HARLAN (Dec. 19) -- For the second straight year, the Harlan Community girls basketball team will take a 2-4 record into the holidays. The Cyclones led for just a few brief moments against Abraham Lincoln Tuesday night, plagued by turnovers and missed shots in a 48-40 home loss to the senior-laden Lynx. Last year, Hope Riche hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift AL past Harlan 58-57 in a game the Cyclones led by 12 in the third quarter.

 AVOCA (Dec. 19) -- The AHSTW wrestling team entered the holiday break on a good note and gave head coach Evan McCarthy his 100th career win Tuesday night with a double dual sweep against Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln and Tri-Center. The Vikings beat AL 45-36 and topped Tri-Center 42-25.

COUNTY – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office’s fundraising efforts to raise monies for the purchase of a K9 officer to serve the county have been successful.  Hopes are the dog can be on duty in the first quarter of 2018, and plans are to fundraise to support a second K-9 unit in the future.    Sheriff Neil Gross said fundraising initially began in July and the community embraced the project.  “The goal was to interact with the community and ra

COUNTY – Shelby County has thrown its support behind an initiative to change the name of the East Branch of the West Nishnabotna River to the Avoca River.    “We are not changing the name of the East Nishnabotna River,” said Steve Kenkel, chairman of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors.  “It’s the East Branch of the West Nishnabotna River.  That’s very confusing.”    Kenkel said Shelby County received correspondence from the U.S.

REGIONAL – The Iowa Department of Education released its Iowa School Report Card this month, with area schools rating from high-performing to needs improvement on the new system’s scale.    Iowa’s schools are rated on certain educational measures, including math and reading proficiency, college and career ready growth and readiness, how many students are improving academically each year, efforts to close achievement gaps, graduation rates, att

REGIONAL – The number of registered sex offenders that call the greater Shelby County area their home has increased in the past two years, according to Iowa’s state sex offender registry.    Shelby County and areas surrounding the county have 31 registered sex offenders as of this month, as opposed to summer, 2016 when there were 26 registered sex offenders listed in the area.  Some offenders are new to the area while others remain on the list

PANAMA -- Stephanie Wingert and Jared Henscheid of Westphalia exchanged marriage vows on August 12, 2017 at St. Mary’s of Assumption Catholic Church in Panama. Father David Smith performed the 2 p.m. double ring ceremony along with concelebrant Father Mike Peters.    Parents of the couple are Mike and Susie Wingert, Panama; and John and Janet Henscheid, Westphalia. 

    HARLAN -- Muriel Lucille Bacon, 99, Harlan, died December 31 at Elm Crest Retirement Community.    Services are pending at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.    Bacon is survived by daughter Marjorie (Robert Grim) Muller of Danielsville, PA; son Michael (Barbara) Muller of Harlan; stepson Max (Wendy) Bacon of Sedona, AZ; stepdaughter Valli (Scott) Jensen of Hot Springs National Park, AR; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.