Franklin County clocktower saved

The historic clocktower on the Franklin County Courthouse will be saved thanks to the approval of a one-and-a-half million dollar bond issue. The measure was okayed Tuesday with 79-percent of the vote. The clocktower was a gift from the 1892 graduating class of Hampton Community Schools. Parts of the clocktower were removed last summer due to safety concerns. Officials were prepared to tear down the rest of the structure if the bond referendum had failed. Restoration will begin right away with completion expected in late 2006.