A Latimer man was arrested Monday afternoon, July 21, by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office on allegations of sexual abuse against a teenage girl. Nicholas Franklin Passehl, 32, is facing three felony charges of second degree sexual abuse and a charge of unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon, a class D felony. According to criminal complaints filed by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Passehl's alleged victim was 13.

Hey readers, I’d like to preface by saying that in this week’s column, I aim to address the impact of international exchange, and how truly tiny such person-to-person ties can make this great green Earth.

The board members of the Hampton Youth Soccer League were disappointed to learn that the customized goals and nets they recently purchased have been damaged.
Earlier this year, the board raised $6,500 to purchase new goals and nets. Two out of the eight nets, which can be found at East Park, were damaged. The damaged nets were for sixth to eighth graders and third to fifth graders. Both nets now have large holes in them.

The team at the Extension and Outreach Office in Franklin County is proud to share that their community garden is now flourishing, thanks to their newly-installed fence.
They partnered up with Sergio Dominguez of Dominguez Remodeling, who finished up the fence earlier this month. Lili Velasco with the Extension Office said that they needed a way to safeguard the produce this summer, as much of it was eaten by deer last summer.

Hampton once again has a skateboard park, located where the Rolling Prairie Trail intersects with First Street NE. From the Aquatic Center, head north to the trail, turn right, and walk about two blocks — the skateboard park will be on your left.
 

Hampton Postmaster Mike Arndorfer shared his concerns about a dog bite during the public comment portion of the July 24 city council meeting.

The dog had bit one of his postal carriers on Wednesday afternoon, July 23, at 702 7th Avenue SW.

Chris and Stephanie Andersen with Barn Door Market are pleased with how their first market went. 
 
Held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds from Friday to Sunday, the three-day market featured a variety of vendors, selling everything from popcorn to keychains. In total, they hosted 86 vendors. 
 

The folks at the St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in Latimer have a couple of important birthdays coming up. Next month, they will celebrate 100 years of the school being open — and 130 years since the church first opened up.
 

A Hampton resident was killed after driving into a grain elevator in Dows around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, according to the Iowa State Patrol.
The driver, Ty Borcherding, 35, was alone at the time of the accident. Nobody else was injured.

Crisis Intervention Service Director Mary J. Ingham and her team hosted a resource forum at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, July 21.
Attendees learned about everything from preventative strategies and notification services to statewide victim assistance resources and other support for those impacted by violent crime. 

A Hampton man will learn his fate coming up after being found guilty of sexually abusing children at a daycare.

Benjamin Harold Green, 28, has been found guilty of abusing three children at various times from 2014 up to 2020 while working at a Hampton-area daycare.

He was charged with three Class “B” felonies, all for sexual abuse in the second degree, with each count theoretically carrying up to 25 years in prison.

The members of the North Central Iowa Model Railroad Club were excited to show off the new lighting for their model train at the Franklin County Fair this year. 

The 4H La Luz Familia Club has seen great growth since last year.
In fact, they've tripled in size. Last year they had around six members, and they're now up to 18.
The reason for the growth is in large part thanks to the parent participation. This year, they held a big meeting where parents asked any and all questions about 4-H. For many of them, 4-H is still a new concept, but one they were eager to learn about.

Abby Schoning, 17, of Sheffield was named the 2025 Franklin County Fair Queen Thursday evening, July 10.
Schoning, who will be a senior at West Fork High School in the fall, told the Chronicle that she is honored to be named this year's queen.
"This means a lot to me. I love the community and I love the people of Franklin County," she said. "I am so excited to get to serve Franklin County this year."

A special ceremony was held Wednesday morning, July 9 to celebrate the designation of Reeve REA Power Generating Plant as a National Historic Landmark.
Franklin County Historical Society President Jim Davies acted as the emcee, and a special appearance was made by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.