HARLAN -- Dr. Don Klitgaard, 53, Harlan, died November 8 at his home.    Services will be held Monday, Nov. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Visitation will be held Sunday, Nov. 14 from 3-8 p.m. at the C.G. Therkildsen Center in Harlan.    Klitgaard is survived by his wife, Laurel Klitgaard, of Harlan; daughter Ellen (J.W.) Whitehorn of St.

    LAVISTA, NE -- James Kohles, 93, LaVista, NE, died November 5.    Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling with burial in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Earling.  A rosary will be held Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at the church.  Visitation is Friday from 5-8 p.m.

    AVOCA -- Carol Doris Gubbels, 74, Avoca, died November 8 at her home.    Services will be held Friday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Avoca with burial in the St. Mary’s Cemetery at Portsmouth at a later date.  A rosary was held Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Avoca.  Family greeted friends Thursday from 5-7 p.m.

    FARRAGUT -- Mark Lund, 70, Farragut, formerly of Harlan, died Friday, Oct. 29 at UNMC in Omaha, NE.    The Lund family will be having a graveside memorial service, open to all, on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. at the Blair Cemetery.

    ELK HORN -- Joanne Potts, 94, Elk Horn, died Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the Salem Lutheran Homes in Elk Horn.    Services were held Saturday, Nov. 6 at 11 a.m.

    HARLAN -- Shelby County State Bank (SCSB), headquartered in Harlan, and First State Bank (FSB), based in Ida Grove, jointly announced today that they have signed a merger agreement, with SCSB acquiring all of FSB’s locations, once the banks receive regulatory approval later this year.

    HARLAN – Each year since 2005, members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #941 have hosted the Harlan community’s Veteran’s Breakfast.    The event is intended to bring about awareness, provide outreach and raise funds for annual undertakings.    VFW officials said much like many events over the past 18 months last year’s event was cancelled, but this year’s event will be held as scheduled on Sunday, Nov.

By Bob Bjoin, Editor    COUNTY – The Tuesday, Nov. 2 city/school election saw a number of positions determined by write-in vote, especially in the smaller communities throughout the county.    Shelby County Auditor Mark Maxwell said one race for council in Earling saw a tie with both Jeff Fah and Joey Muenchrath receiving two votes for a third open position on the council.  The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, Nov.

    HARLAN – The Harlan City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Nov. 16 on a proposal to sell the north portion of the building at 1901 Hawkeye Ave.