HARLAN -- Justin Schechinger has been honored as the 2021 Firefighter of the Year by the Harlan Fire Department.  He was presented the award during the department’s meeting on Monday, Feb.

    PERSIA -- Dorothy Hall of Persia will celebrate her 95th birthday on March 14. Her family is requesting a card shower in her honor.

    EARLING -- The family of Mary Ann Kramer is planninga card shower in honor of her 90th birthday on March 5.

 DENISON (Feb. 23) -- The third time was most definitely a charm for this year’s Harlan Community girls basketball team. For the first time since 2016, the Cyclones are heading back to the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena following Tuesday night’s hard-fought 52-43 Class 4A regional final victory over Denison-Schleswig. In the much-anticipated third matchup between top-10 teams, No.

 ELK HORN (Feb. 19) -- In a back and forth affair, the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton girls basketball team kept their undefeated season alive Friday night with a hard-fought 53-43 Class 1A regional semifinal win over Stanton. The 4th-ranked Spartans trailed by four points in the third quarter before turning up the defense in the fourth and outscoring the Viqueens 16-7.

    CARBONDALE, CA -- Richard C. Nelson, 84 passed away at his home in Carbondale, CO on Thursday, February 18, 2021.      Richard was born in Harlan, IA of parents Mabel and Moody Nelson. He is survived by his wife Barbara Ann Lucas Nelson, who he met at Harlan High School; children Lauri G. Nelson of San Francisco Bay Area, CA; Melisa B. (Ed) Gaudreau of Sacramento, CA; R.

    HARLAN -- La Jean Steinhoff of Harlan, passed away on February 26, 2021.  A private graveside burial will be held at a later date.    She is survived by a daughter Connie (Darwin) Campbell of Harlan;  a son Ricky Casper Steinhoff of Manilla; 2 Grandchildren, Travis and Angela; 5 Great-Grandchilren, Anna, Jasmine, Charlie, Elizabeth, and Devon.
 

    PANAMA -- Barbara Schleimer, 81, Panama, died February 27 at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan.    Services will be held Monday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s of the Assumption in Panama with burial in the St. Mary’s Cemetery at Panama.    A rosary will be held Sunday, March 7 at 6 p.m. at St. Mary’s Parish Center in Panama.  Visitation is Sunday from 3-8 p.m.

TENNANT -- Firefighters from the Harlan Fire Department and Shelby Fire and Rescue participated in a training burn Saturday, Feb. 27 in Tennant.  New firefighters got the chance to see what it’s like to battle a fire from inside the structure as well as from the outside.The building was donated for fire training.