This year’s meal packing event to benefit Meals from the Heartland had a different setting but the same community heart behind it.
The annual event, which challenges community members to package meals for the hungry throughout the world, was held at the Hampton-Dumont High School gymnasium this year. In year’s past, the event took place at Church of the Living Word.

The initial Bulldog Hall of Fame Class was recognized on Friday, Sept. 27 before the homecoming contest against Clear Lake.
Among those honored were:
• The 1926 Hampton Bulldog girls’ basketball team, which won the state championship with a 27-0 record. They out-scored their opponents 1,235-334 during the season.

Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg last Monday visited Buresh Building Systems in Hampton to see the company’s operation and talk workforce and business operation in Iowa.

Students last Thursday had a chance to see area law enforcement and emergency responders equipment and vehicles up-close and personal.

The Harriman-Nielsen Historic Farm was the perfect setting for a celebration of area food and culture.
Last Thursday, Healthy Harvest of North Iowa, Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Hampton-Dumont-CAL ProStart, La Chozita, Rustic Brew and Townsend Winery teamed up to present a Farm to Table dinner at Harriman-Nielsen.

The Dumont Community Library last Friday played home to history and a little humor.
Iowa-based authors Gail Kittleson and Lyn Vandebrake visited the library to sign and chat about their newest works.

Two weeks ago, the Hamp-ton-Dumont-CAL High School Volleyball team played in front of a live tele-vision audience for the first time in school history.

Another big step was taken over the past couple of weeks in terms of making the 17-mile bicycle trail from Hampton to Coulter more attractive and an important part of area recreational activities.
Franklin County Conservation Department Naturalist Ned Parker said the cooperation of several individuals and businesses helped to make the project successful.

Possible rezoning of a lot in Hampton stirred up a lengthy debate at the Hampton City Council’s regular meeting last Thursday.

Fundraising for a new playground in Latimer is underway.
A group of Latimer citizens is working to collect enough funding to build two new playground structures at Trail Side Park.
Dee Ann Arlow, a member of the improvement committee, said that the group wants to install the structures because of the condition of the current playground set up, which was built several decades ago.

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.