The curtain rose at the Windsor Theatre this weekend as the Franklin County Arts Council and the Franklin Players presented "Closed for the Holidays."
Directed by Nathan Pralle, assisted by Donna Speedy and Madonna Weiland, the community play portrayed an entanglement of storylines as the broad cast of characters gets trapped in a small town community center during a pre-Christmas snow storm.

The Hampton City Council discussed tourism and water supply during their regular meeting on Thursday, December 9.
At the meeting, the council approved the addition of Deanna Koenen, Ned Parker, and Scott DeBurg to the Franklin County Tourism Board, along with approving Katy Flint to serve as the Chair of the Board for the 2022 term.

Hanson & Sons Tire and Auto Service celebrated their recent opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Friday, December 3.
Based out of Clarion, Che and Lisa Hanson started looking at Hampton as a site to expand their auto repair business earlier this year. Opened for business on September 1, new Hampton location is the third location for the family business.

The holiday season kicked off in Hampton this weekend with back-to-back events bringing people to Hampton to enjoy the seasonal festivities.
On Friday, November 26, downtown businesses opened their doors to spread some holiday spirits with the return of Friday Uncorked.
After a year of pandemic hiatus, the wine walk returned for its 11th tour of downtown as 11 locations offered up samples of a variety of wines.

The Hampton-Dumont Community School Board retired old board members and welcomed new ones during their annual re-organizational meeting on Monday, November 22.

As families prepare for holiday gatherings and memories of 2020 begin to fade, it's important to remember that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over.
Going into the holiday season, the county has seen an uptick in new positive cases of the disease in recent weeks. In the last 14 days, as of Monday, there have been 110 new cases, with 57 in the last seven days. This brings the total number of active cases in the county to 165.

The Hampton Fire Department performed a controlled burn on a property at the corner of 2nd Ave NW and 3rd St NW on Monday evening. (Photos by Mike Husz and Travis Fischer)

The Hampton City Council discussed the industrial park and municipal airport during their regular meeting on Monday, November 22.
The meeting began with a report from FCDA Director Mary Amsbaugh, who updated the council about various economic development activities she has been working on for the last four months.

The Hampton-Dumont/CAL High School honored area veterans during their Veterans Day program on Thursday, November 11.
Opening with the National Anthem from the H-D/CAL High School Concert Band, the program was introduced by Isabelle Miller, followed by an explanation of the "Little White Table" and a history of Veterans Day from Sydney Buseman.

Friends and family of Drew Heuberger gathered at the Franklin County Convention Center on Saturday, November 13 to offer support to the family as he begins a series of treatments to battle a resurgence of cancer.
"We had such a great turnout," said Kim Hershey. "Everyone has been so supportive."

The holiday season is approaching fast and the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce is busy preparing for a slew of events.
On Friday, November 26, downtown Hampton will be open for Black Friday shoppers looking to avoid the rush with the Sleep In, Shop Late afternoon event.

The CAL Community School Board met for their regular meeting on Monday, November 8.

It was Election Day on Tuesday, November 2. People across Franklin County headed out to the polls for the off-year election.
"It went really well," said Franklin County Auditor Katy Flint. "We didn't have any issues."

The Hampton City Council discussed libraries, renovations, and leaf disposal during their regular meeting on Monday, November 8.
Normally Monday would be a workshop meeting, however the normal Thursday meetings have been pushed to Monday for the month of November due to the placement of Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving.

The Franklin Wellness Center has been approved for an Iowa Fitness Center Relief Grant on behalf of Franklin County R.A.C.E.
Administered by the Iowa Economic Authority, $30 million in funds in federal CARES Act money is being distributed to eligible fitness centers across the state.