The first step in the 2020 Presidential Election procees drew voters across the county Monday night.
At the Republican Caucus, attendees received a surprise as they gathered in the media center at Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School prior to selecting their desired choice for President of the United States and several other state and local elections.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig looks at 2020 of a year of possibilities while admitting 2019 was a year of struggles for Iowans in the ag industry.
Addressing an audience of nearly 50 at First Bank Hampton's annual Agriculture Outlook Meeting last Friday, Naig touched on obstacles seen in 2019, which included historic flooding, a crippling propane shortage and uncertainty in foreign trade agreements.

HyVee Corporate last week announced intentions to open its Dollar Fresh store format in the former Shopko building, which has been vacant since 2019.

The slogan for Chris Andersen's company sums up the experience shoppers can expect to find at his new store in the Southbridge Mall in Mason City.

Saturday’s Coaches vs. Cancer events held in conjunction with the Hampton-Dumont-CAL vs. West Fork basketball games brought in over $6,500, according to Franklin County Relay For Life Chairman Sheri Bogue.
Proceeds from Saturday’s events will go toward the Franklin County Relay For Life, which will be held Friday evening, July 24 at the Hampton Band Shell Park.

Jill Biden, long time educator and advocate and wife of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden, visited Hampton last week to generate enthusiasm for Joe’s campaign ahead of the caucus.
Speaking to a crowded house at Rustic Brew, Biden conveyed why voters should consider Joe as they head to their respective caucus locations on Monday, February 3.

Love and family were at the center of a 25-plus year career that started out of a need for a job for Virginia Shatzer.
Shatzer last Thursday celebrated her retirement from Access, Inc. in Hampton, where she has worked for the last 26 years as a member of the support staff. She said she first came to Access out of necessity after losing her previous job.

The Hampton Historic Preservation Society and the Hampton 150th Committee last week gave Hamptonites a peek into the past.
The committees last Tuesday opened a time capsule that was curated and sealed during the city’s centennial celebration in 1970. Tuesday’s opening marked the beginning of Hampton’s sesquicentennial celebration, which will culminate in June this year.

Governor Kim Reynolds presented her administration's goals for the new decade when she delivered her third Condition of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Reynolds covered a wide range of topics over the course of her speech, but from tax rates to childcare to prison reform, improving opportunities for Iowa's workforce was the overarching theme of the governor's plans.

Nearly 100 Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School students on Monday gave the public a peek at Large Group Speech contest pieces for the 2020 season.
The speech team hosted a Large Group Speech Preview Night at the Windsor Theater Monday evening. The event gave the students a chance to perform pieces in their entirety or snippets of longer selections in front of a live audience.

Although the snow stopped falling early Saturday morning, complications from the most recent winter storm persisted throughout the weekend.
Franklin County Sheriff Aaron Dodd on Monday said that the sheriff’s office responded to very few weather-related calls as the snow fell Friday afternoon and into the evening. However, once the snow ceased on Saturday, requests for help flooded into dispatch

Quiet weeknight streets and an intimate setting were fit-ting for the purpose of Congressional District 4 candidate J.D. Scholten’s stop in Latimer.
The Sioux City-based Democrat, who narrowly lost to incumbent Congressman Steve King in the 2018 General Election, visited the Latimer Community Center as part of his “Don’t Forget About Us” tour through District 4.

Legislative adjustments have led to changes in the filing period for county elections in Iowa.
Under new guidelines, candidates for county seats must file for both the Primary and General elections in approximately the same period.

The West Fork School in Rockwell has welcomed a new member to its staff.
This staff member has four legs.
Maev, a Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever/Poodle) is a therapy dog under the care of Special Education Instructor Lindsay Barnhart.
“Maev is seven months old and is still growing,” Barnhart said. “She’s an intelligent dog, good natured and hypoallergenic.“

Coming off their back-to-back state titles, the West Fork Dance Team is taking their routines to the national level. The team will be competing at the DX AmeriCup Competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this weekend. The Competition will be held Friday through Sunday at the Minneapolis Hilton Downtown.