CHURDAN (Jan. 19) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton girls basketball team improved to 14-0 overall and 10-0 in the Rolling Valley Conference Tuesday night with a 64-47 win at Paton-Churdan. The sixth-ranked Spartan girls trailed 20-13 after the first quarter before outscoring the host Rockets 21-4 in the second.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Jan. 18) -- The AHSTW girls basketball team picked up a solid non-conference road win Monday night, surging ahead in the third quarter and holding off St.

 MANNING (Jan.

 MANNING (Jan. 19) -- The IKM-Manning boys basketball team picked up its fourth win in six games Tuesday night, pulling away in the second half of a defensive battle to outlast Riverside 40-26 and avenge last month’s overtime loss in Oakland. The Wolves led just 16-13 at halftime before outscoring the Bulldogs 11-5 in the third quarter and 13-8 in the fourth.

    EARLING -- Fire raced through an Earling home at approximately 8 a.m. Thursday morning, Jan. 28, and while the home sustained significant damage, all the occupants were able to exit safely.  Firefighters from Earling, Panama, Westphalia, Defiance, and Harlan were on scene battling the blaze.

    AVOCA -- AHSTW Homecoming King Jacob Roush, son of Kathleen Roush and Mike Roush of Avoca, and Queen Chloe Falkena, daughter of Chad and Robin Butler of Harlan, were crowned during coronation ceremonies held Sunday, Jan.

 AVOCA -- AHSTW senior Chloe Falkena reviewed her list of pros and cons. Ultimately, she decided that the cons didn’t matter. Falkena wanted to continue her running career at the next level, and Minnesota State University, Mankato was “just the right fit.” On Monday, January 4, Falkena made it official by signing a national letter of intent to attend Minnesota State and join the women’s cross country and track and field teams starting in the f

 MOUNT AYR (Jan.

 NEOLA (Jan.