A lifelong love of the outdoors led Thomas Rice to the Franklin County Conservation department.
Rice, who began service as the new naturalist/park ranger last month, said a career in conservation went hand-in-hand with his passion for hunting and fishing.

La Chozita Antojitos Mexicanos y Mariscos has a fresh new look to compliment its fresh, authentic offerings.
La Chozita last week celebrated a grand reopening to showcase improvements made to the restaurant, which occupies the former Breadeaux Pizza location, 24 First St. NW, in downtown Hampton.

For 50 years, people across the country lace up their shoes and walk alongside one an-other to end hunger.
Hampton on Sunday hosted the Franklin County CROP Walk - a three mile trek through the Hampton Cemetery and a food drive for the local food bank. The CROP Walk, started by George Sturgeon in Bismarck, North Dakota in 1969, raises food and money to help feed families that could otherwise not afford to eat.

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 will mark six years that local Hampton man, Ethan Kazmerzak, went missing. He would now be 28 years old. Local law enforcement authorities followed up on a few leads with no results.

Parts of the Landus Cooperative concrete elevator took a tumble last week as the demolition process on the structure began.
Crews began by preparing the top part of the structure for removal last Tuesday. On Wednesday, the top portion of the structure was removed and crews worked to clean up rubble on the ground below.

A throng of Franklin General Hospital employees on Thursday stepped together for a cause close to many hearts.
The hospital on Thursday hosted a Suicide Awareness and Prevention Walk where dozens of employees walked around the facility grounds. The walk was in conjunction with September’s dedication as Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month.

Saturday was a day to celebrate addiction recovery at Bandshell Park.
As part of National Recovery Month, the Celebrate Recovery program in Hampton organized a family friendly event.

The schedule of events for Saturday’s 2019 People in the Park Celebration, under the direction of the Sheffield Community Club, was a busy one.
The Sheffield Public Library Foundation held its annual free will donation omelet breakfast at the high school to begin the day.
There were vendors in City Park beginning at 10 a.m.
 

Hampton’s Long Term Medical Supply store has a new home not far away from its former location.
Last Friday, the store celebrated a ribbon cutting at its new location in the company’s corporate office at 115 Second Ave. NW. Previously, the store occupied a storefront across the street. The store officially opened in its new spot in early June.

Mornings start the right way at CAL.
In the last two years, the school has introduced morning activities to give students a choice how to spend time between arrival and the welcoming announcements.

More progress is being made relating to recycling options for residents of Keokuk County. According to Supervisor Chairman Mike Hadley, the Keokuk County Citizen’s Convenience Center will be reopening for regular hours on Wednesday, September 4th.
According to Hadley, regular hours, for the time being, will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.