HARLAN – Sixteen Harlan Community High School senior students have been awarded the Seal of Biliteracy for the 2018-19 school year, becoming the first HCHS graduates to earn the distinction since the Iowa’s Seal of Biliteracy award was established and adopted by the Iowa Legislature earlier this year.    Recipients of the seal include Morgan Bendorf, Caitlin Bissen, Elijah Boldan, Andrea Ferry, Morgan Goetz, Greichaly Kaster, Ethan Matthew Lei

    HARLAN -- May was national Foster Care Month in the United States.    During this time, organizations hoped to educate others about foster care and the children who need it, as well as encourage others to take on fostering, or help in some way.    Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) says children from western Iowa were referred into foster care 940 times in 2018, with the majority of those in foster care having experienced neglect, abuse or tr

    HARLAN -- The Harlan Community Library kicked off its Universe of Stories summer library program with the Absolute Science interactive show on Thursday, May 30.    Presenting the show was Toto Johnson, an entertainer from the Davenport area, who joined the program due to his 20 year relationship with founder Rick Brumer. “We were all doing different stuff at the time,” Johnson said.

    HARLAN -- Myrtue Medical Center will pay the Shelby County Medical Corporation $94 per work relative value unit (RVU) for professional services performed for the new fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 for a total estimated cost of $4.5 million.    MMC currently pays the Shelby County Medical Corporation $92 per work relative value unit.

    HARLAN – Rumors and discussions in Harlan about the possibility that Concerned, Inc. is closing are unfounded, and the executive director penned a letter to the editor to the Harlan Newspapers this week saying the organization actually is growing and changing to meet federal guidelines.    Erin Hudson said she wants the community to know that there are changes and growth occurring in the agency, but it is not closing. 

    HARLAN -- Charley Falkena is like many teenagers. She attends school, plays sports, cracks jokes and loves spending time with her friends. She lives in Harlan with her mother, Robin; stepdad, Chad; and sister, Chloe.    When looking at Charley you would have no idea that she is currently battling PTLD.    PTLD or Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease, is a rare form of cancer which affects transplant patients.

    HARLAN -- In Harlan’s historic downtown is Wild Willies. The owner is Bill Reid, a Vietnam War veteran who spent 21 years in the military.

    Harlan -- This Father’s Day weekend the 8-ball Aviation Club will host its 74th-annual flight breakfast. At the municipal airport in Harlan, during the event, attendees will be treated to plane rides, a barbecue, breakfast as well as antique tractor and car displays.    The airplane rides cost $15 and are only available on Saturday, June 15 from 4:30 p.m. till it gets too dark to fly.

EARLING – The City of Earling and two of its officials are being sued in Shelby County District Court by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) for alleged discriminatory housing practices.     In a petition filed in Shelby County District Court, the ICRC is asking the court to declare defendants’ discriminatory housing practices violate Iowa Code; enjoin defendants and their agents, employees, successors and other persons from violating the

    COUNTY – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, June 4 unanimously approved a budget amendment totaling $855,568 for the current fiscal year, 2018-19.    Many of the monetary changes were due to spring flooding that occurred in March and April, necessitating the need for additional expenditures specifically in the secondary road department, county officials said.  Of the $855,568, $587,568 can be attributed to secondary road needs

Brag Book 2019 available in the Harlan News-Advertiser, Friday, June 14, 2019.

HARLAN -- Log Cabin Day was held Sunday, June 2. 

    HARLAN -- Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees has given approval for the capital and operating budgets for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Kristy Hansen, chief financial officer at MMC, presented highlights of the budgets at the May 28 board meeting.Budget review    MMC is budgeting net operating revenue to grow 4.5 percent from an anticipated $42.5 million in 2019 to $44.4 million in 2020.

    HARLAN – The Harlan Community Schools Board of Education has approved a budget amendment for the 2018-19 year due to expenditure changes in instruction, total support services and non-instructional programs, as well as debt service.    The board voted 5-0 approving the amendment (Amy Rueschenberg, Jessica Anderson, Monte Schechinger, Joni Larsen and Al Hazelton aye; Tara Devlin-Lawler was absent).    HCS Director of Finance Brian Gubbels s

ELK HORN – A former Elk Horn resident has released his latest book, Ancestral Quest, an evoking book that delves into the astuteness of understanding one’s heritage and discovering its wisdom.    Jim Redman is a 1978 graduate of Elk Horn-Kimballton High School, and a 1982 graduate of Iowa State University.  He spent his accounting career in Oklahoma, and now resides in Estes Park, CO.  Upon retirement he completed his book that has now been pu