HARLAN -- The Harlan Newspapers is again teaming up with area merchants to give away $1,100 in gift certificates this holiday season.    Simply find the announcement inside the Harlan Tribune or PennySaver each of the next five weeks for details, complete the registration form and deliver to the Harlan Newspapers office.    Winners  will be drawn each Monday, Nov. 16 - Dec. 14.

Coach Angie Spangenberg talks with the team during the Cyclones’ sweep of Bondurant-Farrar. See Sports in the November 10 Harlan Tribune.

    HARLAN – Renovations at the Harlan Airport are coming to a close this fall, as a $1.2 million runway paving project is nearly complete and Rushenberg Field gets set to re-open to aviation traffic.    Crews this week are nearing the finish of a 3,000-foot, six-inch concrete overlay construction project that began in early September.  Harlan City Administrator Terry Cox said it’s exciting to see the project come to fruition.

    COUNTY -- Voter turnout was low for Tuesday’s municipal election that saw many incumbents elected to office as well as write-in candidates.    Harlan saw only a 1.9 percent voter turnout.  Incumbent Mayor Gene Gettys, Jr. received a total of 56 votes in retaining his mayor position.  David H.

    DEFIANCE – Groceries, pop and beer bought at Walmart were among improper disbursements made by a former Defiance City Clerk now charged with theft, according to a special investigation by the state auditor’s office.    Auditor of State Mary Mosiman released Tuesday a report on the special investigation for the City of Defiance, for the period of March 12, 2013-April 30, 2015.    The investigation was requested by city officials as a result

HARLAN – Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical High School Musical will come to life on the Harlan Community stage as the HCHS drama department invites the public to performances this week at the HCHS auditorium.    Performances will be Thursday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 7, each at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov.

    HARLAN – Harlan’s city council is expected tonight to contract with a human resource consulting firm to aid in the hiring of a new city clerk, following the dismissal of Debra Sawyer by the council last week.    Sawyer was discharged of her duties Tuesday, Oct. 27, and deputy city clerk Pam Meurer was appointed interim city clerk until the city can find Sawyer’s replacement.    The Harlan Personnel and Finance Committee Friday, Oct.

    HARLAN -- Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees approved a three year renewal contract for MMC CEO Barry Jacobsen on Tuesday. Jacobsen will be awarded an annual salary of $200,600 beginning January 1, 2016.         This new approved proposal is a 4.5 percent raise from his current salary of $192,200. The new terms are an addendum to his original CEO contract which began in May 2009.

HARLAN -- Former Arkansas Governor and winner of the Iowa 2008 Caucus Mike Huckabee, was in Harlan on Friday, Oct. 30 as part of a five city presidential campaign trip.   Also in Harlan last week was Rick Santorum, who stopped by Pizza Ranch on Thursday, Oct.

    COUNTY – Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys, Jr. will be seeking his third term in office, running unopposed for office in Tuesday’s municipal election.    Gettys and a host of others in communities throughout Shelby County filed nomination papers by the deadline in September, for positions as mayor or on local city councils.    Polls will be open Tuesday, Nov.

HARLAN – The Harlan City Council Tuesday, Oct.

HARLAN -- Students at Shelby County Catholic School dressed up Monday for team spirit day as part of Red Ribbon/Character Counts Week activities.  Students at the Catholic school and Harlan Community Schools have been learning about the pillars of character -- trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. 

    REGIONAL – A ground penetrating radar unit helped locate underground graves in area historical cemeteries last week, as part of an ongoing project by local historians to renovate the region’s pioneer cemeteries.    The Western Iowa Pioneer Cemetery Association (WIPCA) welcomed Rick Norland, president of Construction Solutions, Inc., Kansas City, MO, an international engineering consulting firm that specializes in ground penetrating radar s

    REGIONAL – Warm, dry and windy conditions over the past few weeks have allowed farmers to harvest nearly half of the state’s corn for grain.    The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service reports the harvest has progressed rapidly for both corn and soybeans due to the favorable weather conditions, despite rain mid and late week last week.    The forecast this week also calls for cooler condit

    REGIONAL -- Dry and windy conditions Monday fueled field fires throughout southwest Iowa, including this blaze southeast of Harlan Monday afternoon.  Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen said crews were called to the area of 700th/800th Sts. and Oak Road about 3:37 p.m.