SHELBY -- The heirs of Ernest (Ernie) Fuhs have agreed to donate a vacant lot in Shelby, Iowa to Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc.  As a long-time farm volunteer, this donation is in accordance with Ernie’s wishes.  Recent public notices in Shelby County have disclosed that the donation is currently processing.    The donation is occurring through a collaborative quiet title action, which has appeared in the public record as a lawsuit.  All pa

    HARLAN – Harlan Community will host students from 20 schools across southwest Iowa in a Battle of the Books, a program that encourages students of all levels to read.    The competition will be held Wednesday, April 20 from 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m., with an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the program.

    HARLAN – Harlan Community Superintendent of Schools Justin Wagner read the resignation letters from five teachers at this week’s school board meeting, and thanked them for their service to the district.    Three-fifths of the district’s music staff is moving on after this year. 

 HARLAN -- Conditions were certainly less than ideal, but it didn’t stop quality performances from going on the board in Thursday night’s 19th annual Koos Relays girls track meet at Merrill Field. With temperatures falling into the 40s, athletes battled northwest winds gusting up to 40 mph on the back stretch that also provided a nice push on the final straightaway. Harlan Community scored 96 points and placed third out of 10 teams on its home

 HARLAN -- Amber Gross and Maggie Langenfeld of Harlan Community both carded a 54 for the top scores Thursday, but Denison-Schleswig’s balance prevailed in the end as the Monarch girls topped HCHS by 18 strokes (246-264) in a windy season opener at the Harlan Golf and Country Club. Gross notched the only par of the dual with a four on number two and took medalist honors over Langenfeld on a tiebreaker handicap hole.

 DENISON -- Max Langenfeld’s two-over-par round of 37 easily earned medalist honors Thursday and led the Harlan Community boys golf team to a triangular sweep over Denison-Schleswig and Charter Oak-Ute at Majestic Hills. HCHS finished with a 169, followed by Denison’s 195 and the Bobcats’ 224 as high winds made an already challenging course that much more difficult to navigate. Langenfeld’s round included two birdies, three pars and four bogey

 SIOUX CITY -- One poor stretch of defense made the difference Friday night as the Harlan Community soccer girls dropped a 6-3 decision at Sioux City West. HCHS, now 1-1 overall, led 1-0 until the Wolverines punched home three goals in the last 12 minutes of the first half and added another during the opening two minutes of the second. Cyclone junior Haley Arkfeld scored twice in the 44th minute to make it a 4-3 game, but West’s Fernanda Serna

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community girls tennis team ran into a tough matchup in Thursday’s season opener, losing all nine varsity matches against a senior-laden Denison-Schleswig squad. HCHS did prevail in junior varsity action, winning 6-5. Northwest winds gusting over 40 mph made it important to hit shots low and firm, especially on the four unprotected courts north of the high school.

 DENISON -- The Harlan Community boys tennis team came up one victory short at Denison on Thursday, losing a 5-4 dual decision that puts the Cyclones at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Hawkeye Ten. Isaac Stitz and Josh Cheek won singles matches for HCHS while the doubles teams of Stitz and Alec Plagman and Cheek and Kaleb Kaster also earned victories.