REGIONAL – It’s not a Verizon commercial: If you receive a phone call from someone asking “can you hear me,” hang up. You’re a potential victim in the latest scam circulating around the U.S.    Harlan Police Chief Frank Clark said this new “can you hear me” con is actually a variation on earlier scams - primarily directed toward businesses.

    DES MOINES - Thirty-two year Harlan Newspapers employee Mike Kolbe was named at the Iowa Newspaper Association’s (INA) annual award banquet as a Heritage Award recipient. The award was created in 1985 and has honored 80 members of the media for their gifts to the Association.    “Kolbe epitomizes community journalism as the marketing manager for the Harlan Newspapers,” co-publisher Alan Mores said.

    COUNTY -- The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry Awards Banquet and Auction Fundraiser will be held Friday, Feb. 24 from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Harlan Golf & Country Club.    As part of the event, a number of award winners will be recognized including Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, Citizen/Volunteer of the Year, and Non-Profit of the Year for Shelby County.

    HARLAN -- The Harlan City Council held a closed session meeting Tuesday, Feb.

    REGIONAL -- Husker Sand, a short film by independent filmmakers Tommy Haines and Andrew Sherburne, will be shown as part of an hour-long episode of The Film Lounge.    The Film Lounge is a locally produced collection of short films selected from dozens of entries by representatives of Iowa Public Television, Produce Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council.    The film will be aired on February 19 at 10 p.m. on Iowa Public Television.

    HARLAN -- The Harlan Fire Department held it’s annual appreciation dinner Sat., Jan. 28 at the C.G. Therkildsen Center in Harlan, thanking its volunteer members for their efforts protecting life and property during the past year.  Chief Roger Bissen also recognized new members and those who have recently retired from the department. Anyone interested in joining the department is encouraged to contact Chief Bissen at 712-755-5354.

    DEFIANCE - Each year the annual Cattlemen’s banquet is the place to be for great food, an outstanding community auction and friendship.  This year was no different as St. Peter’s Parish Center in Defiance was again packed as more than 700 area residents and cattlemen attended the event.

    HARLAN – The annual Pink Out event at Harlan Community High School to raise awareness of and funding for cancer research was considered a huge success last Friday.    HCHS’s Nancy Osborn said, “It is always an honor to host an event such as this, and although we did not specify an honored survivor, we wanted to make sure all cancer survivors were honored.

    HARLAN -- Harlan Community High School Athletic Director and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Mitch Osborn has been named a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association national coach of the year in boys basketball, it was announced this week.    Eight finalists from across the nation will be honored during The National Coach of the Year Awards Banquet which will take place at the National High School Athletic Coaches Asso

    HARLAN – Harlan Community Schools continues to outperform its counterparts across Iowa in many areas, the most recent being the Iowa Postsecondary Readiness Report released by the Iowa Department of Education.    The purpose of the report is to support state and local efforts to meet the goal that all Iowa students are prepared for success beyond high school.  The report includes information on enrollment in colleges and universities, reme

    HARLAN – HCS Superintendent of Schools Justin Wagner’s annual evaluation was held Monday, Jan. 23, with no action taken by the HCS Board of Education after a nearly one hour closed session meeting.    The board entered closed session at 4:55 p.m. and re-entered open session at 5:48 p.m.

    HARLAN -- On January 21,  the Harlan Community High School Large Group Speech Team, under the direction of Ms. Lisa Hagemeier,  traveled to Abraham Lincoln School in Council Bluffs for the Iowa High School Speech Association’s District Competition.  Teams needed to earn a division I rating to advance to state competition on February 4 at Valley High School in West Des Moines, and a number of HCHS students moved on to state competition.

    HARLAN -- Leona (Salvo) Konz of Shelby was administered the oath of office as the newest member of the Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees on Tuesday at the January board meeting.    Konz was appointed and voted in to fill the position on the board when Cheryl Chipman chose not to seek election following 17 years of service as a trustee.

    HARLAN -- The Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees is proposing to lower the current tax levy rate to $1.22 per thousand taxable valuation for 2017-2018. The 2016-2017 rate was $1.27 per thousand taxable valuation levy.    This proposal would generate $1,018,543 in property tax dollars which is a $2,241 decrease in property tax dollars received in 2016-2017.

    HARLAN – The Harlan Community School District operated within its budget, has an acceptable solvency ratio and its unspent authority is in a good place, according to the annual audit prepared by Schroer & Associates and released this month.    The HCS Board of Education formally accepted the audit January 23.