COUNTY – Shelby County will provide $70,500 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies to the Shelby County Fairgrounds for upgrades to its footprint in Harlan, including a new restroom and well.    The board of supervisors Tuesday, Dec.

    COUNTY – A rare and powerful December storm raced across the Midwest Wednesday, Dec. 15, generating hurricane-force winds, dozens of tornados and significant damage in a swath from Kansas to Minnesota.    Shelby County was in the direct path of the low-pressure system, and multiple tornado warnings were issued for the area beginning about 4 p.m.

    DES MOINES – The IKM-Manning Winter Color Guard was crowned champions in Class I Color Guard competition Wednesday, Dec.

    COUNTY – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach continued its annual farm safety program series for local fifth-graders in 2021 with the goal of keeping the focus on protections while living and working on a farmstead.    Paulette Madson, Shelby County Ag and Natural Resources Program Coordinator, said the weekly resource offered the students the opportunity to read and do activities with videos about the weekly topic.    “They were

    COUNTY -- Mark Assman has been named a regional winner of the 2021 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year Award, sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

    HARLAN – Heating bills are expected to be considerably higher during the 2021-22 winter  season, as forecasted by energy companies across the U.S.    Market prices for natural gas continue to increase due to recent reductions in domestic natural gas production, along with increases in export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which will impact energy costs.    While bill increases are totally dependent on weather and demand, the Harlan Munici

    CEDAR FALLS -- Three members of the Harlan Community High School cheerleading squad recently were recognized as members of the Honor Cheer Squad that performed at halftime of the 2021 Class 4A and Class 1A football games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls November 18.  More than 250 cheerleaders from across Iowa participated.    HCHS cheerleaders participating included Emma Smith, Katie Burchett and Bailey Arnold (l to r).  They are under the

    HARLAN – Mediacom announced November 30 that beginning January 1, 2022, it will be implementing a series of programming changes and rate adjustments.    Among the rate changes will be increases in costs for local broadcast surcharge, regional sports surcharge, local television, essential television, variety television, unreturned digital adapter/digital receiver or TIVO box, Xtream Bronze, Silver, Gold HBO, Gold Showtime/Starz-Encore and P

    COUNTY – Bequeathed funds from the Ted L.

    COUNTY – A formal public hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21 on a resolution that, if approved, will allow for Shelby County to bond for not to exceed $1.58 million for communications equipment, specifically mobile radios and consoles.    The Shelby County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, Nov. 30 set the date for the public hearing, and is expected to proceed with the project pending public input.
Full article in the NA.

    DES MOINES – The Harlan Community Middle School 8th grade Mock Trial Team placed ninth at the state mock trial competition held in Des Moines Wednesday-Thursday, Dec.

    TENNANT – Reed Waldron recently completed his Eagle Scout project, replacing the military memorial located outside of the Tennant City Hall in Tennant.    The son of Mike and Amanda Waldron, Reed, 17,  of Tennant, recruited the help of his fellow scouts in Troop 90 to finish the project on October 31.

    HARLAN -- Myrtue Medical Center’s Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Shelby County Wellness Alliance, Harlan Community Schools, and the Shelby County Prevent Child Abuse Council, is sponsoring a Teen Health Fair on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Petersen Family Wellness Center.    This free event is designed to help promote healthy lifestyle choices for teens.

    REGIONAL – Iowa’s new congressional and legislative boundaries split Shelby County into two state House districts and set up a potential primary challenge for the Iowa Senate representative for the county, but otherwise kept federal representation the same for local residents.    Iowa House District 18, held by Rep.

    HARLAN – A month after Harlan residents gave the Harlan Municipal Utilities the authority to consider selling off its telecommunications utility, officials are reiterating that HMU has no plans to sell at this time.    In the November 2 election, Harlan voters gave the Harlan Municipal Utilities the authority to discontinue and dispose of by sale its telecommunications utility if it chooses to in the future.    More than 61 percent (61.5%)