AVOCA (Dec. 3) -- Sophomore Raydden Grobe hit 13-of-17 shots and poured in 34 points last Tuesday to lead the AHSTW boys past Riverside 73-33. The Vikings raced out to leads of 25-5 after one quarter and 51-14 at halftime, shooting 60 percent as a team. Grobe made 4-of-6 three-pointers and the team finished 9-of-20 from the arc.

    DENISON -- Mike and Tammy Kolbe of Harlan announce the engagement of their daughter, Lisa to Tanner Weed, son of Randy and Lori Weed, Charter Oak.    The couple is planning to marry on June 6, 2020 in Denison.
 

    WESTPHALIA -- Kate Schomers and Mitchel Petersen both of Omaha exchanged marriage vows on June 29, 2019 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia. The 3 p.m. double ring ceremony was performed by Father David Smith. Minister Kirk Parsons, Persia, gave the nuptial blessing.    Parents of the couple are Dave and Rose Schomers, Westphalia; and Kirk and Christine Petersen, Harlan.
 

HARLAN -- Fourth-graders and their families were treated to their annual family fun night sponsored by the fourth grade team in the Harlan Community Schools last week.  Activities included decorating cookies, making ornaments and snowmen with popsicle sticks, making bookmarks and listening to Christmas stories.  Kids met with Santa Claus and were given cotton candy.
 

    MANNING –  IKM-Manning Special Olympics Coach Beth Hagedorn was inducted into the 2019 Special Olympics Iowa Hall of Fame during ceremonies December 2 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines.    Hagedorn was honored, along with seven other volunteers from across Iowa, for her 30 years involved with Special Olympics teaching at IKM and IKM-Manning Schools.  She was nominated by IKM-Manning’s Joy Gross, and was recognized for exemplifying what it means

    ELK HORN -- The Museum of Danish America has announced that Jakob Holm will begin as the museum’s executive director on January 6, 2020.    Holm is a Danish citizen with experience living and working in the United States.  His professional background includes completing a doctorate-level degree in literature, working in advertising and marketing, authoring and editing books about Danish culture, teaching Danish literature at the University

    HARLAN -- The Harlan Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees approved expenses for upgrading software on the business computers in their offices during the Dec. 5 board meeting.       The utilities will spend $15,955 for upgrades in billing and financial departments in what management called an “intermediate upgrade,” and a one-time expense as opposed to monthly fees going forward.

    REGIONAL – A total of 87 families signed up this year for help during the holiday season in the annual holiday adoption program through West Central Community Action.    Those who adopted and will be delivering gifts to WCCA’s Outreach Office are asked to attend the drop-off day, Monday, Dec. 16 between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.    Distribution of gifts to families is being held on Tuesday, Dec.

 HARLAN (Dec. 3) -- During a frustrating 5-17 campaign last winter, the Harlan Community girls basketball team didn’t win its first two games until the 5th and 8th of January. Flash forward 11 months and the Cyclones - armed with seven returning letter winners - reached the two-win mark in just over 24 hours. One night after beating a rebuilding Treynor team 46-36, HCHS overcame a sluggish start and held off a late rally to top St.