HARLAN – The City of Harlan hopes to be successful in a submitted grant application process that, if received, could provide some funding for redevelopment, rehabilitation or deconstruction of buildings.    The Community Catalyst Building Remediation program through the state Iowa Community Development hopes to stimulate economic growth and investment in rural communities.    Funding is based on annual availability, with a $100,000 maximum, an

    COUNTY – A 25-year-old Kirkman man has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to the victim’s family for his role in a motor vehicle accident that killed an Earling man in August, 2016.    Orin Wesley Wright III, 1720 Road M47, was sentenced this month on a charge of Motor Vehicle Homicide by Recklessness.  He is committed to the custody of the director, Iowa Department of Corrections, State of Iowa,

HARLAN -- On Saturday, Jan. 20, the Harlan Community High School Large Group Speech Team, under the direction of Ms. Lisa Hagemeier, traveled to Treynor High School for the Iowa High School Speech Association’s District Competition.      Teams needed to earn a division I rating in their categories to advance to state competition on February 3 at Waukee High School.

HARLAN -- The Shelby County Historical Society and Museum is growing closer to completing their Military Exhibit Hall Renovation Project.    Representatives from the Museum met with Terry Healy, of HealyKohler Design, on Tuesday to discuss exhibit design concepts for their 2,000 sq.

    HARLAN – Shelby County Catholic School, along with other Catholic schools across the nation, will celebrate Catholic Schools Week January 28-February 3.    Catholic Schools Week is an annual observance meant to highlight the value of Catholic education and its contributions to communities and the nation.    The new theme for this year is Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead.

    COUNTY -- Crueger Dickinson LLC and Simmons Hanly Conroy together filed the first lawsuits today on behalf of Polk County, Iowa and 35 other Iowa counties, including Shelby County against pharmaceutical companies over the aggressive and fraudulent marketing of prescription opioid painkillers that has led to a drug epidemic in the state and throughout the nation.    This month’s filings are the first in Iowa federal court against pharmaceut

    DES MOINES -- Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative (HSI) announced this week the 18 finalists for the inaugural HSI awards, and the City of Harlan is among the finalists in the Community Category.    Individuals, communities, schools and workplaces will be recognized at the event for advancing efforts to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of Iowans.    Other finalists in the Community Category include Ames, Cedar Rapids, C

ELK HORN -- The Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton Winter Guard has been performing at halftime of the Spartan girls and boys basketball games recently.  Congratulations to the students on great performances. 

ELK HORN – Iowa Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) and Iowa Rep. Steve Holt (R-Denison) met with constituents in Elk Horn Saturday morning, Jan.

COUNTY -- The Shelby County Extension Council announces the addition of Paulette Madson as Associate Extension Educator at the Shelby County ISU Extension and Outreach office in Harlan.    Madson, a Clay County native, began her duties as the Shelby County Associate Extension Educator on January 2.  She replaces Amanda Oloff who accepted a position with Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs. 

 COUNTY -- Four officers were elected during the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Shelby County extension council organizational meeting Jan 2. The nine-member county extension council annually elects officers to comply with Iowa law.    Julie Klein, Harlan, was re-elected as chairperson.

HARLAN -- The City of Harlan has released their list of wages paid in 2017.  The full list can be found in the public notices in the Harlan Newspapers.     There were 146 individuals who received pay in 2017 with total wages paid of $2,004,192.     The top 10 wage earners were:  Gene Gettys, Jr, $93,230; Steve Kenkel, $80,789;  Frank Clark, $75,344;  Steven Davis, $71,430; Tim Thygesen, $70,790;     Ronald Buck, $67,366; Timothy Pederson, $63,

HARLAN -- Cold temperatures in early January have led to an increase in natural gas usage in Harlan, officials at the Harlan Municipal Utilities said this week.    “Given the cold temperatures, it’s expected the amount of gas used would be up this year,” said Doug Hammer, Director of Marketing at HMU.    The first 15 days of 2018 have been marked with temperatures in the single digits and wind chills of up to 30 degrees below zero.

Petersen Family Wellness Center/Lewis Family Aquatic Complex
 
https://youtu.be/xJ9bfXilGCQ

Harlan Holiday Light Drone Spectacular - Courtesy of by Alex Kinter
https://youtu.be/_rpUFzZPHZ4