HCHS Senior Alex Dotzler plays the four bass drums during pep band at a Cyclone basketball game recently.  The bass drums have become a tradition for the pep band in recent years.

    REGIONAL -- The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says flu activity in Iowa is increasing, prompting IDPH to increase the level of geographic spread of influenza from local to regional spread.    All three flu viruses covered by this year’s vaccines - influenza A (H3), influenza A (H1N1), influenza B (Victoria) - are currently circulating in Iowa.

    COUNTY – The Shelby County Compensation Board will meet this month to discuss salary compensation for the county’s elected officials.    The date and time has yet to be determined.    Members of the compensation board are selected by the elected officials they represent and include: Ron Rosmann (supervisors), Ron Goodside (supervisors), Tim Meyer (treasurer), Randy Conrad (recorder), Rod Baxter (sheriff), Frank Powers (attorney), and Sandr

    HARLAN -- Joyce Elaine Stahl, 76, Harlan, died January 13 at Jennie Edmundson Hospital.    Private services will be held Monday, Jan. 18 at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.    Stahl is survived by sons Robert Craig Stahl of Harlan, Kent (Kelley) Stahl of North Platte, NE, and Tracey (June) Stahl of Trent, SD; daughter Penny Anderson of Harlan; 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

    WALNUT -- Orris Lowell Drake, 85, Walnut, died January 13 at his home.    Services were held Saturday, Jan. 16 at 1:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Harlan with burial in the Monroe Township Cemetery at Walnut.  Visitation were Saturday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

 TRI-CENTER -- Harlan Community freshman Ronan Noeth was the champion at 106 pounds and four other HCHS wrestlers finished as runners-up Saturday as the Cyclones placed second out of 11 teams at the Tri-Center Trojan Invitational. Missouri Valley led the field with five champions and 222 points, followed by HCHS (206), West Monona (140) and Treynor (130.5).

 GRISWOLD -- The AHSTW wrestlers improved their dual record to 17-6 on Thursday by sweeping a quad meet against Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton (69-6), Guthrie Center (54-21) and host Griswold (42-18). Eight Viking individuals finished 3-0 on the day: Tim Barr (170), Spencer Symanowicz (285), Ben Ehlers (106), Drake Partridge (120), Joel Becerra (126), Cain Francois (132), Gabe Pauley (152) and Dustin Engel (160).

 CRESTON -- Creston/Orient-Macksburg lived up to every bit of its number-one dual ranking in Class 2-A Thursday night, scoring bonus points in nine out of 12 contested matches en route to a 61-12 dual win over Harlan Community. The Panthers improved to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in Hawkeye Ten Conference duals, while HCHS (5-6 overall) dropped to second place in the conference at 4-1.

 ADEL -- Taylor Frederick eclipsed 20 points on consecutive nights while Jordyn Moser and Emma Ahrenholtz also posted back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts as the Harlan Community girls handily defeated St. Albert and A-D-M this past weekend. The Cyclones, who moved up to No. 2 in the latest Class 4-A rankings, won a 60-38 conference home game vs.