HARLAN -- The Harlan City Council passed a fireworks ordinance Wednesday morning, May 31 relating to the sales and display of fireworks within the city limits of Harlan.    The ordinance amends current city ordinance that previously prohibited sales or display of fireworks in the city.  The ordinance was passed to allow for sales and display in Harlan at certain times due to state legislation passed this year that legalized fireworks.    A cop

    HARLAN -- As an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Dick “Slider” Gilmore has been mistaken for Jesus, the devil, a mental patient, a doctor and the cowardly lion from “The Wizard of Oz.”    Yet before this training, and the 20 years of experience that would follow his EMT training, Gilmore would come upon an accident that would change his life.    The accident, a head-on collision involving a semi, was fatal.

    PANAMA -- Debra Malcom and Jeremy Wittrock both of Audubon exchanged marriage vows on March 25, 2017 at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Panama. Father David Smith performed the 3 p.m. double ring ceremony.    Parents of the bride are Tim and Kristie Malcom, Irwin; and Jennifer Malcom and Rich Wolf, Omaha. Parents of the groom are Darv and Lana Wittrock, Audubon.

    PORTSMOUTH -- Jean Marie Schechinger, 90, Portsmouth, died June 3 at Montclair Nursing and Rehabilitation.    Services will be held Saturday, June 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary Our Lady of Fatima Church in Portsmouth with burial in the St. Mary’s Cemetery at Portsmouth.  A rosary will be held Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.  Visitation is Friday, June 9 from 5-8 p.m.

    HARLAN -- Debra Elizabeth Brown, 51, Harlan, died June 2 at her home.    A Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, June 6 from 2-5 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.    Brown is survived by her husband, Steven Brown, of Harlan; daughters Emily Brown of Iowa City, Sarah (Andrew) Barksdale of Lincoln, NE and Kate Brown of Harlan; and granddaughter Elaina Barksdale of Lincoln.
 

    DENISON -- Loel J. Koch, 93, Denison, formerly of Boyer, died June 1 at Eventide Lutheran Home for the Aged.    Services were held Monday, June 5 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kiron with burial in the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery at Kiron.

    IRWIN -- Helen Schleimer, 82, Irwin, died June 2 at Myrtue Medical Center.    Services will be held Tuesday, June 6 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manilla with burial at a later date at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Manilla.  Visitation was Monday, June 5 from 4-8 p.m. with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.    Schleimer is survived by son Donald R.

EARLING -- Joseph P. Bock, 88, Earling, formerly of Westphalia, died Wednesday, May 31 in Earling.    Services will be held Saturday, June 3 at 2 p.m. at Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery in Westphalia.  Friends may call Saturday from 1-2 p.m.

    REGIONAL -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton (Exira-EHK) Community School Board approved early last week sharing a superintendent with the IKM Manning School District.    “We signed a one-year sharing agreement to see how it goes,” said Exira-EHK Superintendent Trevor Miller.    The share could bring significant financial benefits to both communities’ schools, as it would help both districts with state operational sharing dollars.    Over the