HARLAN -- Dr.

    HARLAN -- Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees has given the go ahead to MMC administration to begin the process of interviewing and selecting architect and engineering firms for the next steps in completing the master facility plan.    In the next couple of months administration is expected to bring back to the board conceptual drawings/renderings with costs estimates and phasing of the project as well as design/bidding.Planning on mas

    AVOCA -- Don Lundergard of Avoca will celebrate his 90th birthday on May 22. His family is planning a card shower in his honor. Cards will reach him if sent to 1011 N. Poplar Drive, Avoca, IA 51521.    Don’s family includes his wife, Betty of Avoca; daughters Luanne Lundergard, Omaha; and Donna and Ron Peters, Tennant. He also has three grandchildren and their spouses as well as three great-grandchildren.

    HARLAN -- Lois J. Gordon, 73, Harlan, died May 1 at Myrtue Medical Center.    Services will be held Saturday, May 5 at 1 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.  Visitation is Saturday from noon-1 p.m.

    WALNUT -- Strong winds and heavy rain rolled through much of western Iowa and Shelby County Tuesday evening, May 1, dumping as much as three inches of rain, some small hail, and damaging winds in some areas.    Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert and Operations Officer Jason Wickizer responded to the area and verified nobody was injured or displaced.  Contact was made with the National Weather Service, and a preliminary damage rep

    HARLAN – Essentia Protein Solutions continues to work on reducing odor coming from its lagoons east of Harlan, a representative from the company said this week.    John Abell said with the guidance of the company’s environmental engineering group and chemical company, Essentia has started a chemical treatment process that should reduce odor emissions. 

    HARLAN – Harlan Community Schools will have five sections of kindergarten next year due to increasing numbers of students coming into the district in 2018-19, up from the current four sections.    The HCS Board of Education approved the hiring of Chelsy Petersen as a new kindergarten teacher.  The Harlan native and graduate of Harlan Community High School currently is teaching kindergarten at Missouri Valley.    HCS Superintendent of Schoo

    AVOCA – Darin Jones, currently the elementary principal at Montezuma CSD in Montezuma, has been named the new superintendent of schools at AHSTW, replacing Jesse Ulrich who has taken the superintendent’s position at Fort Dodge.    The AHSTW Board of Directors announced Jones’ hiring this week, and he will begin his duties officially on July 1.    The announcement comes following an interview process involving approximately 60 members of th

    COUNTY -- The Shelby County Plant Iowa Committee handed out trees to fifth-graders in Shelby County’s schools last week.     The committee said they are handing out hundreds of trees this year to the students.  The project has been ongoing for the past 35 years.