BELLEVUE, NE -- Darlene Bernice Kenkel, 77, Bellevue, NE, died January 31 at Hillcrest Care & Rehabilitation Center.    Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling with burial in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery at Earling.  A rosary will be held Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the church.  Visitation is Friday from 3-9 p.m. with family greeting friends from 4-8 p.m.

    HARLAN -- Juanita McDermott, 94, Harlan, died January 30 at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan.    Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. at Congregational United Church of Christ in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Visitation will be Friday, Feb. 5 from 3-9 p.m. with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m.

    PANAMA -- Eldred “Mick” Keane, 84, Panama, died January 31.    Services will be held Friday, Feb. 5 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church in Panama with burial in the St. Mary’s Cemetery.  A rosary was held Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Parish Center in Panama.  Visitation was Thursday from 4-9 p.m.

    HARLAN -- Harlan Community School’s Large Group Speech team, under the direction of Ms. Lisa Hagemeier, participated in the Iowa High School Speech Association’s Contest on Saturday, Jan.

    COUNTY -- The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office this week announced the hiring of two deputy sheriffs.    Michael Jurgensen was a patrolman with the Harlan Police Department prior to joining the sheriff’s office 18 months ago.  Jurgensen is assigned road patrol and investigations.    Braden Quist was a patrolman with the Red Oak Police Department prior to joining the sheriff’s office.  He started duties on January 11, and currently is riding

    HARLAN -- The Harlan Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees has approved a proposal to pay $25,000 for a rate study of their three main utilities.    A proposal from Dave Berg Consulting of Minneapolis, MN would perform electric, natural gas and water cost-of-service and rate design studies for HMU.  It would be a retail rate analysis and design study beginning July 1, 2016 and thus falling in next year’s fiscal budget.    The firm would us

    HARLAN -- Riding a nationwide trend of declining patient visits and procedures, as well as tighter insurance payment procedures, Myrtue Medical Center’s revenues were up slightly in December to help it erase nearly $143,000 in losses - but they are still in the red with a fiscal year-to-date loss of $125,634.    To shore up those losses, both Barry Jacobsen, CEO, and Myrtue CFO Kristy Hansen told the board of trustees at their monthly meet

    DEFIANCE -- Robert Sr. and Ruth Weis of Defiance marked their 65th wedding anniversary on January 29. The couple will celebrate with family at a later date.    Their family is planning a card shower in their honor. Cards will reach them if sent to P.O. Box 275, Defiance, IA 51527. 

https://youtu.be/jUiyiVvYZJ8
An estimated 950 Shelby County Republicans packed into the Harlan Veterans Memorial Auditorium, while the Therkildsen Center held another 300 Democrats for the annual Iowa Caucus...on the Republican side Ted Cruz topped Donald Trump in a heated battle while Bernie Sanders upped Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side.