Carlo Montorsi’s trip from Hampton back to Italy towards the end of March quickly put into perspective how dire the situation in his home country had gotten.

A celebration of Hampton’s past, present and future won’t happen as initially planned but a party will happen eventually.
The Hampton Historical Preservation Society and the Hampton 150th Committee last week announced that Hampton’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, scheduled for June 5 through June 9, has been postponed.

The phrase “Bulldog Strong” has become a rallying cry for staff and students at Hampton-Dumont-CAL schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures.
The phrase symbolizes the strength of the communities within the H-D-CAL district and reminds people that the district is a united family. Now, that phrase has been brought to life thanks to the hands of several district staff members.

Bare ground left by the removal of oak trees at Harriman Park due to the Bur Oak Blight outbreak will soon have shade once again.
The Hampton Tree Board, the Hampton Rotary Club and the Hampton Lions Club celebrated Arbor Day last Friday by teaming up to plant 13 trees near the playground at Harriman Park.

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A second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Franklin County. Franklin County Public Health on Friday afternoon issued a release stating Public Health and the Iowa Department of Public Health identified one additional case in the county. The individual is self-isolating at home. No further information regarding the individual has been released.
The first case was confirmed on Sunday, April 5.

Hampton-Dumont and CAL Superintendent Todd Lettow said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision last week to close schools for the remainder of the school year brought a striking realization for staff.
“We really feel bad for the kids,” he said. “It would’ve been nice to be able to see kids before they left for the summer but that’s not reality right now.”

Hampton Police Chief Robert Schaefer and the department have approached the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic with a sense of stern understanding.
With new regulations in place regarding gathering sizes (no more than 10 people) and business operations, Schaefer said officers are on the lookout for people who may need a reminder of the rules.

Hamptonites showed signs of love throughout the town last week.
Last week’s window art challenge encouraged residents to put heart decorations in windows to show the love and support for one another.
This was the fourth such challenge. Others included stuff bears and animals, Easter Eggs and rainbows. (Kristi Nixon)
 

When Gov. Reynolds initially requested that schools close for four weeks, the Board of Education and teachers at St. Paul’s Lutheran School agreed to comply with the directive, but they also didn’t want the students to settle for just reviewing material that had been taught so far during the year. A plan was immediately put into place so that there would not be an interruption to the learning.

This year’s winter thaw brought a new sense of optimism for the Franklin County Secondary Roads Department.

The day-to-day uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually all businesses across the area, especially the food service industry.
Several Hampton restaurants have remained open, offering carry-out and delivery services but each day comes with a different outlook.

Signs of the Easter Bunny popped up all throughout Hampton last week.
Colorful eggs and other Easter decorations graced win-dows, porches and trees across town, in celebration of Easter amid the social distancing measures presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citizens were encouraged to leave the festive splashes around town to give passersby a sense of the Easter spirit in the form of an Easter egg hunt.

New rules and regulations have emerged amid the COVID-19 outbreak, but Hampton Christian Daycare Director Robyn Kofoot said the children have taken major adjustments in stride.
“Kids are flexible and resilient,” she said. “They’ve done a great job of going with the flow on this.”

Iowa is one of the top states in the United States for Census 2020 response rate but Franklin County citizens are asked to increase their participation.
According to information released by the Census Bureau, Iowa’s 53.6 percent response rate is tied for fourth best in the United States with Nebraska. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan take the top three spots, respectively.