HARLAN -- Local authorities are alerting the public of a scam involving Facebook, YouTube and video chatting/photo taking that occurred in Harlan recently.    Harlan Police reports indicate a Harlan male recently was contacted via Facebook by an individual who wanted to video chat.  The female was naked during the chat and conned the individual into also getting naked during the encounter.    Following the chat, the female attempted to ext

    COUNTY-- Local school administrators are waiting to take further action on a new federal transgender directive until they receive additional instructions from the state level, and discuss the matter openly among themselves and with the Iowa Association of School Boards.    The directive, handed down in May, is geared toward inclusivity of transgender students in public schools.    The Harlan Community School District currently is the only

    HARLAN -- Marvin Bissen of Harlan will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday, August 7 from 1-4 p.m. at an open house at the Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan.

    OMAHA -- Caitlin McCarthy and Thomas Gruis both of Omaha were married at St Pius X Church in Omaha on March 5, 2016. Rev. Carl Salanitro performed the 2 p.m. double ring ceremony.    Parents of the couple are Gerald and Deborah McCarthy, Avoca; and Todd and Jane Gruis, Clear Lake. 

 HARLAN -- Only three other baseball programs in the state have accomplished what Harlan Community just did Wednesday night. Bolstered by a six-run, first-inning outburst and the sturdy right arm of senior pitcher Brett Croghan, the Cyclones held off Winterset, 9-5, in a Class 3-A substate final at Jim Goeser Field, securing the team’s sixth consecutive state tournament berth. In the 71-year history of Iowa’s summer state baseball championship

 CEDAR FALLS -- Three area football players, one cheerleader, one coach and a manager are taking part in this week’s Iowa Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Classic, culminating with Saturday’s 44th annual Shrine Bowl game at the UNI-Dome. The game will start at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 23, and will be televised on a tape-delay basis by Mediacom Connections Channel 22 starting at 5:00 p.m. The game will be re-aired at 8:00 p.m.

 HARLAN -- It was shades of early June at Jim Goeser Field Monday night - a welcome sight for the Harlan Community baseball team and its fans. Playing one of their best all-around games since a dominant 10-1 stretch to open the season, the 2nd-ranked Cyclones crushed Denison-Schleswig for the third time this summer with an 11-1, five-inning win in the District 16 (Class 3-A) final. HCHS junior Josh Cheek pitched three-hit ball with seven strik

 HARLAN -- Senior Brett Croghan pitched six scoreless innings and sophomore Jared Moser provided an offensive spark from the bottom of the lineup Friday night as Harlan Community opened the postseason with a 7-0 win over Carroll in a Class 3-A district baseball semifinal. The 2nd-ranked Cyclones took care of business against the winless Tigers, but by no means dominated as the score was only 4-0 going into the bottom of the sixth.

 COON RAPIDS -- When it was all said and done Thursday night - after seven innings of pressure-packed baseball, his final postgame huddle and media interviews - Tony Petersen received just the right medicine when he was mobbed by hugs from his young grandchildren. Perhaps this retirement gig won’t be so bad after all. Following 32 seasons and 513 coaching victories - all at Elk Horn-Kimballton and Exira-EHK - Petersen’s final game was a gut-wr