HARLAN -- Dennis and Janet Thomsen of Harlan will mark their 50th wedding anniversary on October 7. They have celebrated their anniversary with a family trip to Marco Island, FL.    The couple’s daughters and sons-in-law are Kris and Rob Melcher, Papillion, NE; and Michelle and Jeremy Leinen, Elkhorn, NE. The Thomsens have five grandchildren.  

    HARLAN -- Karen Joan Scheffler, 76, Harlan, died September 25 at Jennie Edmundson Hospital.    Services will be held Friday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Visitation was Thursday, Sept. 28 from 3-8 p.m. with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m.

    AVOCA -- Ronald Scott Elmore, 66, Avoca, died September 18 in Meade, KS.    Services were held Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m.

PANAMA – A new fall attraction is up and running in the Shelby County area promising to bring Halloween and autumn excitement to all who venture out to Grandpa’s Pumpkin Farm west of Panama.    Justin and Doug Schwery have been working for about 10 months on the project, and it’s come together well.  Opening weekend was last weekend, and the pumpkin patch will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from noon-6 p.m.

EARLING - On Saturday, September 30 from 2-10 p.m., part of Pat and Amy Hoffmann’s dream will come true with their hosting of the grand opening for their Lonely Oak Distillery. The event will feature tours, tastings, product specials, entertainment and food.

COUNTY – There will be contested races in a number of Shelby County communities in this year’s November 7 general election after interested individuals turned in their nomination papers for municipal office by last Thursday’s deadline.    In Harlan, outgoing Mayor Kate Kohorst, who was appointed to fill the term of Gene Gettys, Jr.

HARLAN -- Come together with your neighbors, fellow community members, and hundreds of thousands of other Iowans to support the Healthiest State Initiative on Wednesday, Oct. 4 in Harlan.    The Healthiest State Initiative’s goal is to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation.

 HARLAN -- During the first 120 years of Harlan Community Cyclone football, only two players were credited with scoring six touchdowns in a single game: Todd Hansen in 1988 and Ryan Fagan in 1998. HCHS senior Nick Foss has now done it twice in the last six games. Foss put forth another spectacular performance at Merrill Field Friday night, rushing for 283 yards on 26 carries and tying the school record he partially owns with six touchdown runs

 HARLAN -- On a warm, muggy morning to compete, AHSTW’s Dalton Fischer and Heidi Hall posted impressive top-three finishes Saturday while Harlan Community’s girls and boys teams both placed fourth in the annual Cyclone Cross Country Invite at the Harlan Golf and Country Club. Due to a rainout, HCHS was running in its first meet in 12 days but fared well overall as five individuals earned medals and 11 of 14 varsity runners finished in the top