COUNTY – A rare and powerful December storm raced across the Midwest Wednesday, Dec. 15, generating hurricane-force winds, dozens of tornados and significant damage in a swath from Kansas to Minnesota.    Shelby County was in the direct path of the low-pressure system, and multiple tornado warnings were issued for the area beginning about 4 p.m.

    OMAHA -- Kenneth Leonard Hoffmann, 78, Omaha, NE, formerly of Harlan, died Sunday, Dec. 12 in Bellevue, NE.    Services will be held Saturday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m.

    MINDEN -- Joseph Roman Zimmerman, 82, Minden, died December 9 at his home.    Services will be held Saturday, Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Neola with burial in the St. Boniface Cemetery in Westphalia.  A rosary will be held Friday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.

    GRISWOLD -- Lester Edwin Hass, 95, Griswold, formerly of Harlan, died Friday, Dec. 10 in Atlantic.    Services are pending at Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan.    Hass is survived by his daughter, Linda (Jim) Fisher of Dayton, TX; grandchildren Amber Roth, Mandy Edwards, Eric Edwards and Scott Edwards; other relatives and friends.

    AVOCA -- Larry Allen Engel, 76, Avoca, died December 4.    Engel is survived by s his wife Cheryl, his daughter Sheila (Ron) Zornes, his son Doug (Julie) Engel all of Avoca, IA. 5 Grandchildren – Stephanie (Neil) Poldberg, Dean Zornes, Dylan Zornes, Tayler (Josh) Engel, Dustin (Trenna) Engel. 6 great-grandkids.

    OAKLAND -- Ronald Newcomb, 80, Oakland, died December 8 at the Oakland Manor Nursing Home.    Services were held Saturday, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan.    There are no survivors.    Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan was in charge of arrangements. 

    WALNUT -- Howard Beaman, Jr., 88, Walnut, died December 9 at Myrtue Medical Center.    Services will be held Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan with burial in the Magnolia Cemetery in Magnolia.  Visitation is Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 6-8 p.m.

    DES MOINES – The IKM-Manning Winter Color Guard was crowned champions in Class I Color Guard competition Wednesday, Dec.

    COUNTY – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach continued its annual farm safety program series for local fifth-graders in 2021 with the goal of keeping the focus on protections while living and working on a farmstead.    Paulette Madson, Shelby County Ag and Natural Resources Program Coordinator, said the weekly resource offered the students the opportunity to read and do activities with videos about the weekly topic.    “They were