Freeman's water tower is reflected in standing water Wednesday morning following overnight and early-morning moisture the turned hump day into a damp one. A slushy mix of precipitation made for a slightly white landscape as people began their days and wind speeds are expected to increase this afternoon, making it feel anything like spring.

Tuesday saw another breezy and brisk early-spring South Dakota day as evident by the horizontal flags at the Freeman Area Veteran's Memorial. Not only that, but in addition to the unpleasant weather, snow is in the forecast for Wednesday, and again on Friday night.

Crystal Gering Nelson, the children's librarian at Freeman Public Library, makes a note about today's event at the Main Street building — the STEAM Kids Lab for children in kindergarten through the sixth grade. The monthly activity begins at 4 p.m. in the library's meeting room. All are invited. 

The Sterling Hall auditorium was a popular spot Saturday afternoon as hundreds assembled at the Schmeckfest Country Kitchen sale to purchase popular foods associated with the traditional Freeman festival. The "Schmeck Stop" also included sausage sales in the adjacent maintenance building, which was also a popular place. The alternative Schmeckfest event, held in lieu in the full-scale festival, ran from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will again next Saturday.

These was the scene inside the Pioneer Hall auditorium Friday night as a nice crowd gathered to hear Dora Maendel of the Fairholme Hutterite Colony in Manitoba and Dr. Duane Stolzfus of Goshen College share about four Hutterite men who were imprisoned in 1918 for their resistance to World War I. The program will be presented again Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m.; it is being sponsored by Heritage Hall Museum & Archives and supported in part by a grant from the South Dakota Humanities Council. It is presented free to the public; donations will be accepted.    

Dennis Ries and Phil Eisenbeis package Schmeckfest sausage in Freeman Academy's maintenance building Friday morning, March 25. Sausage sales begin today at 1 p.m. and will continue Saturday in conjunction with the Freeman Academy Auxiliary's Schmeck Stop in which the public is invited to purchased goods from the Schmeckfest Country Kitchen. Sales will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Sterling Hall auditorium.  Sausage and Country Kitchen items will also be available next Saturday, April 2 from 2 to 7 p.m.

This photo was taken on Silver Lake last weekend — the first weekend of spring. It hasn't felt much like it, though, the past few days as cool temperatures were only exacerbated by strong winds on Wednesday and Thursday. While the gusts have died down, the temps remained in the 30s Thursday morning. And by the way things look, it's going to be a while before it really feels like the season we're in.

The agenda for the March 22 meeting of Freeman City Council is posted on the door at City Hall. Click here for a link to the meeting. The city council will also meet in special session Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. to review and discuss the bids for the Main Street project. That meeting can be viewed by using the same link as above.

A flock of gulls takes flight over Silver Lake on a mild first day of spring, Sunday afternoon March 20. Although the lake, located seven miles north of Freeman on the east side of Highway 81 remains largely frozen, the growing patches of open water are attracting migrating Canadian geese.  

Connor Epp is honored as a member of the 2022 Class B All-Tournament team at the conclusion of this year's state basketball tournament. Epp was 12 players recognized for their play on the court during the three-day tournament. Here's the full list.