Brian Butt this month has seen first hand the strength of rural communities when a neighbor is in need.
Brian’s brother, Jerry, who is a farmer in rural Dows, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive, fast-growing terminal brain tumor, on Sept. 17. The diagnosis came after the discovery of a tumor on the left side of Jerry’s brain on Sept. 9 and six hours of surgery on Sept. 15 to remove the tumor.

A new online event combines a celebration of the area’s diversity and cooking in one virtual room.
This weekend, the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, along with La Luz Centro Cultural, will host the Fiesta FUNdraiser, a cooking class to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month while raising money to help with legal fees for local Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Dreamers.

Recess at CAL is now a little more fun – and safer – for students.
The school recently celebrated the installation of new equipment and pea gravel on the playground, which replaced the wooden equipment and wood chips, respectively.
Rotting railroad ties surrounding the playground were also replaced with a brick retaining wall.

The Hampton Tree Board and Franklin County Conservation over the last two weeks have worked to plant new trees before the end of the season.
Earlier in the month, the two organizations planted 15 trees at the Franklin County Law Enforcement Center for a windbreak.
The 15 trees were a mixture of Norway and white spruce trees, which were purchased by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The stage at the Windsor Theater has been home to live performances and events of all shapes and sizes in its 100-plus year history but this week, it proves old dogs can learn new tricks.
On Thursday, for the first time ever, the Windsor Theatre will serve as the location for jury selection for the District 2 Judicial Court.

Permits to operate UTVs within Hampton city limits are now available for purchase.
Last month, the City of Hampton approved the use of UTVs on all city streets except for Highways 3 and 65 through town. One requirement for UTV use was a permit issued by the Hampton Police Department, which are now available.

Local and state emergency management officials are continuing to investigate a home explosion near Thornton last Saturday that killed one person and severely injured another.
Franklin County Emergency Management in a release said dispatch received reports of a house explosion at 598 250th St., Thornton approximately five miles south of Thornton at 3:38 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Homecoming week formally began for Hampton-Dumont-CAL students Sunday with a slew of activities. At the heart of the celebration Sunday was the coronation of this year’s Homecoming King and Queen, which went to Kale Folkerts and Hope Baltes, respectively.

A sunny, crisp day provided a perfect backdrop for the modified Harriman-Nielsen Fall Festival at the Harriman-Nielsen Historic Farm Sunday.
Due to ongoing concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harriman-Nielsen board elected to cut down on the activities offered at this year’s festival.

After a summer of detours, one bridge in Hampton is finally open to local traffic. Though the barricades haven’t been completely removed, as the road isn’t yet entirely open to thru traffic, the south bridge on Highway 65 is cleared and ready to drive across.
It is the first of several road projects to be complete on Highway 65 this summer.

A woman was killed and another individual was injured in a house explosion near Thornton on Saturday afternoon. ​
Franklin County Emergency Management in a release Monday said Franklin County dispatch received several reports of a house explosion at 598 250th St. near Thornton at 3:38 p.m. Saturday.

As the election nears, political party representatives and law enforcement officials urge individuals to respect other’s right to express their political viewpoints.

Twenty years of law experience and a desire to help her home community have led Gina Jorgensen to open a new law office in Hampton.

Hints of fall have begun to pop up around the area’s natural sites.
Trees throughout the community are starting to show changing colors, signaling the beginning of fall color viewing season.
“There are a few species of trees that will start turning colors in the next week or two,” said Franklin County Conservation Director Ned Parker. “The peak will be the end of the month (September) through mid-October.”

An afterschool program for students is expanding to a neighboring school district.
Youth For Christ Central Iowa recently announced that its Campus Life programs, which provide activities and ministry to middle school and high school students, will soon be available to the West Fork communities.