News

Hampton hosts classic car show

Published by editor on Thu, 09/02/2021 - 9:25am

A total of 122 classic cars lined the streets around Band Shell Park on Sunday, August 29 for the annual classic car show.

"We've got everything from motorcycles to Corvettes to original 1930 roadsters," said Jeff Spear, who organizes the show along with his wife, Tracy.

The show technically began on Friday with a car cruise, but the threat of rainy weather suppressed some of the turnout. By Sunday though, the weather had turned around dozens of car enthusiasts from across north Iowa, some even coming from as far as Minnesota, flocked to Hampton to show off their rides.

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Field of Dreams game was a dream come true for local fan

Published by editor on Wed, 08/25/2021 - 9:26am

On Thursday, August 12, when Kevin Costner and members of the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox walked out of a cornfield near Dyersville, Iowa, almost six million people were watching on TV. Most of us probably got chills to see the iconic scene from the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” re-created in real-life. For those lucky few at the baseball game, the scene was even more powerful. Joe Nelson, one of those spectators, called the event the best baseball experience of his life.

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Area marathon runner travels every mile of road in the county

Published by editor on Wed, 08/25/2021 - 9:24am

Lots of people can say they've been all around Franklin County, but very few have ever done so to the extent that Joshua Einspahr has.

An avid runner, Einspahr has spent the last year running on every stretch of road in the county. From the highways to the gravel roads to every street in every town, Einspahr has treaded 1,142 miles of Franklin County roads since last July.

"Some of those roads have probably never been ran," said Einspahr.

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Hampton Council discusses digital speed signs, parking ordinances, and lawn citation policy

Published by editor on Wed, 08/25/2021 - 9:21am

With two council members absent, the Hampton City Council managed a quorum for their workshop on Monday, August 23 with members Steve Birdsall, Patrick Palmer, and Bill Hodge present while Dick Lukensmeyer and Mayor Russell Wood participated virtually.

At the meeting, Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Director Newt Grotzinger was present to ask the council if the chamber could reserve some parking space outside of Center 1 over the weekend to host the Iowa History 101 mobile museum.

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River City Chorus visits Hampton

Published by editor on Wed, 08/18/2021 - 3:00pm

Hampton was a little bit more musical on Monday, August 16 as the River City Chorus gathered in town for an evening of song.

"We're getting out and finally starting to get moving again," said Stan Zinnell, one of the group's members.

A chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the River City Chorus is a group of vocal enthusiasts that enjoy gathering together to perform various classic tunes. From taking turns to sing in a Barbershop Quartet or coming together for a full on chorus, the informal group has spent their free nights traveling the area to sing for decades.

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Historic photos on display in Latimer

Published by editor on Wed, 08/18/2021 - 2:59pm

A new attraction in downtown Latimer is keeping the past alive.

The Latimer Development Committee has turned an unused patch of land on Main Street into a small park where people can enjoy a look at the community's history.

From the vintage point of the newly installed bench, visitors can enjoy a small gallery of historic photos presented on the exterior wall of the Farm Bureau Office building.

"I looked at this and said we need to do something," said Wayne Pralle. "I wanted to do something to make the area look nicer."

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Latimer discusses park rules

Published by editor on Wed, 08/18/2021 - 2:58pm

The Latimer City Council met on Wednesday, August 11 for their regular meeting at the Latimer Community Center.

At the meeting, it was noted that election papers will soon need to be filed for the upcoming election. Mayor Mark Johansen and council members Catherine Crooks and Eric Bruns will be up for re-election this year.

Looking to keep the town clean, the council discussed local businesses that need to get their weeds under control. They also brought up introducing a littering ordinance, particularly in regard to the city park.

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H-D board talks about masks and weight room policy

Published by editor on Wed, 08/18/2021 - 2:57pm

The Hampton-Dumont community school board discussed mask policy, alternative school locations, weight room use, and open enrollment transportation during their regular meeting on Monday, August 16.

With the school year approaching, the board held a brief discussion about mask policy on school busses as COVID-19 continues to be a concern.

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Hampton ends licensing requirements for bicycles, plumbers, and cats

Published by editor on Wed, 08/18/2021 - 2:56pm

The Hampton City Council awarded Ryan and Kelsey Card with the August 2021 Image of Pride award during their regular meeting on Thursday, August 12.

The Cards are the owners of God Fuel, a new café located at 703 Central Ave. W. Starting up the new shop involved repurposing an old auto service station into a café.

"They've done a lot of work to the old station there," said council member Bill Hodge, who nominated them for the award.

The Cards were not able to attend the meeting, but were happy to be recognized for their work in renovating their building.

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Morton wins Junior Olympics Shot Put Championship

Published by editor on Wed, 08/11/2021 - 10:03am

As the Olympic games come to a close in Tokyo, Franklin County has their own champion among them.

Charlee Morton returned home victorious last week after competing in the United States Track and Field Junior Olympics in Jacksonville, Florida, winning the 13-14 year-old girls shot put contest.

"I was pretty excited," said Morton.

The road to Jacksonville began with a qualifying meet in Ames earlier this summer, followed by a regional meet in Omaha, Nebraska where Morton took second place with a throw of 12.91 meters.