PANAMA -- Alice Kwapiszeski of Panama will celebrate her 95th birthday with an open house on Sunday, January 24 from 1-4 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Parish Center in Panama. Friends and relatives are invited to attend.    Alice has four children: Jeanne and Gary Anderson, Omaha; Tom and Becky Kwapiszeski, Yukon, OK; Peggy and Bill Kolm, Omaha; and Jerry Kwapiszeski, Mustang, OK.

    MANILLA -- Helen Van Asselt’s family is requesting a card shower in honor of her 94th birthday on January 28.      Cards will reach her if sent to the Manilla Manor, Room 118A,   PO Box 490, Manilla, Iowa 51454.

    HARLAN -- Friends, family and colleagues filled the Shelby County Courthouse courtroom Friday, Jan. 8 in support of Susan Larson Christensen, who officially took the oath of office as District Court Judge of the Fourth Judicial District of Iowa.    Iowa Gov.

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).