COUNTY -- A relatively mild start to January, 2020 turned more realistic this past weekend Friday-Saturday, Jan. 17-18 as a major winter storm hit the region bringing with it snow, wind, ice, sleet and bitter cold.    Harlan officially received six inches of snow Friday followed by some sleet, freezing rain and winds gusting to 40 miles per hour Friday into Saturday.

    HARLAN – The petitioner and respondent in the unique trial by combat request in Shelby County District Court that has garnered nationwide media attention this past week each have created GoFundMe® accounts hoping to secure donations to help with their legal expenses.    Bridgette Laver is the organizer of the Bridgette Ostrom Legal Fund, and David Ostrom is the organizer of the David Ostrom: Parental Alienation Defense Fund.    Both have a

    COUNTY -- A 31-year-old Council Bluffs woman was killed in a one-vehicle accident northwest of Earling in Shelby County last week.    Amber Dawn Sauvago was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to an Iowa State Patrol report.    On Thursday, Jan.

    COUNTY -- The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry currently is soliciting nominations for its Citizen/Volunteer of the Year award.    The award will be presented at the 2020 Shelby County Chamber of Commerce & Industry Award Banquet on Friday, Feb. 28 at the C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan.
 

    HARLAN -- Myrtue Medical Center announced this week a partnership with Senior Life Solutions.    Myrtue Medical Center’s Senior Life Solutions is an intensive outpatient group therapy program designed to meet the unique needs of adults typically ages 65 and over struggling with symptoms of depression and anxiety, stress from age-related health concerns, or difficult life transitions such as the loss of a loved one.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community Schools Board of Education approved the hirings of two new varsity coaches for the 2019-2020 school year during its most recent meeting on Monday, January 6. Toshia Kasperbauer will be the new head softball coach at HCHS while Katie Arentson will coach the girls tennis team this spring. Kasperbauer is a 1994 HCHS graduate who played collegiate softball at Buena Vista University after recording more than 100 pitc

 ELK HORN (Jan. 7) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton handed the CAM boys basketball team its first loss of the season last Tuesday night, winning 58-48 in a Rolling Valley Conference battle in Elk Horn. The Spartans (5-3 overall, 4-3 RVC) outscored the Cougars 16-7 in the second quarter to take a 28-19 halftime lead and were able to hold on for the victory as Tyler Petersen and Creighton Nelson led the way with 20 points each.

 AVOCA (Jan. 7) -- For the first time in nearly two decades, AHSTW beat Treynor in girls basketball Tuesday night... and it wasn’t close. The 12th-ranked (2A) Lady Vikes bolted out to a 31-7 halftime lead and held off several Cardinal rallies the rest of the way to finish with a 48-39 victory.

 AVOCA (Jan. 7) -- AHSTW’s impressive unbeaten streak to start the season came to an end here Tuesday night at the hands of second-ranked (2A) Treynor. The Cardinals flustered the Vikings with pressure defense early and raced to a 22-5 lead after one quarter.