Area students pursuing a career in a technical field will receive a unique recognition later this month.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) will host a National Career and Technical Education Letter of Intent Signing Day at the Muse Norris Conference Center in Mason City beginning at 10 a.m.

The Hampton Chronicle claimed more than a dozen awards at the 2020 Iowa Newspaper Association Awards Banquet last Friday.
Each year, the INA hosts the Iowa Better Newspaper Contests ceremony to celebrate journalistic accomplishments from the previous year in connection with the annual Convention and Trade Show.

Lunchtime at CAL feels less like school and more like a restaurant thanks to some new furniture.

Russell Wood recently received an opportunity to further his involvement with people in the area who live with disabilities.
Wood, the Hampton mayor, was named the CEO of Central Iowa Community Services, an 11 county mental health and disabilities service region. Wood currently serves as planning officer with CICS and has been with the regional organization since its inception in 2013.

For two Hampton business owners, last Friday was a dream achieved.
Molly Bird, owner of the Memories by Molly photography studio and Brandi Freie, owner of Divine Impression, a massage therapy service, celebrated a ribbon cutting and grand opening of their businesses, which are both located in the former Long Term Medical Supply building.

When people think of the Franklin County Fair, two attractions often come to mind; handmade ice cream and machine demonstrations at Grandpa’s Farm.
A prominent face behind those two fair staples was James Jorgensen, or Jimmy, to those who knew him, who passed away late last year at the age of 87.

The first step in the 2020 Presidential Election procees drew voters across the county Monday night.
At the Republican Caucus, attendees received a surprise as they gathered in the media center at Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School prior to selecting their desired choice for President of the United States and several other state and local elections.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig looks at 2020 of a year of possibilities while admitting 2019 was a year of struggles for Iowans in the ag industry.
Addressing an audience of nearly 50 at First Bank Hampton's annual Agriculture Outlook Meeting last Friday, Naig touched on obstacles seen in 2019, which included historic flooding, a crippling propane shortage and uncertainty in foreign trade agreements.

HyVee Corporate last week announced intentions to open its Dollar Fresh store format in the former Shopko building, which has been vacant since 2019.

The slogan for Chris Andersen's company sums up the experience shoppers can expect to find at his new store in the Southbridge Mall in Mason City.

Saturday’s Coaches vs. Cancer events held in conjunction with the Hampton-Dumont-CAL vs. West Fork basketball games brought in over $6,500, according to Franklin County Relay For Life Chairman Sheri Bogue.
Proceeds from Saturday’s events will go toward the Franklin County Relay For Life, which will be held Friday evening, July 24 at the Hampton Band Shell Park.

Jill Biden, long time educator and advocate and wife of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden, visited Hampton last week to generate enthusiasm for Joe’s campaign ahead of the caucus.
Speaking to a crowded house at Rustic Brew, Biden conveyed why voters should consider Joe as they head to their respective caucus locations on Monday, February 3.

Love and family were at the center of a 25-plus year career that started out of a need for a job for Virginia Shatzer.
Shatzer last Thursday celebrated her retirement from Access, Inc. in Hampton, where she has worked for the last 26 years as a member of the support staff. She said she first came to Access out of necessity after losing her previous job.

The Hampton Historic Preservation Society and the Hampton 150th Committee last week gave Hamptonites a peek into the past.
The committees last Tuesday opened a time capsule that was curated and sealed during the city’s centennial celebration in 1970. Tuesday’s opening marked the beginning of Hampton’s sesquicentennial celebration, which will culminate in June this year.

Governor Kim Reynolds presented her administration's goals for the new decade when she delivered her third Condition of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Reynolds covered a wide range of topics over the course of her speech, but from tax rates to childcare to prison reform, improving opportunities for Iowa's workforce was the overarching theme of the governor's plans.