ELK HORN – In a live Facebook video Wednesday, March 15, staff of the Museum of Danish America announced that the organization has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. 

    HARLAN – Two Harlan Community High School Mock Trial teams have qualified for state competition following top finishes at regional competition in Council Bluffs March 14.    The top three teams from regional competition qualify for state.  The overall regional champion team from HCHS consists of Laura Kaufmann, Ellen Keast, Alexis Irlbeck, Reagan Hansen, Jacob Bartley, Irelynn McMurphy, Anna Nelson and Allyssa Obrecht.  Finishing in third

    HARLAN -- The Iowa League of Heroes’ very own Batman came to the Harlan Community Intermediate School Monday, March 20 to meet local superhero Jaxon Rold. Batman even came in the Bat car!    Rold, 8, a third-grader, currently is undergoing treatment for brain cancer.  Batman is his favorite superhero.  He is the son of Trent Rold and Devin Mahoney.  (Photo contributed)

AVOCA -- Jett Peterson, a fourth grader at AHSTW Elementary School, was selected to display his science project on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Friday, March 17, in a segment that featured Outstanding Kid Inventors.    The science assignment was to come up with an invention to make a chore more enjoyable or easier. Jett told his parents he wanted to make a trash catapult because he dislikes taking out the trash.

    HARLAN -- The 31st Annual Home, Garden & Living Show will be hosted by the Harlan Newspapers this Saturday, March 25 in Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Harlan.    The format has changed this year, moving to a one-day event, 10:30 a.m.

    HARLAN – Shelby County and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Naturalist Christina Roelofs spent Tuesday, March 14 in the elementary classrooms at Harlan Community Schools teaching students about eagles.    More than 500 students (grades preschool through 5th grade) and teachers from 26 different classes attended the programs.  Roelofs has had Cassie, one of two eagles housed at Nishna Bend Recreation Area, for about 9 ½ years, and she s

    HARLAN -- Congratulations goes out to Harlan Community High School Senior Reagan Hansen who has qualified for IHSSA Individual All-State Festival and will be traveling to The University of Northern Iowa on March 27 to perform.    He was selected in the area of improvisational acting, after performing at the individual speech contest in Johnston on March 11.  To attend the state event, two of the three judges had to score his performance as

    HARLAN -- Iowa legislators Rep. Steve Holt and Senator Jason Schultz were in Harlan Saturday, March 18 for the monthly town hall gathering, and filled in attendees on current state house actions and discussion topics.      Following their brief summaries, they responded to questions from the crowd.

    COUNTY – An Irwin man has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution after pleading guilty in Shelby County District Court this month to homicide by vehicle – reckless driving.    District Court Judge James Heckerman ordered David Michael Hirsh, 41, to be committed to the custody of the Director, Department of Corrections, State of Iowa, for not to exceed 10 years.  Hirsh will be taken to the Iowa Medical

    COUNTY -- The Shelby County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the proposed 2017-18 fiscal year budget during its regular meeting Tuesday, March 14.    Shelby County’s tax asking will decrease by an estimated $62,395.    The county supervisors stayed true to their word in cutting the overall budget.  The decrease is part of an overall plan to reduce expenditures.  

    REGIONAL -- February was National Radon Action Month, and with spring right around the corner, experts are saying it’s important to be aware of the dangers lurking in our own homes.    Radon comes naturally from rocks and dirt in the ground. There is always some radon in the air around us.

    HARLAN – New entrance signs into the Harlan community may be installed as early as this year as city officials firm up design plans and look to let bids for the project in the next three-five months.    Harlan City Administrator Gene Gettys said the project began back in 2014, and was included with a list of projects as part of a bond issue at that time.  The entrance signs are part of an overall $273,000 project that also includes a 6th,

    COUNTY – Iowa State Extension and Shelby County Catholic School have teamed up to offer a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education program on robotics, giving students a chance to build their own EV3 robots in a hands-on approach to learning.    SCCS Principal Josh De Weerd said STEM education is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in those four disciplines, and in interdisciplinary and applied approach.

    AVOCA -- AHSTW FFA competed in District FFA Career Development Events that were hosted in Red Oak on March 4.    Seventeen members participated in events that included Prepared Public Speaking, Experience the Action, Ag Issues and Preceptions, Ag CSI, Individual Ag sales, and Ag Radio Broadcasting.

    COUNTY – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s State Climatology Office and the National Weather Service are recruiting a volunteer precipitation observer for Shelby County as well as other communities across Iowa.    The observer would participate in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, known as CoCoRaHS.    Weather observers are needed everywhere, but with the most critical needs in some southwest