HARLAN -- The Harlan Community football team is hoping that history is about to repeat itself. Two years ago, HCHS bounced back from its first losing season in 49 years to win a district title and finish 8-2 overall. Following another down year in 2016 - 4-5 overall, 3-4 in District 7, no playoffs - the Cyclones might very well be poised for another nice turnaround this fall. Returning 24 lettermen and 19 seniors among its 61-player varsity r

 HARLAN -- Despite their 4-5 record last season, the Harlan Community Cyclone football team had one of the most prolific offenses in all of Class 3-A. HCHS averaged 242 yards passing per game and 194 on the ground, scoring at least 32 points in seven of nine games and averaging just under 38. The good news is that many of the key cogs from that group are back in 2017. Senior quarterback Deren Schmitz passed for 1,875 yards and ran for 323 in h

 HARLAN -- The question really isn’t whether Harlan Community’s defense will be better in 2017. The real query is how much better? The answers might vary depending on who you ask, but second-year defensive coordinator John Murtaugh is optimistic that the overall improvement on ‘D’ will show up early and often. Just to review, last year’s Cyclone defense allowed 38.6 points and 449 yards per game, surrendering 70 points vs.

    KIMBALLTON -- Liane Christensen, 94, formerly of Kimballton, died August 24 at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn.    Services will be held Saturday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m.

    HARLAN -- Ronnie L. Powers, 72, Harlan, died August 25 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.    Services will be held Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Avoca with burial in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Hancock.  Family will greet friends Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 5-8 p.m.

    HARLAN -- Richard Ferry, 80, Harlan, died August 24 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.    Services were held Monday, Aug. 28 at 11 a.m.

HARLAN -- Kelli Klaassen of Harlan was appointed as a new member of the Myrtue Medical Center Board of Trustees at the August board meeting.    Klaassen was appointed and voted in to fill the position on the board which was open following Larry Miller’s resignation.

REGIONAL -- The Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team serves residents in emergencies ranging from house fires to hazardous weather.    For Tom Schulte, the leader for the team here in Shelby County, it used to be kind of scary. It isn’t anymore. 

COUNTY -- As I sit here at my desk in Harlan on my last day, I know that when I leave it won’t be the same.    As soon as I walk out the door of this office on this Friday evening - that’s it - at least for the foreseeable future.  There will be no groggy Monday morning greetings, no snicker bars shared with my co-workers and no joking around with the men back in the press room.    To say it has been a blast would be an understatement.  To say