HARLAN -- Students headed back to school this week as the school year officially got under way on Wednesday in the Harlan Community Schools and Shelby County Catholic School. 

EARLING – Steve Kenkel will be closing a chapter on his museum near Earling as he hosts his last bi-annual expo on his farm.    Kenkel said it has been a great run, but the expo has outgrown him, and hopes are to find another location in Shelby County to continue the event in the future.    “I’m working with a group of leaders in the county to get a different venue as a permanent location for the collection,” Kenkel said.  “Hopefully we’ll kno

REGIONAL -- School districts in the greater Shelby County area have begun classes for the year, and local officials are urging motorists to be on the lookout for children as they make their way to and from school.    For the fourth school year in Harlan, motorists are reminded of the crosswalk/red light along the busy Chatburn Ave.

PORTSMOUTH -- Peg Petsche of Portsmouth may be retired, but she hasn’t slowed down.    These days, she is doing her original dream job and helping soon-to-be spouses put together flower arrangements for their ceremony at her church. 

HARLAN -- Beginning Friday, Aug. 25 for the home football game with Lewis Central traffic flow changes will be implemented to improve public safety during home varsity football games.      Starting at 4 p.m. until departure of buses after the game the travelled area between Vets Auditorium and Merrill Field will be closed to vehicle traffic (refer to yellow area of map).

Harlan Community Schools welcomes new teachers for 2017-2018.

DES MOINES -- Shelby County Fair Queen Emma Barnes, 17, of Harlan, participated in the 2017 Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation Ceremony on Aug. 12. 

KIRKMAN -- Angie Kiem always knew that she wanted to come back to Shelby County.    Until she was nine, Kiem lived in Kirkman. It wasn’t until 2012 that she and her husband, Doug, decided to make their move.    After finding a job that would allow him to live anywhere, Doug – who retired from the U.S. Navy – and Angie began a search for a home in Iowa.

REGIONAL -- The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department is looking to add two new good boys – or, rather, K-9s – to the team.    The department is hoping to fundraise the money with the help of the public. The K9s would be “another tool in the toolbox” according to Sheriff Neil Gross, who says the department has been lacking dogs since the early 2000s.    “Any time you add a K9 to the program, you’re – in a way – adding an officer,” Gross said.

HARLAN – Becker’s Hospital Review recently recognized Myrtue Medical Center as one of its “62 Critical Access Hospitals to Know.”    This is the third year Becker’s has published a list recognizing outstanding critical access hospitals from more than 1,300 critical access hospitals in the nation.

HARLAN -- The top 10 school salaries for the Harlan Community School District include these 10:    Justin Wagner, $213,697; Elaine Baughman, $130,711; William Mueller, $110,316; John Connell, $110,297; Donna Muller, $109,447;    Jeffrey Moser, $108,048; Della Newlin, $107,834; Mitch Osborn, $106,512; Gloria Miller, $106,041; and Scott Frohlich, $106,034.    These and all other salaries totaled $11,078,285 paid during the 2016-17 school year en

Brylie Kenkel, 8, of Earling was just one of the talents performing in the Bill Riley Talent Show at the Iowa State Fair.

ELK HORN -- Mike and Lou Howard, Elk Horn, have announced this week that after the encouragement of a few fellow Elk Horn residents, they have decided to purchase the Danish Inn property.    The two are currently researching ideas and seeking input from Danish experts in the restaurant industry, with hopes of developing a hygge establishment that will entice visitors from out of town/state/country, along with friends and neighbors in the Danis

REGIONAL -- The Harlan Community Schools Board of Education will see the addition of at least one new face after incumbent Angie Monson of district 4 decided not to run for re-election.    “What a great district that we have and how lucky we are to call ourselves Cyclones here,” Monson said.

DEFIANCE -- Bob Dotzler of Defiance is not afraid of death.    Dotzler has been living with prostate cancer since 2002. Currently, he is stage four and undergoing radiation treatments.    “I can tell that it’s getting tougher,” Dotzler said. “But I’ve got really good support from my children.”    To have lived 15 years after his diagnosis, Dotzler says, is already beating the odds.