HARLAN (July 20) -- The Harlan Community baseball team picked a great time to earn its first mercy-rule win of 2020. Breaking open a 4-2 game by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth, HCHS added three more in the fifth to finish off Denison-Schleswig 13-3 in a Class 3A district final at Jim Goeser Field Monday night. The third time was not a charm for the Monarchs, who lost two close decisions - 2-0 and 1-0 - to the Cyclones during the

 PORTSMOUTH -- Council Bluffs and Massena will play in the Iowa Western Baseball League Tournament title game on Sunday, July 27 (1:00 p.m.) in Portsmouth. The two teams punched their ticket to the final by winning semifinal games last week. Council Bluffs 9, Persia 1 - Alex Johnson had three hits, including a home run, and four other players had two hits as Council Bluffs beat Persia 9-1 on July 14.

 FONDA (July 20) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s magical 2020 softball season fell one win shy of its ultimate goal on Monday night as the 9th-ranked Spartans lost to 2nd-ranked Newell-Fonda 10-0 in five innings in a Class 1A, Region 2 final. Exira-EHK found itself in a 6-0 hole after one inning and couldn’t recover as N-F eighth-grader Kierra Jungers pitched an abbreviated one-hit shutout with one walk and eight strikeouts.

    HARLAN – Parents/guardians who decide to keep their children home and remote learn during part (or all) of the 2020-21 school year have until Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 4 p.m.

    IRWIN -- Daniel Ryan Pedersen, 35, Irwin, died July 25 at his home.    A private memorial service was held Thursday, July 30 at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.  Public visitation was Thursday from 1-3 p.m.

    CARTER LAKE -- Jeannine M. Poldberg, Carter Lake, originally from the Harlan area, died July 27.    Visitation is Thursday, July 30 from 6-8 p.m.

    MENOMONIE, WI -- UW-Stout’s Jessica DuVal has been nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, a national-level award that honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three NCAA divisions.    To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, must have completed eligibility in her primary sport,

    COUNCIL BLUFFS -- United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced July 14 that United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced Blake Edward Cooper, 51, Harlan, to 60 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to drug user in possession of a firearm.    Cooper was ordered to serve a period of supervised release of three years to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.    There