News

Maas named to state student council

Published by editor on Wed, 04/20/2022 - 8:50am

H-D student Lydia Maas has entered higher office. The Sophomore Class President has been named Vice-President Elect to the Iowa Association of Student Council, a board that oversees student councils in different districts across the state.

"They do a lot of incredible things for us," said Maas.

Now a member of the board, Maas will be meeting regularly with her cohorts in virtual group chats along with attending in-person meetings in Des Moines every two or three months, working with her fellow officers and adult advisors to provide feedback on policies and programs.

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H-D approves 2022-23 budget

Published by editor on Wed, 04/20/2022 - 8:48am

The Hampton-Dumont Community School Board approved the 2022-23 budget and signed on a new principal during their regular meeting on Wednesday, April 13.

The meeting began with back-to-back public hearings for the 2022-23 budget and amendment to the 2021-22 budget. With no public comments, the hearings were closed and the meeting continued.

Both the budget and budget amendment were approved during the meeting. The 2022-23 budget will amount to $24,399,558 with a proposed property tax levy of 14.70621.

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Hampton encourages city clean-up

Published by editor on Wed, 04/20/2022 - 8:45am

The Hampton City Council talked street closures, stop signs, and road work during their regular meeting on Thursday, April 14.

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Chamber of Commerce welcomes new director

Published by editor on Wed, 04/20/2022 - 8:40am

The Franklin County Area Chamber of Commerce has a new Executive Director.

Bill Hittle is taking over the position from retiring director Newton Grotzinger and has spent the last week learning the ins and outs of Franklin County's business community.

"I think he's going to do a wonderful job for Hampton and the community," said Grotzinger. "He works well with others. You can tell he has experience with management."

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Grassley primary challenger visits Hampton

Published by editor on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 10:59am

A GOP contender for the United States Senate visited Hampton last week for a meeting with local Republicans.

Iowa State Senator Jim Carlin is challenging incumbent Senator Charles Grassley in the upcoming June 7 primary for the Republican nomination. On Thursday, April 7, he stopped by Rustic Brew to introduce himself to area conservatives and seek their support in his primary challenge.

A stringently right-wing Republican, Carlin says that he felt compelled to challenge Iowa's long-serving senator after he certified President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

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Pre-school sets up new play area

Published by editor on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 10:49am

Wee One's Christian Pre-School has some new equipment for kids to play on.

"We are very excited," said pre-school director Mary Mollenbeck.

The new play set from Backyard Adventures includes four swings, two slides, a fort, a play kitchen, and a plank. It was originally scheduled to be installed last week, however inclement weather forced a delay, much to the chagrin of the students, who asked their teachers daily when the new equipment would be ready.

With warm weather at last, assembly finally began on Monday.

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Alliant weighs in on wind farm ordinance

Published by editor on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 10:03am

The Franklin County Board of Supervisors continued their work on developing a new wind farm ordinance for the county during their regular board meeting on Monday, April 11.

Last week, the supervisors held a public hearing for one version of the proposed ordinance, but decided to go back to the drawing board following its first reading in order to make adjustments after receiving public feedback.

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ProStart raises funds for DC trip

Published by editor on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 10:01am

The H-D/CAL ProStart team held a waffle fundraiser at Rustic Brew on Saturday, April 9.

Serving up gourmet waffles across two shifts, the group is raising money to fund their upcoming trip to Washington D.C. where they will compete in the National ProStart Invitational.

"It's been pretty good. We had a great turnout," said Lauren Kurth. "We're all super excited to go to DC. We can't wait."

The ProStart team will fly out on May 4, but before then they'll have other fundraisers, including a dinner at the high school on April 20 and a grill out at Fareway on April 29.

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What makes a mayor?

Published by editor on Wed, 04/06/2022 - 10:39am

The City of Hampton is searching for a new mayor. Candidates are being sought to finish out Mayor Russell Wood's term as he will be resigning from office effective April 30.

So what does a mayor in Hampton do?

"The Mayor is the face of the community and provides leadership," said City Administrator Ron Dunt.

Like most cities of similar size, much of Hampton's day-to-day operations are managed by a city administrator. The mayor doesn't have office hours to conduct regular business, though they may be needed during emergencies.