCC Relief Sale begins at 5:30 p.m.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER Given concerns about the spread of COVID-19, Edie Tschetter said it was a no-brainer to cancel the South Dakota Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale last summer. “It wasn’t even a question,” said Tschetter, a relief sale committee member and key organizer who has worked with the fundraiser since it debuted in Sioux Falls in 1987. The real question was what to do in 2021, and Tschetter admits she was a little surprised earlier this year when the committee met and appeared eager to revisit the sale.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER In his book, One Nation Under God by Dr. David Gibbs, the author notes that, in the Declaration of Independence, God is referenced four times in one way or another, and that in the founding era of our nation, from 1760 to 1805, the source that is cited the most in all political writings was the Bible.

Click here for photos from Menno's 2021 Fourth of July celebration.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER There will be something for everyone in Menno this weekend as the community rolls out the red, white and blue carpet for its traditional Independence Day celebration. The weekend will double as the Menno-Olivet All-School Reunion, which will add an additional layer of fellowship and fun to the festivities. Saturday, July 3 will be a big day in Menno because it includes the parade in the morning and the all-school reunion and dance later in the afternoon and into the night. Here’s everything else you need to know.

JEREMY WALTNER  -  PUBLISHER At the recommendation of councilor Lonnie Tjaden, the city of Freeman will get an estimate of how much it would cost to include a new blacktop surface on the roadways extending one block off the B-1 business district as an add-on to the Main Street project slated for 2022. “We’re doing Main Street; we’re spending roughly $3 million on it,” Tjaden said at the Freeman City Council meeting last week Tuesday, June 15. “Have you guys drove a block off Main Street on these roads?”

There will be plenty of activity in Freeman this weekend as two major events are on the calendar — Ribs and More at the Ranch on Saturday evening, June 26 and the community’s Independence Day celebration the following day.