HARLAN -- John L. Watts, Jr., 55, Harlan, died Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Harlan.    Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m.

    HARLAN -- Edward G. John, 94, Harlan, died Sunday, Jan. 29 in Harlan.    Services will be held Friday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. at Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Friends were asked to call Thursday, Feb. 2 from 2-8 p.m. with family greeting friends from 4-6 p.m.

    ELK HORN -- Mary Ann Thysen of Elk Horn will celebrate her 80th birthday on Friday, February 10 at an open house from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at her home, 4219 Union, Apt. 2, Elk Horn. Friends and relatives are invited to attend.    A card shower is also planned. Cards will reach her if sent to Box 67, Elk Horn, IA 51531.

    AMES -- Natalie Williams and Ben Hansen both of Harlan were married in an outdoor double ring ceremony at Iowa State University’s Central Campus in Ames on August 6, 2016.    Parents of the couple are Theresa Graff, Wauwatosa, WI; and Layne and Kristy Hansen, Harlan.     

    HARLAN -- On January 21,  the Harlan Community High School Large Group Speech Team, under the direction of Ms. Lisa Hagemeier,  traveled to Abraham Lincoln School in Council Bluffs for the Iowa High School Speech Association’s District Competition.  Teams needed to earn a division I rating to advance to state competition on February 4 at Valley High School in West Des Moines, and a number of HCHS students moved on to state competition.

    HARLAN -- Leona (Salvo) Konz of Shelby was administered the oath of office as the newest member of the Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees on Tuesday at the January board meeting.    Konz was appointed and voted in to fill the position on the board when Cheryl Chipman chose not to seek election following 17 years of service as a trustee.

    HARLAN -- The Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees is proposing to lower the current tax levy rate to $1.22 per thousand taxable valuation for 2017-2018. The 2016-2017 rate was $1.27 per thousand taxable valuation levy.    This proposal would generate $1,018,543 in property tax dollars which is a $2,241 decrease in property tax dollars received in 2016-2017.

    HARLAN – The Harlan Community School District operated within its budget, has an acceptable solvency ratio and its unspent authority is in a good place, according to the annual audit prepared by Schroer & Associates and released this month.    The HCS Board of Education formally accepted the audit January 23.

    BRECKENDRIDGE, MN -- Bernice A. (Olsen) Ericksen Hooge, 93, Breckenridge, MN, formerly of Council Bluffs, died January 25 at CHI St.