SHELBY COUNTY — Gronwold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C. CPAs have released an audit report on Shelby County.
The County had local tax revenue of $29,375,216 for the year ended June 30, 2024, which included $1,831,978 in tax credits from the state. The County forwarded $21,069,167 of the local tax revenue to the townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies in the County.

HARLAN — A new creative venture has opened its doors in Harlan, bringing rustic charm, reclaimed décor, and one woman’s passion for creativity to the community. Rusty Rubbish, LLC, owned and operated by Bobbie Jo Cruise, officially opened last week November 24 at 805 7th Street — a location many locals will remember as Subs-N-Suds or DADA’s.

 Elk Horn — The Museum of Danish America was honored to welcome Jesper Møller Sørensen, Ambassador of Denmark to the United States, along with his family, his policy advisor, and Grand View University President Rachelle Keck, for a special visit during the Thanksgiving holiday.

HARLAN —Students in the Harlan Community High School Entrepreneurship class are getting a true taste of business ownership as they operate the school-based coffee shop, Cyclone Brew. The class, made up of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, provides hands-on experience in finance, marketing, customer service, and day-to-day business management.
Participating students include:

HARLAN — A group of South Sudanese refugees have found their homes in Harlan and a place to belong  at Immanuel Lutheran Church.
“It’s a quiet town,” said Tino Ngelo. “It’s close to the city. I like the community. It’s been very welcoming.”

Harlan – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Shelby County office will host a Pest Control Operators Continuing Instruction Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The program provided by the ISU Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) can be seen at office locations across Iowa.

HARLAN — HCHS has welcomed four new teachers this year, and today we introduce one of them: Mr. Gebel, the school’s new English teacher.
A graduate of OABCIG High School, Mr. Gebel was active in cross country, track and field, theater, and speech. He initially double-majored in biology and chemistry at the University of Northern Iowa, but after a few changes in direction, he found his path in Communication Theatre Teaching.

HARLAN — Blood donors recently hit milestone donations at the Red Cross Blood Drive held at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Harlan Tuesday.
 Jan Wilwerding has donated 23 gallons; Sue Smith, program co-ordinator, has donated 20 gallons; Alice Kenkel donated 13 and Leo Kenkel has donated 12 gallons, making a combined total of 68 gallons of blood donated.

HARLAN — After three years of rigorous academic study, philosophical inquiry, and scholarly contribution, Dr. Dan Schumacher, a dedicated Chiropractor serving the Shelby County community, has been awarded the Diplomat of Chiropractic Philosophical Standards (DPhCS) degree – one of the most esteemed honors in the Chiropractic profession. 

HARLAN —A beloved holiday tradition is making its long-awaited comeback as the 1st Annual Deck the Homes Light Competition invites residents to rekindle the magic of Christmas City. Community members are encouraged to bundle up, sip hot chocolate, and tour the town to enjoy the glittering lights and festive displays that have long defined the season.

by Renée Brich,
Managing Editor
SHELBY COUNTY — Shelby and Story counties have received written support from the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) and a group of preemption law professors in their request for U.S. Supreme Court review of their case involving Summit Carbon Solutions.

HARLAN — HCHS News returned as a class to Harlan Community High School this year. This class was originally created back in 2008 with the goal of creating fun and informational videos about the school. Unfortunately, the school district had to cut some classes after the 2009/10 school year and HCHS News was one of them.

HARLAN — Construction of Harlan’s Grandma B’s Dream Playground at Harlan’s Pioneer Park is well underway, and while recent warm weather has allowed crews to continue working this fall, city officials said the playground likely will not open until spring.

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Two Harlan Community Middle School Mock Trial teams competed in the regional competition held at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs November 7.