HARLAN -- Harlan Community High School sophomores, juniors and seniors will once again be hosting a community service day, scheduled for the morning of Thursday, April 13.    Students will contribute a number of hours of volunteer work in the many communities served by HCHS.  This is a no-school day, and high school teachers will each be supervising a group of students. 

    CRESCENT -- Melvin Jake Knudson, 91, Crescent, died March 28.    Services will be held Saturday, April 1 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon with interment in the Danway Cemetery at Irwin.  Military honors will be provided by the Audubon American Legion Post #120 and the VFW Post #4119.    Visitation is Friday, March 31 from 6-8 p.m.

John Scheffler, 95    AVOCA -- John William Scheffler, 95, Avoca, died March 25 at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan.    Services were held Wednesday, March 29 at 2 p.m.

HARLAN -- Shelby County Catholic School Little Angels Preschoolers had a visit from Shelby County and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Naturalist Christina Roelofs recently.  The students learned about what plants and animals do during the different seasons. Roelofs is pictured here with a live snake with the students.  (Photo contributed)

HARLAN -- Harlan Municipal Utilities’ Board of Trustees heard their hired consultant tell them that there is no need for a rate increase in Electric or Gas Departments, but HMU’s planned hike for water then meets all his cost of service survey parameters.    Dave Berg Consulting said he would return with a proposal on rates at the next full board meeting but overall, Electric and Gas Department financials are fine with current rates.    Water

HARLAN -- Aaron Johannsen, a senior at Harlan Community High School, was recently presented the school’s highest agricultural honor, the DeKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award, sponsored by Monsanto Company.    Johannsen, the son of the late Chris Johannsen, Kim Johannsen and Jaci Slama of Harlan, received the award for excellence in academics, leadership and agricultural work experience.

Naomi Gross of Harlan will celebrate her 90th birthday at an open house on Saturday, April 1 from 1-3:30 p.m. at St. Michael’s Rosman Parish Center in Harlan.

Shelby County Emergency Preparedness partners will participate in a county-wide tornado drill to be held on Wednesday, March 29 from 10-11 a.m.  Shelby County Emergency Management, Shelby County Public Health and Myrtue Medical Center encourage everyone to take this opportunity to prepare, plan, and protect their loved ones from the effects of severe spring weather.    This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 27-31, as declared by the

 STORM LAKE -- Led by Allison Bruck’s gold in the 60-meter hurdles, area athletes combined to earn top-three medals in nine events at the BVU High School Elite track meets held Friday and Saturday on the Dennis Young Indoor Track. The two-day event saw Harlan Community and AHSTW compete on Friday while IKM-Manning attended Saturday’s portion of the meet. Bruck, an HCHS senior, won the girls’ 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.70 and also helped