HARLAN – New entrance signs into the Harlan community may be installed as early as this year as city officials firm up design plans and look to let bids for the project in the next three-five months.    Harlan City Administrator Gene Gettys said the project began back in 2014, and was included with a list of projects as part of a bond issue at that time.  The entrance signs are part of an overall $273,000 project that also includes a 6th,

    COUNTY – Iowa State Extension and Shelby County Catholic School have teamed up to offer a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education program on robotics, giving students a chance to build their own EV3 robots in a hands-on approach to learning.    SCCS Principal Josh De Weerd said STEM education is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in those four disciplines, and in interdisciplinary and applied approach.

    AVOCA -- AHSTW FFA competed in District FFA Career Development Events that were hosted in Red Oak on March 4.    Seventeen members participated in events that included Prepared Public Speaking, Experience the Action, Ag Issues and Preceptions, Ag CSI, Individual Ag sales, and Ag Radio Broadcasting.

    COUNTY – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s State Climatology Office and the National Weather Service are recruiting a volunteer precipitation observer for Shelby County as well as other communities across Iowa.    The observer would participate in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, known as CoCoRaHS.    Weather observers are needed everywhere, but with the most critical needs in some southwest

    KIMBALLTON -- Rick and Jo Brown of Harlan announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Brown to Jeff Hambrecht both of Urbandale. Jeff is the son of Deb Shull, Adel; and John Hambrecht, Abilene, TX.    The couple will marry on April 22 at the Cottonwood Barn in Kimballton.

    HARLAN -- The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host a legislative coffee on Saturday, March 18 at 10 a.m. at Town and Country Credit Union in Harlan.    On hand will be Iowa Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) and Iowa Rep. Steve Holt (R-Denison), who will answer questions from the audience and give updates on the current legislative session.    The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

 The following story was originally published by the University of Nebraska-Kearney website on February 13. It is being republished in the Harlan Tribune with persmission from UNK. KEARNEY, NEB.

 DES MOINES -- Mike Huegerich of Exira received the Iowa Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award at the Girls State Basketball Tournament on February 27, representing the community of Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton. A fan from each school participating in the tournament was presented a sportsmanship award prior to the team’s first-round game.

Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Results1-A Quarterfinal: Exira-EHK 58, Sidney 431-A Semifinal: Turkey Valley 48, Exira-EHK 46 (OT)Spartans’ final record: 24-2