With spectators limited at Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School events, the students behind Bulldog TV relish the chance to bring live action to the community’s living rooms.

State Auditor Rob Sand virtually visited Franklin County last week as part of his 2020 variant on the Iowa 99 County Tour.
Arranging an open Zoom meeting on Wednesday, December 2, Sand visited with a handful of Franklin County residents about what his office has been doing this year.

Weather delayed the end to a months-long detour along Highway 65 but the roadway is now open.

The New Franklin General Hospital (FGH) – Latimer Clinic welcomed its first guests last week.
The new facility, located at the corner of Akir Street and Andrews Street, formally opened to the public last Monday, Nov. 23.
“We saw our first patients there yesterday, so we’re up and running,” said Kim Price, FGH CEO. “It’s exciting to make that transition.”

Amid the uncertainty of athletic seasons at Hampton-Dumont High School as the COVID-19 pandemic continues remains the athletes’ understanding of the importance of community support.

The views at Maynes Grove can now be enjoyed on a set of new benches.
The Franklin County Conservation Department earlier this month installed six new benches along the shores at the pond at Maynes Grove.
Ned Parker, Conservation Director, said the former wooden benches on site had begun to splinter and wear and were in need of replacement.

The most recently announced Franklin County Fair grandstand event promises a rip roaring good time.
The Franklin County Fair on Thursday, July 15, 2021 will present Dialed Action Sports, an extreme sports showcase.

Most of the students in the Hampton-Dumont High School Carpentry Fundamentals class can tie their interest in construction to their childhood.
For senior Michael Sosa, it’s memories of watching his father, a mechanic, work on vehicles and seeing construction progress on new hotels and buildings.

Michelle Giddings’ 32 years in the Franklin County Auditor’s Office prepared her for one of her toughest – and last – challenges.

A new round of COVID-19 related suggestions and recommendations passed down by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds last Monday have led to spectator restrictions at Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School events.
Per the Governor’s mandate, crowds at sporting events are limited to two spectators per athlete participating in the event.

The recently released certified enrollment numbers reflect a significant decline in students at Hampton-Dumont schools.
Certified enrollment, used to calculate funding for each district with the Iowa School Finance Formula, shows both the number of school eligible students living in a community and the amount of those students who attend that community’s school.

Weather watching in hopes of a snow day this year may not be the same for students at Hampton-Dumont and CAL schools.
The districts this year announced that classes will be conducted via distance learning should inclement weather prevent in-person learning.
Superintendent Todd Lettow said that the decision was made, in part, to not add to the interruptions already made the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fuzzy friends give CAL students lovable lessons in responsibility.
Earlier this year, three CAL classes welcomed guinea pigs to the classroom as a reward for meeting Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports (PBIS) goals. PBIS challenges students in a number of areas, including respect and responsibility, in order to make school a friendlier environment for staff and fellow students.

Speaking to a mostly online audience last Wednesday, Hampton-Dumont Superintendent Todd Lettow reflected on stories he was told as a child.
Stories such as his uncle’s service in Vietnam and his great uncle’s experience as a paratrooper, Lettow said, are why Veterans Day is an important holiday to not only those who served in the United States Military, but the friends and family members of those who battled at home and overseas.

After nearly two months of onsite learning, Hampton-Dumont and CAL schools will switch back to a hybrid model until further notice.
Last Friday, the districts announced the change from onsite learning to the hybrid model, which was used at the beginning of the school year for the first few weeks.