DES MOINES -- Lisa Hagemeier, a 6th grade communications and high school Spanish teacher and Speech Coach in the Harlan Community School District, is a 2018 Excellence in Education Award Runner-up.    The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA).

     IRWIN -- Photography has been a part of Noreen Shannon's life for more than 40 years.    Through getting married to Rodney Shannon, having two kids, Scott and Erica, and battling pancreatic and breast cancer, her hobby for photography has sustained.    Shannon bought her first nice camera, a cannon 35 mm, in the 80s and wanted to learn how operate it and take pleasing pictures. 

    HARLAN -- Ron and Jennifer French of Manilla announce the engagement of their daughter, Alayna Michelle to Nicholas Randal Musich both of Harlan. He is the son of the late Randy and Carol Musich who were Harlan residents.    The couple will wed on September 8 at the First Baptist Church in Harlan.

    DUBUQUE -- Kristen Fiacco and Nicholas DeCarlo both of Cedar Rapids were married at the Grand River Center in Dubuque on March 3, 2018. Officiant Sherri Sherman performed the 4 p.m. double ring ceremony.    Parents of the bride are William Fiacco, Cedar Rapids; and Deborah Fiacco, Marion. Parents of the groom are Richard and Candi DeCarlo, Harlan. 

    DES MOINES -- Kaitlyn Taylor Mary Aldrich and Jackson Alan Mores both of Overland Park, KS exchanged marriage vows on May 19, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church in Des Moines. Pastor Eric Guy performed the 4 p.m. double ring ceremony.    Parents of the couple are Forrest and Kathleen Aldrich, Urbandale; and Alan Mores and Donna Christensen-Mores, Harlan. 

 LOGAN -- The Harlan Community Summer Swim Team capped an undefeated season here July 7 by winning its 12th consecutive Western Iowa Swim League conference meet title. Harlan placed first in 39 of 78 events on the day, set three school records and scored 740 points to win handily over second-place Missouri Valley (482).

    DENVER, CO -- Clarence George Holtz, 91, Denver, CO, formerly of Avoca, died August 5 at the Berkley Manor Care Center.    Services will be held Monday, Aug. 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca with burial in the Graceland Cemetery at Avoca.  Family will greet friends Sunday, Aug. 19 from 5-7 p.m.

    HARLAN -- At July’s Harlan Community Schools Board of Education board retreat workshop, HCS Superintendent of Schools Justin Wagner touted the district’s financial solvency and his ability to say “no” to many funding requests in order to keep the district financially viable.    While the district has lost nearly $1 million in state revenue through declining enrollment (163.5 students since 2010), the district also has absorbed 18 positions

    “There are many different groups of comparability within the HCSD when considering pay. So anchoring to a common set of goals when making compensation decisions is important. Those goals for the HCSD are the board axioms. One of those axioms is ‘Keep pay in the upper echelons of Schools of Comparable Size’.