Hometown Focus: Northland news & stories

11/22/2024

Meet our pet of the week Mina!

Don't forget to submit your pet to be the next pet of the week. Submitting is simple, just email a photo, short description, and the city of residence of your pet to [email protected]. Let us know what makes your pet so lovable!

11/22/2024

HTF's Thanksgiving edition is here! Be sure to pick one up today so you can read all the festive stories and try all tasty recipes inside.

11/20/2024

The holiday season is nearly upon us once again, and HTF wants your help to spread some Christmas cheer. There are so many ways you can participate in the holiday fun! Click the link to submit now: https://www.hometownfocus.us/submit-stories/

11/20/2024

If you are looking for something fun and festive to do this Saturday, why not check out the Tour of Homes, which is hosted by the Essentia Health-Virginia Regional Foundation as part of the Festival of Trees.

VIRGINIA—The annual holiday Tour of Homes, hosted by the Essentia Health-Virginia Regional Foundation as part of the Festival of Trees community event, will once again invite guests into Virginia area homes and businesses to experience festive holiday cheer. This year, proceeds will support the Fo...

11/19/2024

It is always deeply rewarding when you are able to cross something off your bucket list. For Contributor Sandy Markovich, her trip to Guatemala not only let her accomplish a bucket list goal, but allowed her to do good for others as well.

Twelve years ago, I chose to sponsor a little girl named Gilda and her family through Unbound Charity. The goal of the charity is to enable families to rise out of poverty. Gilda lives on the outskirts of Guatemala City. I had visited her twice previously. I was

11/18/2024

Whenever you learn a new skill, failure is always part of the process. Contributor Leo Wilenius shares the story of how he learned to deer hunt, and what helped him push through the failures.

A brisk wind stirred in the trees as I carefully closed the truck door. It was a soggy morning before sunrise, and I knew the walk to my deer stand on this opening day would be masked by the elements. The stand overlooked a forested deer trail connecting

11/15/2024

Meet our pet of the week Sarge!

Don't forget to submit your pet to be the next pet of the week. Submitting is simple, just email a photo, short description, and the city of residence of your pet to [email protected]. Let us know what makes your pet the best!

11/15/2024

No matter how old a story is, it can still contain an important lesson or two. Contributor Tom Kantos shares a story from 20 years ago that proves just that.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I think this 20-year-old incident is still relevant as a precautionary tale. Keep in mind while reading it that cell phones were flip and bag phones, and cell towers were few and far apart. In today’s world, I would have dialed 911 and been rescued in

11/14/2024

Here is an early look at tomorrow's cover. Be sure to pick one up, so you can enjoy all the great stories inside!

11/12/2024

How do we best honor our history and remember those who have served? This was the question Staff Writer Janna Goerdt and her boys were contemplating during their trip to Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—It was indeed hot, even for a September day, and the cool, clean water of the World War II Monument looked mighty inviting. I took my boys on their first trip to Washington, D.C. this fall, along with my parents and an uncle. The older adults were

11/11/2024

From all of us at Hometown Focus, we thank all our veterans for their service. In honor of Veterans Day, why not take some time to read this story by Contributor Richard "Finn" Ostman on how he and his follow veterans helped to honor one their own.

My name is Richard “Finn” Ostman, and I served in the United States Air Force (USAF) from August 3, 1972, until August 6, 1979. This story isn’t really about me but about one of my air force brothers. But before I can tell you about Al Moore, I

11/08/2024

Meet our pet of the week Jack!

Don't forget to submit your pet to be the next pet of the week. Submitting is simple, just email a photo, short description, and the city of residence of your pet to [email protected]. Let us know what makes your pet so lovable!

11/08/2024

Celebrate Veterans Day with HTF and pick up a copy of this week's issue to read about incredible stories of those who have served.

11/07/2024

If you still want to read more on bird hunting, check out this story by Contributor Leo Wilenius on his days of trying to have the perfect hunt.

I caught a glimpse of a grouse scurrying off to safety through the underbrush and realized I wasn’t paying attention to the task at hand – hunting. I needed to focus. I needed to scan intently and listen carefully for signs of a quarry that is nimble and

11/05/2024

Celebrate Thanksgiving with HTF!

What are some of the things you are most thankful for this year? Maybe there are parts of HTF were you thankful for. Let us know what you are grateful for, share your favorite memories from this holiday, or tell us about your favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Submit your stories to us, we’d love to share them. Email [email protected] or visit our website (hometownfocus.us) to submit.

Publication date: Friday, November 22
Editorial/ad deadline: Friday, November 15

11/05/2024

Sometimes the simplest things can have us recalling cherished memories from long ago. For Contributor Doug Nelson, a sunny day spent hunting in woods brings up a wealth of special memories of his loved ones.

I love this time of the year. September’s warm, summer-like days without the bugs and cool October days when fall colors are almost overwhelming. I sometimes feel as though I can’t seem to fit all the things I want to do into a single day. These two months

11/04/2024

A good teacher can make all the difference when trying to learn something new. Columnist Kallie Kantos shares about a great teacher she found to help her expand her artistic abilities.

I like to think I am creative. After all, I can write and take photographs, but when it comes to drawing or painting, I am not as talented as I would like to be. My ability to draw and paint falls short of ideal, at least in my

11/01/2024

Meet our pet of the week Colter!

Don't forget to submit your pet to be the next pet of the week. Submitting is simple, just email a photo, short description, and the city of residence of your pet to [email protected]. Let us know what makes your pet the best!