Rita Jane Whiteley was born on February 11, 1952, near Jacksonville, Iowa, to Gilbert and Arlene (Nissen) Hoogensen. She was baptized and later confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church near Jacksonville. Rita graduated from Harlan High School and went on to attend Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She later attended Medical Technology School in Lincoln.

A Celebration of Life for Ruby A. Christoffersen will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026 at 11 a.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton, Iowa, with Rev. Tim White, Officiating.
Honorary Urnbearers will be Abbi Forshier and Adam Forshier. The Urnbearer will be Aaron Forshier.  Inurnment at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Kimballton.

Tina Louise Thielen was born on July 26, 1965, in Topeka, Kansas, to Robert and Janice Dickinson. Tina spent 44 years working as a Certified Nurse’s Aide, and later as a Certified Medication Aide. She was dedicated to her work and found great purpose in caring for others. Her kindness, patience, and gentle approach touched the lives of many people over the course of her career.

AMES — A Harlan native is using
firsthand experience in her
new position as Assistant State Director
for Operations and Compliance
for America’s Small Business
Development Center (SBDC) Iowa.
Leah Pitts brings more than five
years of experience within the
Iowa SBDC network and a strong
record of leadership in statewide
operations, regulatory compliance,
and performance management.

HARLAN — The rain may have dampened the ribbon-cutting
ceremony for Harlan Community Elementary’s new playground
Thursday, but not even inclement weather could douse the students’
excitement.
“It’s as inclusive as possible,” said HCSD Elementary Principal
Jeff Moser. One-third of the surface area surrounding the equipment
is pour-in-place rubber surfacing, making it accessible for

ELK HORN — The Danish Windmill has temporarily disabled the ability to receive payments via PayPal on its website due to a substantial increase in bot/scam traffic. 
Manager Shaun Sayres said, “We have received over 250 fraudulent payments, mostly via PayPal, over the last week. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”

SHELBY COUNTY — The Shelby County Ambulance Service finished 2025 with a total of 1,444 calls, EMS Director Kenny Hansen said.
Hansen, who has served as director since May, said he is proud of the accomplishments made last year.
“We had big goals,” he said. “And many were accomplished.”

Lucky Duck - I’m not sure how many people want to arrive on the hottest day in Nebraska history, July 13, 1934, but I was born into a loving railroad family and lived a long, charmed life. My older brother Bill and I had two terrific parents. My grandparents lived nearby and were part of our home. I felt awfully lucky.