Although the snow stopped falling early Saturday morning, complications from the most recent winter storm persisted throughout the weekend.
Franklin County Sheriff Aaron Dodd on Monday said that the sheriff’s office responded to very few weather-related calls as the snow fell Friday afternoon and into the evening. However, once the snow ceased on Saturday, requests for help flooded into dispatch

Quiet weeknight streets and an intimate setting were fit-ting for the purpose of Congressional District 4 candidate J.D. Scholten’s stop in Latimer.
The Sioux City-based Democrat, who narrowly lost to incumbent Congressman Steve King in the 2018 General Election, visited the Latimer Community Center as part of his “Don’t Forget About Us” tour through District 4.

Legislative adjustments have led to changes in the filing period for county elections in Iowa.
Under new guidelines, candidates for county seats must file for both the Primary and General elections in approximately the same period.

The West Fork School in Rockwell has welcomed a new member to its staff.
This staff member has four legs.
Maev, a Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever/Poodle) is a therapy dog under the care of Special Education Instructor Lindsay Barnhart.
“Maev is seven months old and is still growing,” Barnhart said. “She’s an intelligent dog, good natured and hypoallergenic.“

Coming off their back-to-back state titles, the West Fork Dance Team is taking their routines to the national level. The team will be competing at the DX AmeriCup Competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this weekend. The Competition will be held Friday through Sunday at the Minneapolis Hilton Downtown.

A full menu of favorite food will now greet bowlers after a day of fun at Community Bowl Bar and Grill in Dumont.
At the end of December, Community Bar and Grill opened a full-service restaurant connected to the existing bowling alley.

The New Year brings a new sense of anticipation for community leaders.
While city governments operate on a fiscal scale, from July to the end of June the following year, officials still welcome the turn of the calendar as a chance to restart and refocus.

An area businesswoman has thrown her hat in the ring for the Iowa House District 54 election in November.
Shannon Latham, a Republican from Sheffield and Vice President of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, announced last week that she will run for the position currently held by Linda Upmeyer, who will not seek reelection.

Clear Lake City Councilman Bennett Smith has announced his candidacy for the Iowa Legislature. This fall he will run as an Independent candidate for the House District 54 seat being vacated by Linda Upmeyer.
“I want to offer my thanks to Speaker Linda Upmeyer for her service in the Iowa legislature representing North Iowa and wish her well with her future endeavors,” said Smith in a prepared statement.

As she readied for Thanksgiving festivities on Nov. 27, rural Hampton resident Martha Elaine Wallace received the first of two phone calls that would eventually bring closure to her and her family.

Presidential hopeful Tom Steyer met with potential supporters in Hampton on Saturday, January 4 for a meet-and-greet at Rustic Brew.
Though delayed by poor roads, Steyer was met by a packed room of locals interested in asking questions of the candidate and seeing what he has to say about the issues of the day.

With the 2020 Iowa Legislative session beginning next week, two area representatives took time Saturday to sound off on issues they anticipate seeing in the coming months.

The West Fork Middle School seventh grade social studies class staged its annual Festival of Nations Friday morning in the school’s north gym.
Instructor Terri Anderson said that 58 students took part in the program.

The Hampton City Council held their last meeting of the year on Monday, December 23 at City Hall.
At the meeting, the council looked forward to the New Year. In particular, how the city will fill the various volunteer boards and commissions in the New Year.

A new business is ready to open downtown to offer Hampton shoppers a wide array of clothing, decorations and more.
On January 4, Sara Holze will open The Blooming Sun-flower Boutique in the former Korner Bakery building. Sun-flowers and Stardust Boutique previously occupied the space.