STATE – Providing needed funding for Iowa’s state law enforcement was a signature accomplishment of this year’s legislature, says Iowa Sen.

    HARLAN – Harlan Community Schools finished 42nd on U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 list of Iowa’s top high schools.    The magazine annually ranks nearly 18,000 schools based on how well they prepare students for college, graduation rates and on how well students perform on state assessments.    Harlan Community a

    REGIONAL – The number of registered sex offenders that call the greater Shelby County area their home has remained steady in the last six months, according to Iowa’s state sex offender registry.    Shelby County and areas surrounding the county have 45 registered sex offenders as of this month, as opposed to December, 2019 when there were 44 registered sex offenders listed in the area.

    DEFIANCE -- Ron Schaben of Defiance said he hasn’t turned down very many trips to drive school bus for activity events during his more than 20 years of serving as a school bus driver for the Harlan Community School District.    “I drive for activities usually whenever I am asked.

SHELBY -- Rick Kiesel and Patty Welsh are the candidates on the ballot of a July 7 special election to fill a vacancy on the Shelby City Council.    Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.  Voting will take place at the Shelby Community Hall.  Absentee ballots also are accepted.  Monday, July 6 at 5 p.m.

    ATLANTIC -- Former Shelby County resident James Klindt of Atlantic will celebrate his 80th birthday on July 9. His family is planning a card shower in his honor.

 HARLAN (June 22) -- Sophomore pitchers Alex Monson and Joey Moser combined on a no-hitter Monday night as the Harlan Community baseball team outlasted Denison-Schleswig 2-0 at Jim Goeser Field. The 10th-ranked (Class 3A) Cyclones scored the game’s only two runs in the third inning and managed just five hits off Monarch pitcher Evan Turin, who walked two and struck out nine in six innings. Monson (1-0), making his second start of the season, t

 HARLAN (June 23) -- Tuesday’s Hawkeye Ten baseball game at Jim Goeser Field shaped up to be an outstanding pitchers’ duel between senior aces Connor Bruck of Harlan Community and Easton Dermody of Lewis Central. Dermody held up his end of the bargain with a five-inning, three-hit shutout and 11 strikeouts.

 HARLAN (June 23) -- The Harlan Community softball team maintained its share of first place in the Hawkeye Ten Conference earlier this week with home wins of 4-2 over Denison-Schleswig Monday night and 8-3 against Lewis Central on Tuesday. The 13th-ranked (Class 4A) Cyclones improved to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in Hawkeye Ten Conference play, tied for first place with Atlantic.