Area children recently had the opportunity to see and hear from agricultural profes-sionals courtesy of Franklin County Farm Bureau.
Franklin County Farm Bu-reau throughout the end of February sponsored four Farm Story Time events at the Hampton Public Library, the Coulter Public Library and the Sheffield Public Library.

The Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce on Saturday celebrated individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to make the community a better place.
The Chamber hosted its annual Chamber Appreciation Night banquet. Themed “Game on, Franklin County,” the evening included six rounds of Family Feud, an auction for gift baskets and a festive fajita dinner.

A potential new service could bring regular, fresh produce to two Franklin County communities.
North Iowa Fresh has announced intentions to bring its Bounty Box Program to Hampton and Sheffield.
Currently serving communities and industries throughout the region, the Bounty Box Program provides scheduled deliveries of boxes full of locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

Author Melissa Roos hasn’t lived in Iowa in 25 years but her love for the state is still apparent in her new novel.
The Hampton native on March 1 celebrated the release of her first published book, “You Can Hide,” a work of fiction that combines romance and suspense.

A Hampton tradition will celebrate a decade next month with an evening full of music.
For the 10th year, the Franklin County Arts Council will present the Young Performing Artist Scholarship Benefit and Concert on Saturday, March 7 at Faith Baptist Church in Hampton.

An upcoming vote could al-low North Iowa Area Community College to add additional centers to bolster em-ployment needs in the area.
On March 3, polls will open for a 10 year, $15 million bond NIACC would use to develop a series of career technical centers throughout its coverage area and improve existing infrastructure on its Mason City main campus. The vote needs 60 percent approval to pass.

The plan for a new medical clinic in Latimer is nearly complete.
Franklin General Hospital CEO Kim Price said the new clinic is necessary to accommodate the current patients and welcome new ones, especially after the recent closing of the Dows clinic. He said while Latimer currently has a clinic, it is too small for staff to conduct their duties and the layout does not allow expansion or adequate renovations.

The celebrations of Hampton’s past, present and future have been announced.
The Hampton Historic Preservation Society and the Hampton 150th Committee last week announced events for Hampton’s Sesquicentennial celebration this summer. The slate of activities includes a few Hampton favorites as well as some specifically special to the 150th anniversary.

Afterschool snacks are a great reward for a hard day’s work, so a local program is showing students that treats can be nutritious and delicious.
Iowa State Extension Franklin County last week hosted its Pick a Better Snack program at CAL and Hampton-Dumont schools last week. Targeted at third graders, the monthly event allows students the opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables in hopes of encouraging healthier lifestyles.

Following the most successful year in school history, the Hampton-Dumont-CAL ProStart teams are getting cooking once again as contest season approaches.

A new name for a Hampton-based outreach organization reflects its mission to celebrate those who walk through its doors.

Formerly La Luz Hispana, La Luz Centro Cultural changed its name to encompass all the programs and services it offers.

A delicious dive into Franklin County’s cultural makeup returns later this month.
La Luz Centro Cultural on Tuesday, Feb. 25 will bring back Cultural Cooking Classes.
Each month, La Luz will invite an area resident to instruct “students” on how to make a dish from her respective country. The first class will be enchiladas, instructed by La Luz staffers Maria Guadiana and Lily Velasco.

Members of Mid-America Publishing got the chance to honor longtime publisher Jack Zimmerman of the Sheffield Press during a reception last Wednesday at the Hampton Chronicle.
Zimmerman was the recipient of a special plaque presented recently by the Iowa Newspaper Association in recognition of his 64 years in the profession.
History
How did it all begin for him in journalism?

“ I bug my teacher!” Is the theme for nearly 200 middle school students, as part of the 10th annual Kiwanis “BUGs” program. Fifth graders earned certificates and bugs buttons a recent assembly at hampton-dumont middle school.

Parents attending the Hampton-Dumont-CAL basketball game Friday learned that there’s more than meets the eye.
H-D-CAL and Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare on Friday, during the basketball games, hosted “Hidden in Plain Sight.” The program was a simulated teenage bedroom complete with items that resemble one thing, but may have uses harmful or illegal towards children.