Even the smallest items hidden throughout Tony Russell’s family RV bring back fond memories of Franklin County Fairs of old.
For the past 12 years, Russell, a Hampton native, and his children have driven six hours from near Columbia, Missouri to Hampton for the Franklin County Fair. From Wednesday to Sunday, the family camps out of the trailer at the fairgrounds with a couple stays at Beeds Lake mixed in.

Another strong showing has asserted the Hampton-Dumont-CAL ProStart teams as power houses in the state of Iowa.

Franklin County Democrats received a special guest during their regular meeting at La Frontera on Tuesday, March 3.
Retired Vice-Admiral Michael Franken met with the group to ask their support in his bid for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Joni Ernst for her seat in the United States Senate.

Whether trying to master a song in a different language or overcoming stage fright, Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School students last Friday received some helpful pointers from high level professional vocalists.

It's been a grand decade for singing in Hampton.
On Saturday, March 7, musical enthusiasts from around Franklin County gathered at Faith Baptist Church for the Franklin County Arts Council's 10th annual Young Performing Artist Scholarship Benefit Concert.

The first of three meetings to discuss the proposed realignment of the West Fork School District attracted a large number of citizens to the High School Media Center last Monday night.
The present arrangement at the two campuses has preschool-first grade and grades 9-12 at the Sheffield campus and preschool and grades 2-8 at the Rockwell campus.

Before they headed to Des Moines for the Iowa State ProStart Invitational, the Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School ProStart team gave locals a taste of what’s on tap.
The ProStart students and Rustic Brew hosted a tasting menu night last Thursday. For $10, guests were able to sample the starter, main course and dessert.

La Luz Centro Cultural celebrated the return of its Cultural Cooking Class series with an authentic enchilada and salsa recipe last Tuesday.
Lilliana Velasco and Maria Guadia, both of La Luz, instructed the “students” on how to prepare the chicken, roast the vegetables for the salsa and assemble the enchiladas once all the components were ready.

Increased instances of influenza in the county have lead to visitor restrictions at Franklin General Hospital.
Michelle Hill, registered nurse with infection prevention, said the hospital at the beginning of the month implemented restrictions that do not allow visitors under the age of 14 or anyone with influenza-like symptoms.

Area children recently had the opportunity to see and hear from agricultural profes-sionals courtesy of Franklin County Farm Bureau.
Franklin County Farm Bu-reau throughout the end of February sponsored four Farm Story Time events at the Hampton Public Library, the Coulter Public Library and the Sheffield Public Library.

The Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday celebrated individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to make the community a better place.
The Chamber hosted its annual Chamber Appreciation Night banquet. Themed “Game on, Franklin County,” the evening included six rounds of Family Feud, an auction for gift baskets and a festive fajita dinner.

A potential new service could bring regular, fresh produce to two Franklin County communities.
North Iowa Fresh has announced intentions to bring its Bounty Box Program to Hampton and Sheffield.
Currently serving communities and industries throughout the region, the Bounty Box Program provides scheduled deliveries of boxes full of locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

Author Melissa Roos hasn’t lived in Iowa in 25 years but her love for the state is still apparent in her new novel.
The Hampton native on March 1 celebrated the release of her first published book, “You Can Hide,” a work of fiction that combines romance and suspense.

A Hampton tradition will celebrate a decade next month with an evening full of music.
For the 10th year, the Franklin County Arts Council will present the Young Performing Artist Scholarship Benefit and Concert on Saturday, March 7 at Faith Baptist Church in Hampton.

An upcoming vote could al-low North Iowa Area Community College to add additional centers to bolster em-ployment needs in the area.
On March 3, polls will open for a 10 year, $15 million bond NIACC would use to develop a series of career technical centers throughout its coverage area and improve existing infrastructure on its Mason City main campus. The vote needs 60 percent approval to pass.