AVOCA (May 23) -- Brayton Tuma scored a hat trick and Kyle Branan and Gabe Madsen added one goal apiece here Wednesday night as AHSTW pulled away in the final 14 minutes to beat Clarke, Osceola 5-0 in a Class 1A, Substate 7 boys soccer semifinal. The 14th-ranked Vikings (14-2) will now face Des Moines Christian (14-1) in Saturday’s substate final at Des Moines. Des Moines Christian has rolled past its first two postseason opponents, beating N

 STUART (May 21) -- The AHSTW boys soccer team built a 3-1 halftime lead and made it stand on Monday, beating Panorama by that same score in a Class 1A substate quarterfinal game at Stuart. Blake Osbahr and Brayton Tuma both scored Viking goals in the first 19 minutes for a 2-0 lead and both sides scored off corner kicks before halftime.

 HARLAN (May 22) -- Connor Bruck pitched three stellar innings of relief and Harlan Community plated two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to hold off the Kuemper Catholic baseball team, 5-2, Tuesday night at Jim Goeser Field. HCHS, ranked second in Class 3A by the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association to start the season, built a 3-0 lead after two innings against Kuemper ace Cole Halbur and overcame an injury to slugging first baseman Ry

 HARLAN (May 21) -- Ryan Doran’s line drive home run over the center field fence ignited a six-run fifth inning as the Harlan Community baseball team handled Carroll by the 10-run rule, 11-1, in Monday night’s season opener at Jim Goeser Field. Doran, Connor Bruck and Jared Moser each had two hits and two RBI in the game while Jacob Bartley went 2-for-3 and pitched four and two-thirds innings to pick up his second career varsity win. Bartley a

    EARLING -- Marie F. Graeve, 95, Earling, died May 25 at the Little Flower Haven Nursing Home.    Services will be held Tuesday, May 29 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling with burial in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery at Earling.  A wake service was held Monday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at the church.  Visitation was Monday from 4-8 p.m.

    AVOCA -- Max Lee Klindt, 89, Avoca, died May 24 at Avoca Specialty Care.    Services will be held Thursday, May 31 at 10:30 a.m. at Altamont Baptist Church in Harlan with burial in the Cuppy’s Grove Cemetery in rural Harlan.  Visitation is Wednesday, May 30 from 6-9 p.m.

    Sitting at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, getting ready to start a round of chemotherapy, switching between answering questions and speaking with caregivers, Julie DuVal spoke about being named as the Shelby County Relay for Life Honorary Survivor.    “I was asked in January or February to be the Honorary Survivor, and my first thought was I was honored.

    ELK HORN -- Geoffrey Esper downed 107 æbleskiver in eight minutes to set a new world record in the second-annual Æbleskiver Eating Contest held at Tivoli Fest in Elk Horn Saturday afternoon, May 26.  Esper, left, is announced as the winner by emcee Sam Barclay.  At right is fellow contestant Darron Breeden, who downed 98 for second place.  Beautiful weather greeted everyone who headed to Elk Horn for the annual Tivoli Fest celebration last

    ELK HORN -- “To put a positive spin on it, we’re considering it a ‘blessing in disguise.’”    That’s how Danish Windmill Manager Lisa Steen Riggs described getting the news last week that there was significant wood rot in the sheer beams of the Mill’s Cap frame.    Just 10 days ago, the reconstruction phase of the Mill’s major restoration project began with historic millwright, Ben Hassett, returning to Elk Horn to install the new wind sha