RURAL SHELBY -- Kristah Lynn Carlson and Mark Thomas Nelson both of Omaha exchanged marriage vows on September 6, 2015 at the Willow Creek Glass Chapel near Shelby. The 3 p.m. double ring ceremony was performed by Pastor Phillip Nielsen of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan.    Parents of the couple are Michael Carlson, Orlando, FL; Teresa Carlson, Omaha; and Verne and Ilene Nelson, Harlan. 

    SKEIN, NORWAY -- Mary Elizabeth Vorrath and Ole Martin Kolsrud both of Bergan, Norway will exchange marriage vows on May 14 in a ceremony in Skein, Norway.    Mary is the daughter of Jill and Ron Davis, Harlan; and Doug and Margarita Vorrath, Denison. She is also the granddaughter of Loren and Jeanette Ferry, Manilla. 

ARLAN – Kandy Hester always had show choirs in the schools where she taught.      That makes 26 years of teaching the music and dance choreography that so many high school musicians have found attractive.    So it was without question that when Hester arrived in Harlan back in 2013 that she’d give it a try, see if there’s interest.  Harlan Community had not had a show choir since the 1990s.  Would it work here?    It certainly has. 

    HARLAN – Elk Horn’s Stan Jens was honored as the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s citizen of the year Friday night, Feb.

    ELK HORN -- Trevor Miller has been named the new superintendent at the Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton School District effective July 1.  He replaces Dean Schnoes, who announced his retirement earlier this school year.    Miller currently is the elementary principal in the Perry Community School District.  He was offered a contract following a series of meetings and interviews involving groups of community members, teachers and administration.

    HARLAN -- Harlan Municipal Utilities will use an outside firm for financial services until a decision on a staff employee is made.    At a special meeting of the Board of Trustees, a contract with CFO Systems, LLC of Omaha was authorized, and the company will begin immediately to complete duties once handled by their fulltime Chief of Financial Services.

 ELK HORN -- The three-pointers weren’t falling for Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Tuesday night, but Class 1-A’s second-ranked team did enough other things well to easily pass its first postseason test. Shooting 33.8 percent overall and just 4-of-23 from three-point range, the unbeaten Spartan girls compensated by grabbing 21 offensive rebounds and 26 steals in a 64-41, Region 7 quarterfinal win over Griswold. Exira-EHK’s fullcourt press keyed a 1

 CRESTON -- Evidently, there’s more than one way to skin a Panther if you’re the Harlan Community boys basketball team. Back on December 15, HCHS drilled a school-record 19 three-pointers (in 35 attempts) to soundly defeat Creston, 80-47. In Tuesday night’s rematch, the Cyclones shot just 4-of-19 from behind the arc, but still managed to win handily over the Panthers, 62-34, and gain a share of the 2016 Hawkeye Ten Conference title. Will Lansm

 ROCKWELL CITY -- A slow start to each half proved tough to overcome for the IKM-Manning girls basketball team Tuesday night. Crawling out of a 9-0 hole to start the game, IKM-M led 27-25 at halftime but South Central Calhoun controlled the third quarter (13-5) and held off the Wolves, 53-48, in a Class 2-A, Region 6 quarterfinal. The Titans (17-4) ended IKM-Manning’s season for the third straight year - twice in regionals, once at state - and