COUNTY -- Myrtue Medical Center’s Public Health has announced the first death from COVID-19 in Shelby County.    The resident was an older adult.  No further information will be provided out of respect for the individual’s privacy.    “We are learning more about COVID-19 each day,” said Myrtue Medical Center’s Public Health Director Lori Hoch.  “We want to provide the most accurate information we have to help slow the spread of the virus i

 BOONE (July 24) -- The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced changes to the 2020 prep football season on Friday, shortening regular season play to a maximum of seven games per team and expanding the postseason so that all teams qualify for the playoffs. The revised plan was approved by the IHSAA Board of Control, which will release further fall season and sport-specific guidance next week.

    HARLAN -- LaVonne Anderson, 89, Harlan, died July 31 at her home.    Services will be held Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Harlan with burial in the Layton Township Cemetery in Walnut.  Visitation was Monday, Aug. 3 from 5-7 p.m.

    HARLAN – A vacancy remains on the Harlan Community Schools Board of Education as there were no applications filed by the deadline this week for the now open District 6 board seat.    Tarah Devlin-Lawler’s last board meeting was Thursday, July 23, and the district is actively seeking an individual to fill her role on the board.  Devlin-Lawler has accepted employment that takes her into the Harlan Community Schools, as she has been hired by

    HARLAN – The City of Harlan has approved an agreement with LT Leon Associates, Inc., Des Moines, for the development of plans and specifications regarding a river access project near the Highway 44 bridge of the West Nishnabotna River.    At a cost of $13,000, the civil engineering firm will develop preliminary designs, complete all of the permitting process and develop final construction documents for the project.

    TENNANT -- Susan (Myers) Hulsebus was only three months old in 1964 when her family moved back to Shelby from Texas. Hulsebus has been told she “slept in a box on the floor of the car” during the family’s return trip to Iowa.        Hulsebus was born in Fort Hood, TX when her dad, Robert Myers, was stationed there in the Army.

    AVOCA -- Eugene and Cheryl Butcher of Avoca will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on August 1. They are planning a family dinner at their home in Avoca.    Their family includes Eugene Jr. and Sandy Butcher, Shari and Dale Kay, Christi and Ryan Zimmerman all of Avoca; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
 

    KIMBALLTON -- Emery and Ruby Christoffersen of Kimballton will observe their 70th wedding anniversary on August 6. Their family includes Shirley Christoffersen, Urbandale; Carol and Kevin Forshier, Redfield, IA; the late David Christoffersen; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.    Emery is a retired farmer. Ruby is a retired school teacher.
 

 DALLAS CENTER (July 22) -- The better team ultimately may have won Wednesday’s Class 3A, Substate 8 baseball final in Dallas Center, but the score serves no justice to the competitive nature of the game. Trailing 4-2 since the end of the first inning, Harlan Community loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth but was unable to score against Dallas Center-Grimes ace pitcher Logan Smith. The momentum from that escape carried right i