AVOCA -- Eldon Riesgaard of Avoca will mark his 90th birthday on January 22. His family is planning a card shower in his honor. Cards will reach him if sent to PO Box 513, 511 N. Chestnut, Avoca, IA 51521.    Eldon’s family includes Charlene and Larry Friederich, Avoca; Monte and Serena Riesgaard, Avoca; and three grandchildren. He and his wife, the late Agnes (Bintner) were married for 65 years. 

    SHELBY -- Paul and Merry Lee Peterson of Shelby observed their 60th wedding anniversary on January 10. Their family is requesting a card shower in their honor.    Cards will reach them if sent to 116 Willow Cir, Shelby, IA 51570.    Their family includes Jan and Lavern Fetzer, Amarillo, TX; Brenda and Cliff Marts, Wray, CO; David and Tamie Peterson, Clarinda; Jean Mills, Shelby; 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. 

    HARLAN -- Kassondra Hendricks and Nicholas Dumke both of Jackson, MN were married on August 25, 2018 at the groom’s grandparents’ Ron and Pat Mosher’s farm. Rev. Mark Feit, Omaha, performed the 4:30 p.m.

 CLARINDA -- It wasn’t pretty from an offensive standpoint, according to head coach Mitch Osborn, but the Harlan Community boys were able to pull away late and win their fifth in a row Friday night with a 56-45 victory at Clarinda. HCHS led 25-22 at the half and just 36-35 after three quarters before outscoring the Cardinals 20-10 in the fourth.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community girls basketball team broke open a 22-19 game early in the third quarter by outscoring Clarinda 36-9 the rest of the way Friday night, beating the Cardinals 58-28 in Hawkeye Ten Conference action. Nine girls broke into the scoring column for the Cyclones, who have responded to an 0-8 start by winning their last three games.

 ELK HORN (Jan. 8) -- Dakota Rold made school history on Tuesday night, becoming just the second Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton boys basketball player to surpass 1,000 career points in the Spartans’ 80-53 rout of Coon Rapids-Bayard. Rold, a 6-foot-7 senior post, reached his milestone in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 20 points and nine rebounds.

With the prediction of winter storms this weekend, now is the time to properly prepare for cold weather, potential loss of power, and limited access to services, including roads, medical care and communication systems.

    AVOCA -- Bernice C. Stracke, 100, Avoca, died January 9 at Avoca Specialty Care.    Services will be held Monday, Jan. 14 at 11 a.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan with burial in the St. Boniface Cemetery at Westphalia.  A wake service will be held Sunday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.  Visitation is Sunday from 4-8 p.m.

1)  Why did you get involved with your agriculturally-based career?    “It’s kind of a funny story.  I was home between college and grad school and looking for a temporary job.  I was hauling cattle and stopped into the Job Service office to turn in an application.  They told me that FSA (ASCS at the time) was hiring.  They called the ASCS office and they wanted to interview me immediately.  So, dressed in coveralls and boots from hauling catt