The Harlan Community School District is celebrating today after another state victory, this time in Jazz Band. The State Competition was held Thursday in Des Moines. After performing around 2pm, the judges announced the Cyclones made it to the finals versus Pella. The finals were held later in the evening with the Harlan Community Cyclones named number 1 in Class 3A Jazz Band.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

No injuries were reported after a vehicle slid-off a muddy road early this (Friday) morning, in Cass County. According to the Sheriff’s Department, a sheriff’s deputy responded at around 3:40-a.m. to a report of a single-vehicle accident on Richland Road in Cass County. It was later determined a 2013 Mazda SD driven by 28-year old Jennifer Lee Nye, of Nanticoke, PA, was westbound on Richland Road, when her car slid off the road and into the south ditch, before coming to rest against a sign post.  Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $2000.

Organizers with “Project Paint-A-Thon” say applications are currently being accepted through June 7^th for a volunteer event designed to benefit homeowners age 60 or over, or who are permanently disabled. Applicants for the 25^th Annual Brush Up paint-a-thon who live in Council Bluffs, or, Douglas and Sarpy Counties, in Nebraska, must meet financial guidelines listed on the official application, which is available by calling Southwest 8 Senior Services at 712-328-2540, or by calling 2-1-1. All applications must be returned by June 7^th in order to be eligible for the August 17^th event.

An independent Selection Committee made up of professionals from housing and human services will identify homeowners who are qualified. Homeowners selected will have their homes painted at NO COST. Volunteers paint the exterior of selected homes in August of each year.

The Paint-A-Thon was established in 1989, as a “Community Partnership” to spearhead a community-wide effort to paint the homes of older adults and disabled homeowners who are unable to either physically or financially, paint their homes. Since the program’s inception, volunteer teams have painted 2,495 homes. The goal for 2013, is to paint 80 homes, with the help of over 2,500 volunteers.

The event is made possible through the support of numerous companies, businesses and individuals, who donate materials and other forms of support for the volunteer teams.

(8-a.m. News)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A business services company has announced plans to fill 135 new positions in Iowa. The Des Moines Register says CDS Global intends to add 50 of the jobs at its Des Moines operation and 85 at its Boone site.  The Des Moines-based company says the new workers are needed to handle the needs of a new, unnamed client. CDS provides mailing and other services for businesses in several industries.

CDS Global currently has 900 workers in Des Moines, 330 in Boone and has other Iowa offices in Council Bluffs, Harlan, Tipton, West Des Moines and Wilton. CDS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corp.

The Chair of the Cass County Endowment Foundation has announced the latest rounds of grants to non-profit agencies within the County. Nicholas Hunt said the grant recipients had submitted applications to the CCEF by the Feb. 1^st deadline, and were awarded grants by the Cass County Board of Directors.

Only those organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible for the funds, the checks for which were received by representatives of those agencies, on April 18^th. The following nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions is the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services received grants: