HARLAN  — Harlan Community School students were encouraged to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion during a presentation inspired by the life of a school shooting victim.On April 20, 1999, Rachel Scott was eating lunch outside Columbine (Colorado) High School, when two students armed with automatic weapons and pipe bombs walked onto the campus and began shooting.The 17-year-old was the first victim in the deadly massacre, in which

AREA  — An internship with one of the longest-serving members of congress led a Shelby man to a career as Regional Director for Senator Chuck Grassley.Jonathan Bladt is a fifth-generation farmer, alongside his parents, Wayne and Mary Beth Bladt, and he and his two younger sisters were raised on the family farm near Shelby.

At the 3A cross country state qualifying meet Wednesday in Pella, all seven Cyclone girls qualified for the state meet in Fort Dodge Saturday Oct. 28, including Juniors Lindsey Sonderman who took third place overall with a time of 19:08.65, and Brylee Schechinger who finished 12th with 20:16.05.

Tuesday night, the HCHS volleyball team’s season came to an end when they lost three straight sets to the Red Oak Tigers in the Class 3A Region 3 Tournament Game.
“We told them that we had a lot of opportunities to win that match, and unfortunately it didn’t end up that way,” said Cyclone Head Coach Elle Crees. “We will always be very proud of them, and thanked our seniors for all they have given the program the last four years.”

The Cyclones are coming off an impressive 27-6 home win over at the Atlantic Trojans and look to make it two in a row as they head to Knoxville Friday night to take on the Panthers with multiple injured players.

In set four of the Class 2A Region 3 volleyball tournament game, a shot was deflected out of bounds off Junior Viking Grayson Gettler, ending the Vikings season at the hands of the Underwood Eagles. The Vikings lost the first two sets 25-17 and 25-16, won set three 25-19, but dropped set four 26-24.

After a tough 39-20 road loss to the Nevada Cubs last Friday, despite being shorthanded once again, the Cyclones returned home to Merrill Field to battle the Atlantic Trojans and won in dominant fashion, 27-6.

Despite missing its top runner, Cyclone Junior Lindsey Sonderman, in the Hawkeye Ten Cross Country Championships in Glenwood, the Cyclones still ran strong with multiple athletes on the boys and girls side performing well.

The Harlan Community Middle School girls Cross Country team just wrapped up a stellar season taking home first place in every event they competed in.