KIRKMAN – Volunteer firefighters are needed in Kirkman or the department may be forced to close.    Those words come from Captain Mike Norris, who explains this week that numbers have dwindled in recent years to a total of nine firefighters, with only three of the nine certified for qualified entry of a structure on fire.    That poses a risk for many homeowners in the area should there not be enough volunteers on hand to staff a fire or e

A sun dog, or parhelia, is created by light interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere.  Not seen very often, it appeared in the eastern sky Tuesday morning, Feb. 9.

    DES MOINES - Harlan Newspapers Sports Editor Mike Oeffner garnered third place in the weekly newspaper class category for best sports pages in the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) annual awards ceremony Feb.

    DEFIANCE – The former city clerk of Defiance was sentenced in Shelby County District Court last month to probation, community service and restitution after pleading guilty to second-degree theft for misappropriation of city funds.    Shelby County District Court Judge Kathleen A.

    HARLAN -- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey was in Harlan Friday, Feb. 12 to meet with Harlan Future Farmers of America (FFA) students as part of his “Day in the District.”  Accompanying Northey in Harlan was Iowa Sen.

    HARLAN -- The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host its 2016 awards banquet Friday, Feb. 19 at the C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan.    Awards to be presented include citizen/volunteer of the year, non-profit of the year, new business of the year, and business of the year.    The evening begins with cocktails at 5:30 p.m.

    HARLAN -- On Tuesday, Feb.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community boys basketball team will host Denison-Schleswig in the first round of Class 3-A district play on Monday, February 22. The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced its postseason seedings and pairings for Class 3-A and 4-A on Monday. HCHS earned the top seed in District 1 based on its 13-2 record in the first 15 games. As the No.

 HARLAN -- Coming off three straight wins against the best competition the Hawkeye Ten Conference has to offer, Harlan Community showed few signs of a letdown facing middle-of-the-pack St.