COUNTY – Steve Kenkel has been named chairman of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors this year, and will preside over a board that is currently working diligently to prepare next year’s budget.    Kenkel is joined on the board by supervisors Charlie Parkhurst and Roger Schmitz.    Kenkel was unanimously elected chairman while Charlie Parkhurst was unanimously elected vice-chairman of the 2017 board.    Besides tackling the budget this m

    STATE -- The Board of Directors of the Association of Iowa Fairs has inducted Roger Ahrenholtz of Harlan into the Association of Iowa Fair’s “Hall of Fame”.    The honor was presented to  Ahrenholtz at the awards banquet during the association’s 2016 Conference and annual meeting, which was held December 9-11 in Des Moines.

Part two of the Harlan Newspapers’ look back at 2016 includes more stories that made the headlines during the year.  Here is July-December’s highlights:

    REGIONAL - Two influenza-related deaths have occurred in Iowa this flu season including a 61-year-old Southwest Iowa woman and an 81-year-old Central Iowa woman.    While influenza activity has been low so far this season, this death serves as an unfortunate reminder that the influenza virus is circulating and has the potential to cause severe illness.

    HARLAN – Committee assignments have been proposed for 2017 by Harlan Mayor Kate Kohorst, and were approved at a meeting of the Harlan City Council Tuesday, Dec. 20.    Council members include Jay Christensen, Ward 1; Dave Miller, Ward 2; Sharon Kroger, At Large/Center Township; Michael Kolbe, Ward 3; Greg Bladt, Ward 4; and David H. Pedersen, at large/Lincoln Township.

    HARLAN – Faith Sound, the interdenominational, contemporary music group based out of Harlan, has kicked off its concert season  with performances in Harlan and an upcoming performance on Sun., Jan. 15 at 9:30 a.m. at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church.    Now in its 42nd year, members of the group are students in 7th-12th grade from Harlan and surrounding communities, representing seven churches from the region.

2016 was an eventful year in Shelby County, Iowa and the nation.  The year saw the election of a new president, Donald Trump, on the national front in a historic battle for office.  At the state level, the community mourned the loss of two police officers in Des Moines gunned down while they sat in their patrol cars.  Locally, we saw changes due to the election, and celebrated sports victories, music accomplishments and a Supermoon!  Here are

    COUNTY – Mention the Dixie Shanahan case, and Mark Hervey can’t help but express a twinge of sadness about the whole situation.  In his 42 years of law enforcement work, never had he been involved in such an emotionally-charged case that divided the Shelby County community back in 2003-04.    “I honestly felt for Dixie and the abuse she endured over the years,” Hervey said.  “It was an investigation I got personally involved in.”    Shanah

    Four newly elected officials were sworn in Tues., January 3 at the Shelby County Courthouse. From left: Steve Kenkel, Shelby Co. Supervisor and incoming board chair; Neil Gross, Shelby Co. Sheriff; Charles Parkhurst, Shelby Co. Supervisor and Mark Maxwell, Shelby Co. Auditor.

    COUNTY – The well-being of Shelby County children continues to be better than average, according to the National Kids Count Initiative sponsored by the Annie E.

    ELK HORN - Forty years ago spectators wondered if the big crane could lift the two 3,500 pound, 67 foot crossbars some 80 feet into the air and place them in position on the historic Danish Windmill.  It was a breeze and from Dec. 29 - Jan. 4 those old wings will be coming down.

    REGIONAL – The annual weather summary from the Farmers Almanac says this winter will be colder than normal with more snow than average    If December is any indication of the rest of the winter months to come, then the almanac may be spot on with its predictions.  Bitter cold temperatures and some snow and ice greeted Shelby Countians in December, and there’s more likely to come.    It’s always fun to project what could come, but regardles

    COUNTY – Shelby County has approved an amendment to its urban renewal plan, which will allow the county to recoup costs through tax increment financing for specific bridge replacements and/or improvements.    The county’s board of supervisors unanimously approved the amendment, along with an ordinance providing for the division of taxes levied on property in the urban renewal plan.

    COUNTY – Shelby County has approved a new job creation incentive plan is hoped to help small businesses in the county grow and prosper in the future.    The county’s board of supervisors has voted unanimously to approve the plan, targeted to small and entrepreneurial businesses (businesses with 10 employees or less at time of application) in Shelby County.    “The purpose of this plan is to encourage/support new and existing businesses in

    HARLAN – The City of Harlan is actively marketing available lots in its G.H. Christiansen subdivision in north Harlan, and recently has put together a marketing packet of information for anyone interested in building a home in the community’s newest subdivision.