HARLAN -- Four elected county officials were sworn into office for 2019 on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at the Shelby County Courthouse.   

HARLAN -- The Harlan Community Schools’ jazz program will kick off its contest season this weekend at the Bluffs Jazz Festival in Council Bluffs, followed by performances through April.    This year the HCS jazz program will be fielding four performing groups: the Middle School Red Band, Middle School Black Band, the Harlan Jazz Ensemble, and the Harlan Jazz Experience.    Tom Cronin directs the Jazz Ensemble.

    EARLING -- Allison Gross of Earling and Tyler Bruck of Portsmouth exchanged marriage vows at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling on October 13, 2018. Father David Smith performed the 2:30 p.m. double ring ceremony.    Parents of the couple are Joe and Gail Gross, Earling; and Craig and Tina Bruck, Persia.

 HARLAN -- Despite leading Harlan Community with an average of 17.3 points per game this season, senior Brett Sears has had his share of struggles at the free throw line, shooting just 50 percent through Friday. Sears reversed that trend in a big way Saturday night, knocking down 13-of-17 foul shots and scoring a career-high 31 points as the Cyclones held off Atlantic 66-54 for their third straight win. Sears, who missed a pair of free throws

 HARLAN -- The outside shooting of Blake Goshorn and Brett Sears spearheaded a 15-1 second-half run Friday night as the Harlan Community boys basketball team erased a 10-point deficit and beat St. Albert 65-53 in its first game of the new year. Goshorn hit two three-pointers late in the third quarter, including one at the buzzer to pull HCHS within 41-38, and Sears drilled three treys early in the fourth.

 HARLAN -- Harlan Community boys basketball coach Mitch Osborn reached a new career milestone with Friday night’s 65-53 victory over St. Albert, passing Western Christian’s Jim Eekhoff for fifth place on Iowa’s list of career coaching win leaders in the sport. Osborn improved his record to 682-160 during 35 years at Elk Horn-Kimballton, Pomeroy-Palmer and HCHS.

 NEOLA -- Ethan Lemon and Derec Weyer earned individual championships and five other Cyclones placed second as Harlan Community claimed the team title of Saturday’s 16-team Tri-Center Wrestling Invitational. Weyer, ranked fifth in Class 2A at heavyweight, was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler by the coaches after going 4-0 on the day and defeating a pair of state-ranked 1A foes.

 ATLANTIC -- One night after struggling defensively in a 79-57 loss at St. Albert, the Harlan Community girls basketball team broke into the win column for the first time this season with a 48-34 victory in Atlantic Saturday night. Jocelyn Cheek led the Cyclones with 19 points in each contest. HCHS improved to 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. See Friday’s News-Advertiser for more details.

 WOODBINE -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys basketball team improved to 9-1 overall this past weekend with a pair of road victories, winning 78-63 at Woodbine Friday night and routing ACGC 77-38 on Saturday afternoon in Guthrie Center.