ELK HORN -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton baseball team moved within one win of a perfect Rolling Valley Conference season here Monday night (June 26), scoring all three of its runs in the fifth inning and holding off West Harrison 3-2. The 5th-ranked (Class 1-A) Spartans improved to 18-0 overall and 13-0 in the RVC. West Harrison (10-8, 6-7 RVC) gave the Spartans all they wanted, matching the hosts with five total hits.

 RIVERSIDE, IA -- Harlanite Gary Lemons scored a hole-in-one on June 10 while playing the Blue Top Ridge Golf Course in Riverside, south of Iowa City. Lemons used a 6-iron for the 158-yard, uphill 11th hole, a par three. It was his first “ace” and came while playing with Todd Langenfeld, Joe Zaccone and Larry Gessmann.

EARLING -- Helen Frederick of Earling will celebrate her 90th birthday on July 10. Helen’s family includes Ron and Deb Frederick, Earling; Linda Drumm, Centennial, CO; Connie and Larry Stokes, Atlantic; JoAnn Frederick and Val McPherson, Omaha; Joyce and Dave Nabers, Sioux Falls, SD; Judy and John Schrecengost, Walnut; and Patti and Don Bogler, Westphalia. 

IOWA CITY -- Tawny Marie Hiebing and Kurt Joseph Chamberlain both of Iowa City will marry on July 22 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City.    Parents of the couple are Dan and Geri Hiebing, Sheboygan, WI; and Jerry and Joan M. Chamberlain, Harlan. 

 HARLAN -- No longer undefeated, the Harlan Community baseball team hasn’t lost any steam as it barrels toward the final three weeks of the regular season. In a matchup of top-five teams Friday night (June 23), HCHS senior Kyle Schmitz pitched his first complete game and junior Ryan Doran homered and had the team’s only three RBI as the top-ranked (3-A) Cyclones held off No.

 HARLAN -- Morgan Schaben pitched her first career no-hitter in game one and Madison Schumacher clubbed her first career home run in game two here Thursday night (June 22) as Harlan Community swept a varsity softball doubleheader from Shenandoah, winning 5-0 and 6-2. Schaben (3-10) put it all together in the first game of the twin bill, blanking the Fillies on no hits and striking out 10 in seven innings.

 HARLAN -- The chance for a season-high four-game winning streak was there for the taking Friday afternoon (June 23), but the Harlan Community softball team was unable to seize it. Trailing Glenwood 2-1 as the two teams resumed their June 15 suspended game in the top of the fifth, HCHS missed an opportunity to tie the score and committed three costly errors that led to an 8-2 defeat. The Cyclones finished the week with a 3-3 split and took an

 IRWIN -- Just three outs removed from tying Logan-Magnolia for a possible Western Iowa Conference regular season softball title, IKM-Manning did everything but finish in Thursday’s latest clash between southwest Iowa powers. Building leads of 4-1 after four and 6-3 after five, the Wolves still led 6-5 in the seventh before Lo-Ma put together a three-run inning, capped by Kenzie Cunard’s two-run homer, and left Irwin with an 8-6 victory. The 1

 MANILLA -- The IKM-Manning baseball team was held to four hits by Audubon pitcher Josh Lange Friday night (June 23) in a 6-1 home loss to the Wheelers. Both teams wrapped up Western Iowa Conference regular season play on the night, with IKM-M finishing seventh in the standings with a WIC record of 9-9 (10-10 overall).