On Monday the Clarion City Council  met with Colleen Bartlett, Brad Hicks and Wright County Supervisor Stan Watne to discuss the renewal of the contract for transportation services between the city of Clarion and Wright County Transit.Clarion city administrator Rochelle Pohlman reported that the transit committee of Dave Maxheimer and Duane Asbe met regarding the city continuing if the city should continue providing a transit service or ask Wright County to take over the city route. The city recently lost a driver and with vacation time for the other driver. Transit service is offered only on Thursdays and Fridays. During the just concluded fiscal year of 2014, the city lost $10,429. Clarion city council members voted to delay action to sign the transit contract until the committee can research an alternative. The city will continue to provide transit service on a limited basis until a solution is found.

David Doxtad and Bill Goldie of I & S Group met with the Clarion city council with an update on the housing subdivision project. The sanitary sewer has been installed along Willow and White Fox Road, water and sewer lines are being installed with the new lift station constructed. Overhead electrical lines have been relocated. Doxtad told the contractors also located several field tiles that will need to be rerouted withing the project. Four lots have been purchased to date.

 An excellent turnout was noted for the annual Hamilton County Fair Parade through downtown Webster City Tuesday evening. The parade served as the official start of the 97th annual fair which continues through Sunday. There were over 100 entries featured as they traveled from downtown to the fairgrounds. At the conclusion of the parade, there was entertainment by Sheltered Reality. One of Tuesday night's highlight was the renaming of Hamilton Plaza to Keith McCullough Plaza named in honor of the long time Hamilton County Fair Board member. McCullough and his wife Martha were the grand marshalls of the fair parade.

Tonight will be the crowning of this year's fair queen. Six girls are vying for the title in the ceremony set for 7:00 p.m. The candidates are Morgan Gourley of rural Stanhope, Kaleigh Greufe of rural Blairsburg, Jenna Heeren of rural Jewell and Megan Hughes, Gina Moline and Ashley Price all of Webster City. The winner will represent Hamilton County at next month's Iowa State Fair Queen Contest. The current fair queen is Erin Anderson of Webster City.

 The June unemployment rate for Hamilton County stood at 5.1 percent. The Iowa Workforce Development office announced Tuesday that the rate is up from the May figure of 4.9 percent. There were 6500 people employed in the county last month while 350 were without work. Iowa's unemployment rate for June was 4.4 percent which was the same rate in May. The unemployment rate for surrounding counties include Boone at 3.5 percent,Franklin at 4 percent, Hardin at 4.4 percent, Story at 3.8 percent, Webster at 5.8 percent and Wright at 4.4 percent.