The amount of positive COVID-19 cases in Franklin County held steady through last week.
Last Monday, Franklin County Public Health announced the county had received confirmation of its seventh positive case. As of Monday, May 18, the case count remains at seven.
Five of the seven cases have reportedly recovered.

The Butler County Fair Board has announced that all non-youth related activities at the 2020 Butler County Fair have been canceled, including all grandstand events, commercial exhibits, the carnival, food vendors and on-grounds free entertainment. Hopes are that the 4-H and FFA shows will still be held.
The 164th Butler County Fair is scheduled for June 24-28.

Appreciation can be shown in many ways, even amid COVID-19 related restrictions, and CAL students recently proved that in spades.

Four Sheffield community churches came together on Tuesday, May 5 to offer a meal for area residents and raise funds for the local food bank.
Hamburgers grilled up by the Franklin County Cattlemen were served up to a line of cars that extended from First Grace Baptist Church all the way downtown as the community fundraiser sought to dish out 1,000 patties.

The lights of the Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School football field last Thursday night provided an illuminated end to a gloomy journey for the 2020 graduating class.
For 20 minutes and 20 seconds, the lights to the field were turned on while high school staff provided anecdotes and messages to seniors via KLMJ Radio. Students were invited to listen to the broadcast at the parking lot in their vehicles.

A road near the Harriman Nielsen Historic Farm property recently received an upgrade to ease frequent flooding issues.
Crews earlier in May worked to pave a previously gravel section of 10th Street NW and add an apron to the road to prevent wash outs. Hampton City Manager said due to a waterway that runs through the road, significant rainfalls would often cause the road to wash out, which would then create rough roads.

Golfing during the coronavirus pandemic remains one of the few things people who want to be active can do while maintaining a social/physical distance from others.
All of the area golf courses have kept a steady flow of business since the weather has turned nice, but with restrictions.

While on the golf course, Mark Drier notices something about his son, Jack, that recently saved Mark from further injury following an accident in the Driers’ home.

A Hampton-Dumont graduate’s influence on an Iowa middle school’s student body has earned national attention.
Tyler Stewart, a Hampton native and 2010 graduate, recently earned Warren E. Shull Middle School Adviser of the Year for his role as the student council adviser at Berg Middle School in Newton Iowa.

Franklin County 4-H wanted to do something to help our communities after learning about the increase demands on our local food pantries. Seeing an idea done in a neighboring county for a food drive as part of a “scoop the loop” event, Jackie Dohlman, Franklin County Extension and Outreach County Youth Coordinator, reached out to community leaders for help.

Hampton organizations and businesses responded to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ move to reopen a portion of Iowa’s industries last week.

A dry start to the planting season has given Angie Rieck-Hinz a sunny outlook on area crop production for this year.
According to the USDA report released last Monday, 54 percent of cornfields in North Central Iowa had been planted, with 9 percent soybeans in. Rieck-Hinz said that her personal observations later in the week show that number could be considerably higher, as farmers took advantage of dry, warm weather.

A freak accident changed the lives of Moose and Madonna Weiland and their miniature long coat dachshund Jojo forever, but showed how much fight can come in such a small package.
The day before Thanksgiving nearly five or six years ago, Jojo, now 10 years old, jumped off the Weiland’s bed in their Hampton home and let out a yelp. By noon the next day, Jojo could move, but her hind legs dragged behind her.

The Hampton Farmer’s Market has been given the green light to open later this month.

The cancellation of scheduled graduation ceremonies and other major school events is a sign of the times but Hampton banks have joined together to provide seniors with literal signs of support and encouragement.
First Bank Hampton, First Security Bank & Trust and United Bank and Trust Company teamed up to purchase congratulatory signs for the yards of graduating seniors at Hampton-Dumont-CAL and West Fork High Schools.