The rules of hair care are simple and finite!

This week, we take a trip down Ames’ athletic past and learning about those who rose above their central Iowa roots. The history is more than just Fred Hoiberg and Harrison Barnes.

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the classic cars roll-in, 4-H’s history is told, there’s bingo with a food drive, Craig Swalwell brings the dance tunes and Legally Blonde turns 25.

Anthony Capps, Editor
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Ames Little Cyclones basketball player Fred Hoiberg (Photo: Iowa State Athletics)

Lecture Ames Athletes Who Made It to the Big Time 7 p.m. Tuesday | Ames Public Library Ames has been an outsized source of athletic talent that rose far above their Story County roots. Tom Kroeschell, former communications director of Iowa State Athletics, talks about the achievement of Ames natives beyond the exploits of Fred Hoiberg and Harrison Barnes. This includes pioneering women competitors from Karen Koellner to Erica Lynn-Douglas who put Ames on the map in high school and collegiate competition. Read More

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Calendar of Events

Wednesday, May 20

River Valley Veterans Network
6 p.m. | Torrent Brewing Company

The gathering creates a welcoming space for veterans to connect with one another, discover resources and explore employment opportunities in a relaxed, supportive environment. Businesses who value veteran talent are invited to attend.

Thursday, May 21

🚗 21st Annual Wayne Larson Classic Car Roll-In
5 p.m. | North Grand Mall

The Wayne Larson Classic Car Roll-In brings together car enthusiasts, families, and friends for an evening filled with classic vehicles, great conversations and strong community connections. Whether you’re showing off your ride or just coming to admire the classics, there’s something for everyone.

FREE

🎤 Cory Waller & The Wicked Things w/ Robert Deitch
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

High-energy country-rock and storytelling that’s a must-see for fans of authentic Midwestern grit.

$9+

🏫 Learn with the League: The History of 4-H
7 p.m. | Ames Public Library

This presentation will take a look at the founding of 4-H in the early 1900s, including the key role Iowa played in the beginning of the 4-H movement. We’ll review how the core principles established in the beginning have guided 4-H programming over time.

🛒 Parking Lot Bingo and Food Drive
7 p.m. | Daisy’s Dog House, 1620 S. Kellogg Ave., #108

Led by Purple Cow Junk Removal, join for a night of bingo, laughs and doing good for our community for a food drive. Bring nonperishable goods for a chance at prizes. Vanessa Taylor and Evian Waters host.

Friday, May 22

🎤 Craig Swalwell Band
7 p.m. | Mucky Duck Pub

Rock and roll all night with these guys! They’re guaranteed to entertain so bring your dancing shoes.

Saturday, May 23

🌽 Main Street Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Main Street

This week’s entertainment highlights are Joyful Colorz face painting and the Ames Bookmobile, plus music from Boone Fiddler.

Sunday, May 24

🎥 Legally Blonde 25th Anniversary
4 p.m. | Movies 12

Fashionable sorority queen Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) follows her ex-boyfriend (Matthew Davis) to law school, where she discovers that there is more to her than just looks.

$11.50

Monday, May 25

🚩 Memorial Day Parade
10:15 a.m. | Ames Municipal Cemetery

A Memorial Day parade will take place downtown followed by a presentation at the Ames Municipal Cemetery at 11 a.m. In case of rain, the parade will be canceled and the program will move to the Ames City Auditorium. The event includes a keynote speaker and performances by the Ames Municipal Band.

FREE

Upcoming events on our radar

🎤 May 29: Ames on the Half Shell: Burnin’ Sensations, Bandshell Park

🌻 May 30: Gardens Galore, Northcrest Community

🎶 May 31: Across the Water, Alluvial Brewing

🎤 June 7: Roosevelt Summer Sundays: Weary Ramblers, Roosevelt Park

🎨 June 11: Art Walk, downtown Ames

🎭 June 11-28: Footloose, Ames Community Theater

In Case You Missed It

Recent headlines from the Ames Voice

⚽ BSOC Photos: DCG scores late, forces 1-1 draw with Ames

🐶 Millions in donations move Ames Animal Services center forward

🎥 Ames fall festival will celebrate nonfiction filmmaking

Happy Thursday! And I'll take People Getting Together for $1600, Ken.

(A shoutout for evangelist and Ames native Billy Sunday on Wednesday’s Jeopardy!. Question can be found here.)

To any of our college student readers, I hope finals is treating you well! Only a couple more days to go.

Also garden update: my plants are still alive and getting taller. 😃

Our top story is about the Ames Animal Shelter reaching its donation goal. The project has enough funding to continue design work and prepare for construction. The goal is to start construction this summer.

In other news, the Ames City Council is racing to meet a federal deadline dealing with installing solar panels at the municipal airport. The Little Cyclones soccer teams have had both wins and losses recently. And Community Voices spotlights Ghana native Mary Salawuh-Warren.

Congratulations to our graduating students! We hope you take the time to celebrate the milestone with your family and friends.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Amber Mohmand, News Editor
news@amesvoice.com

Top Story

Millions in donations move Ames Animal Services center forward

After raising millions of dollars, city officials are now moving ahead with plans for a new Ames Animal Services center.

The Ames City Council learned Tuesday the project has enough funding to continue design work and prepare for construction, thanks in part to millions of dollars in private donations.

The current animal shelter at 325 Billy Sunday Road is too small and has problems with aging equipment, weather protection and outdated systems, according to a staff report.

City staff began exploring options for replacing the shelter several years ago. In late 2024, officials identified a former daycare building as a possible new home, and the city later bought the property, 2715 Dayton Ave., for $1.1 million.

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City of Ames

City Council Ames resets hearing to save millions on new solar farm by Bill Monroe | Staff Reporter The city is racing against a federal deadline that could make or break plans to build a solar farm at the James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Ames School Board approves new elementary literacy program

Ames runners aim for iconic marathon goal

Aquatic center has hurdles to clear before opening

Council meets solar deadline, approves $190 million power upgrade

 

Sports

Girls Soccer Little Cyclones fall to Ankeny Centennial, 1-0 by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter Ames dropped a 1-0 decision to Ankeny Centennial on Monday night in a matchup of two of the state’s top girls soccer teams. Continue Reading

 

More from Sports

BSOC Photos: Ames rolls past Waterloo East

BSOC Photos: Little Cyclones mount late comeback to defeat Scarlets

Ames athletes post strong finishes at Drake Relays

Community Voices

People of Ames Ames Notables: Mary Salawuh-Warren by Ames History Museum | Contributor Mary Salawuh-Warren came to Ames in 1972 with her husband, Dr. Dennis Warren, after he accepted a teaching position at Iowa State University. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

Ames Notables: Arnold E. Siedelmann

The Outside Story: Leopold Woods

Ames Notables: John “Jack” Shelley

In Other News

Ames Tribune: Popular fast food spot expected to boost access in west Ames

ISU News Service: New study aims to map how menopause shapes the aging brain

City of Ames: Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center Schedule Announced for Summer

Iowa State Daily: Pappajohn competition opens with $100K in startup funding

While Friday night fun awaits us downtown
Students are cramming in the finals week beat down
Don't get irrate
We think you're doing great
Those summer months are a worthwhile crown

(My first limerick since… high school, I think.) Besides 515 Day, there is also an Ames Chamber Artists concert, some feelgood funk and the weekly offerings of the Main Street Farmers’ Market.

Weekly outdoor concerts and that Ames summer vibe are right around the corner.

Anthony Capps, Editor
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

515 Day (Photo: Ames Regional Economic Alliance)

Outdoors 515 Day 4 to 8 p.m. Friday | Main Street Join for a fun filled night of live music, a food truck showdown and family friendly activities. Closed off for the event will be 5th Street from Burnett to Douglas Avenues, Douglas Avenue from Main to 5th Streets and Kellogg Avenue from the alley to 5th Street and Burnet Avenue from the alley to 5th Street. Read More

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Calendar of Events

Wednesday, May 13

🎨 Art Walk: Patterson Hall (Veterinary Medicine)
3:10 p.m. | Patterson Hall

From playful pups to majestic livestock, discover how artists bring veterinary stories to life. Stroll with us through the Veterinary College’s public art in Patterson Hall and celebrate the creatures that inspire and shape the profession. Explore sculptures, murals and installations that capture the care, curiosity and compassion at the heart of working with animals.

FREE

🎥 Fried Green Tomatoes
3 p.m. | Movies 12

Evelyn (Kathy Bates), an ordinary housewife, visits a nursing home and befriends the old lady Ninny (Jessica Tandy). Together, they bond over stories from the past about two intrepid women of the Whistle Stop Café.

$11.50

Thursday, May 14

🎤 Pert Near Sandstone w/ The Shandies
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

Formed by old friends within the vibrant Minneapolis music scene, the members of Pert Near Sandstone have been tireless stewards of the midwestern roots music community for over two decades. The Shandies — married couple Shannon Stine and Natalie Wlodarczyk — are a female folk rock duo who have become a staple of the vibrant local music scene in Springfield, Mo., since they formed in 2016.

$15+

Friday, May 15

🎶 Across the Water
7:30 p.m. | Collegiate Presbyterian Church

A concert from Ames Chamber Artists featuring traditional and contemporary folk music from Ireland and its influence in America. Presented in partnership with renowned Irish tenor Michael Londra, who stars in the PBS series Ireland with Michael.

$15 general, $12 seniors, $20 livestream

🎤 Funky Delicacies w/ DJ Keith Rich
9 p.m. | London Underground

DJ Keith Rich returns to London for an evening of meticulously curated beats, grooves and feelgood funk. Dance the night away, sing along or just bump along in your chair to a night of great tunes.

Saturday, May 16

🌽 Main Street Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Main Street

This week’s entertainment highlights are Meyer’s pony rides and music by Doomed Pioneers.

Sunday, May 17

🥳 Good Neighbor's Annual Block Party
4 p.m. | Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, 613 Clark Ave.

Everyone is invited to Good Neighbor's 4th Annual Block Party. Enjoy some pizza, cookies, drinks, games for the kids and some great local music as well as support Good Neighbor. This is a family-friendly event and all ages are welcome.

FREE

Upcoming events on our radar

🏃 May 19: Ames Athletes Who Made it to the Big Time, Ames Public Library

🎥 May 24 & 27: Legally Blonde 25th Anniversary, Movies 12

🎤 May 29: Ames on the Half Shell: Burnin’ Sensations, Bandshell Park

🎶 May 31: Across the Water, Alluvial Brewing

🎤 June 7: Roosevelt Summer Sundays: Weary Ramblers, Roosevelt Park

🎨 June 11: Art Walk, downtown Ames

🎭 June 11-28: Footloose, Ames Community Theater

In Case You Missed It

Recent headlines from the Ames Voice

⚽ Boys Soccer: Ames rolls past Waterloo East

🎥 Ames fall festival will celebrate nonfiction filmmaking

🏫 Ames School Board approves new elementary literacy program

Happy Thursday! 

This week is a bit of a milestone for me (Amber): the plants in my garden are still alive and growing! I started a garden about three weeks ago, and I’m slowly learning how to keep plants alive. That said, if any of you have some helpful (and kind) tips for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. 😊

And now, onto the news. Our top story follows the work being done for the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival this fall. It's currently seeking submissions.

In other news, the Ames School Board approved a new literacy program for the elementary schools. The program focuses on providing a comprehensive education of reading, writing and speaking. In sports, the Little Cyclones’ boys soccer team came back in the second half to defeat Des Moines East. There's also a profile of Arnold E. Siedelmann, one of Ames' longtime chiefs of police.

To our college students, good luck on finals next week! Summer is just around the corner. 🥳 And if any are seeking a journalism internship, our application is available for the fall and spring semesters.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Amber Mohmand, News Editor
news@amesvoice.com

Top Story

Behind the scenes of the filming of Urban Mining, a recent short documentary by Eric Smidt. He is helming the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival this fall. | Photo: Eric Smidt/Ames Regional Economic Alliance

Ames fall festival will celebrate nonfiction filmmaking

Eric Smidt started his career telling stories through social media. It’s since expanded to include print publications and podcasts, among others. But one avenue he is most passionate about is through documentaries.

“In documentary filmmaking, you have to go deeper into a subject and you must have a strong visual component,” he said “I enjoy the process of weaving the story together with multiple lenses, doing multiple interviews, the editing — it flexes a different creative part of storytelling more than anything.”

Smidt, vice president of marketing & communications at the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, has been making occasional documentaries for the last 15 years.

This fall, Smidt is bringing that passion for the documentary form to the entire community. He’s helming the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival, scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Ames Public Library.

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City of Ames

School Board Ames School Board approves new elementary literacy program by Amber Mohmand | News Editor Ames elementary students will learn literacy skills from a new program that provides comprehensive coverage of reading, writing and speaking. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Ames runners aim for iconic marathon goal

Aquatic center has hurdles to clear before opening

Nancy Carroll to serve as next Heartland of Story County executive director

Council meets solar deadline, approves $190 million power upgrade

Paws-on service: 2-year-old Belgian Shepherd joins ISU PD

 

Sports

Boys Soccer Little Cyclones mount late comeback to defeat Scarlets by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter On a windy day in Ames, the first half of the Little Cyclones’ boys soccer game against Des Moines East was not going in Ames’ favor. Continue Reading

More from Sports

GSOC: Late surge lifts Ames past Lincoln, 2-0

Ames athletes post strong finishes at Drake Relays

Cyclones earn NFL looks, opportunities

Community Voices

People of Ames Ames Notables: Arnold E. Siedelmann by Ames History Museum | Contributor A U.S. Navy veteran, Ames Police Chief Arnold E. Siedelmann started as a patrolman in Ames in the early 1950s and quickly advanced to chief, leading the department 18 years from 1966 to 1984. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

The Outside Story: Leopold Woods

Ames Notables: John “Jack” Shelley

In Other News

Ames Tribune: Dreams do come true. Ames' first Olive Garden finally has an open date

ISU News Service: ‘Atomic snapshots’ of proofreading enzyme could lead to better COVID-19 drugs

City of Ames: Historic Preservation Awards 2026 Announced

Iowa State Daily: Charges dismissed against former student accused of butter knife stabbing and campus fires

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

As Iowa State University enters its final two weeks of the school year, the events calendar also cools down. But there are still happenings, including concerts of both contemporary and classical music.

Elsewhere, Ontario Park has an open house, puzzles get competitive, Fried Green Tomatoes turns 35 and Cyclone Track and Field goes under the moonlight.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Sara Routh

Music Sara Routh w/ Wally Neal 7 p.m. Thursday | Alluvial Brewing Des Moines native Sara Routh, who’s traveled the world performing her music, brings an engaging spirit on stage to draw the listener to pause, sit and emotionally experience each performance. Wally Neal is a puzzled pilgrim carrying a wild, drifting collection of verse and fingerstyle guitar. $7+ Read More

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Calendar of Events

Tuesday, May 5

🎨 Tell Me a Story Roundtable Conversation
5 p.m. | Brunnier Art Museum

In a conversation moderated by exhibition co-curator Michèle A. Schaal, ISU faculty will discuss the impact of storytelling on teaching and research, along with personal connections to the works of art on view in the Brunnier Art Museum exhibition, Tell Me a Story.

FREE

Thursday, May 7

🌿 Spring Wildflower Walk at Soper's Mill
1:30 p.m. | Soper's Mill, 56501 170th St.

Meet on the northeast side of the river — the side of the river closest to the interstate. The walk will begin in the parking area at 1:30 p.m. and wrap up by 3.

FREE

Friday, May 8

🏃‍♀️ Cyclone Twilight Track Meet
4 p.m. | Cyclone Sports Complex

Iowa State hosts its premier outdoor track and field event of the spring season. Elite athletes from across the region compete in this high-energy evening meet.

Saturday, May 9

🌽 Main Street Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Main Street

This week’s entertainment highlights are the Hovick Family Petting Zoo, a sourdough bread contest and music by Patricia Holly.

🐟 Fishing at Lake LaVerne
9 to 11 a.m. | Lake LaVerne

As part of the renovation of Lake LaVerne, this special fishing event will have volunteers on hand to assist people without a lot of experience but who want to try fishing. A limited amount of fishing gear will be available to use.

FREE

🎶 Music of the Baroque: A Preview
10 a.m. | Ames Public Library

Ames Town & Gown and early music ensemble Twelfth Night present a special preview performance of the Sunday concert. Learn about 17th and 18th century music through performance and demonstration on authentic early musical instruments the violin, harpsichord and theorbo.

FREE

🌳 Ontario Park Open House
1 to 3 p.m. | Ontario Park, 5658 Ontario St.

This open house is an opportunity to explore the property and provide input on what could be included in the park.

FREE

🎤 Gráinne Hunt & Jules Stewart
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

An international folk collaboration featuring Irish singer-songwriter Gráinne Hunt. This intimate performance highlights contemporary folk storytelling and percussion.

$11

Sunday, May 10

🎥 Fried Green Tomatoes
3 p.m. | Movies 12

Evelyn (Kathy Bates), an ordinary housewife, visits a nursing home and befriends the old lady Ninny (Jessica Tandy). Together, they bond over stories from the past about two intrepid women of the Whistle Stop Cafe. The movie, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, also plays on May 13.

$11.50

🎶 Twelfth Night, early music ensemble
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

Known for their spirited performances, Rachell Ellen Wong (Baroque viol), David Belkovski (harpsichord) and Kevin Payne (theorbo) will delight our audience with a “Grand Tour” of the Baroque era’s riches by great composers both familiar and less known.

$35, free for students

Monday, May 11

🧩 That’s Fun: Progressive Puzzle Competition
6:30 p.m. | Ames Public Library

Starting with 100-pieces puzzles, participants level up through increasingly challenging puzzles as the clock ticks down. It’s all about speed, strategy and a sharp eye for detail — plus plenty of laughs along the way. Bring your team of up to four people or come solo. Registration is required.

FREE

Upcoming events on our radar

🎶 May 15: Across the Water, Collegiate Presbyterian Church

🛒 May 21: Parking Lot Bingo and Food Drive, Daisy’s Dog House

Happy Thursday! 

We have a variety of stories today. First, we feature two Ames runners who conquered the Boston Marathon last week. Heartland of Story County announced recently that Nancy Carroll, longtime Ames resident and former director of the parks and recreation department, will return as its executive director in July.

The city council continues to support a $190 million upgrade to the power plant and is taking steps to use portions of the city airport for solar energy. The indoor aquatic center is almost done, but there are still issues to be worked out.

Participants from Ames High did a great job at the Drake Relays, including second, third and fourth place finishes. Several Cyclone football players now have an NFL home.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Top Story

Ames community leaders Ethan Mesenbrink, store manager at Fitness Sports, and Amber Deardorff, CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center, participated in the Boston Marathon. 

Ames runners aim for iconic marathon goal

A high-performance athlete and a determined “bucket-list runner” shared an exemplary goal last week: to conquer the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon.

Ethan Mesenbrink, store manager at Fitness Sports in downtown Ames, is a high-performance athlete competing at the top tier of the sport.

Amber Deardorff, president and CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center, is a community leader chasing down a lifelong dream. Both are from Ames and leaders in their fields.

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

City of Ames

City Council Aquatic center has hurdles to clear before opening by Bill Monroe | Staff Reporter Ames’ Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center is almost done, but city officials are still working through a handful of problems. These include a standoff over a stain warranty, state inspection waivers and a system that could allow moisture to creep into parts of the building. Continue Reading

Story County Nancy Carroll to serve as next Heartland of Story County executive director by Amber Mohmand | News Editor Nancy Carroll is coming back to Heartland of Story County this summer to be its next executive director, drawn by the chance to help older adults reconnect and find purpose. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Council meets solar deadline, approves $190 million power upgrade

Paws-on service: 2-year-old Belgian Shepherd joins ISU PD

Ames Electric faces $190 million power plant overhaul

Ames eyes solar farm at airport but deadline looms

Sports

ISU Football Cyclones earn NFL looks, opportunities by Jared Larson | Staff Reporter The 2026 NFL entry process highlighted the depth of Iowa State’s talent, with several key players moving on to professional opportunities. Continue Reading

High School Track Ames athletes post strong finishes at Drake Relays by Davin Bakerink and Zachary Quinn | Staff Reporter Against elite statewide competition, the Little Cyclones had second, third and fourth place finishes at competitions at this weekend’s Drake Relays. Continue Reading

 

More from Sports

Photos: Late surge lifts Ames past Lincoln, 2-0

Photos: Little Cyclones roll past Urbandale

Photos: Ames breaks halftime deadlock, pulls away from Marshalltown in second half

Community Voices

People of Ames Ames Notables: John “Jack” Shelley by Ames History Museum | Contributor John D. “Jack” Shelley came to Ames in 1966 when he was recruited by Iowa State University President Robert Parks to head the broadcast journalist program. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

The Outside Story: Leopold Woods

Ames Notables: Sarah Emery

Behind the lens, the grind defines Iowa’s state tournaments

In Other News

Ames Tribune: Regents vote to hike tuition by 3% at Iowa's public universities

Iowa State Daily: Stepping into light at Out of the Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk

ISU News Service: Research aims to fill critical gaps in telehealth design

City of Ames: Mayor and City Council Bike Ride is May 9

KCCI: Negligence lawsuit dismissed against Ames cosmetic surgeon after patient's death

Happy countdown to the farmers’ market week!

This week, the Central Iowa Symphony’s season concludes with a special performance by pianist Mei-Hsuan Huang, who will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Elsewhere, the Main Street Farmers’ Market returns, EcoTheatre Lab presents a new festival of works, Stephens Auditorium is Raising Treble, jazz night looks toward the sun, Iowa State music groups gather for a Masterworks, transportation history gets the lecture spotlight and the Ames Choral Society reminisces.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Mei-Hsuan Huang

Music Fireworks Fiesta 7:30 p.m. Saturday | Ames City Auditorium Pianist Mei-Hsuan Huang performs the beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This extraordinary display of virtuosity is perfectly matched with a trio of brilliant dance works by Mexican composers that bring the Central Iowa Symphony’s season to a dazzling conclusion. $20 general, free for students Read More

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Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: Avatar: Fire and Ash
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

Jake and Neytiri’s family grapples with grief, encountering a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang, as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.

FREE

🎭 In Our Backyard: A New Eco-Play Festival
7 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday | Labyrinth Coffee (Friday and Sunday), Ames Public Library (Saturday)

Four unique events, featuring eight new plays by local playwrights, new music by local singer-songwriters, and neighborhood resiliency conversations facilitated by the Ames Climate Action Team.

FREE

Tuesday, April 28

🌽 From Local Roots to Global Impact: Women in Agriculture
5:30 p.m. | 1148 Gerdin

Pam Johnson is a sixth‑generation Northern Iowa farmer and longtime advocate for agriculture and rural communities. She has served with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, the National Corn Growers Association and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Johnson has been a key voice in securing congressional support for agricultural research, advancing the 2014 Farm Bill and strengthening global market opportunities.

FREE

🩺 Telehealth and the Quality of Care
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Farzane Omidi, assistant teaching professor in interior design at Iowa State, explores how the physical and digital design of telehealth affects the doctor-patient bond. She shares research on how to maintain emotional connection through a screen.

FREE

🎤 The Goldfinch Room featuring Lojo Russo
7 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

Lojo Russo has been making music along the muddy waters of the Mississippi since she first picked up a guitar at age 10. With a self-taught approach to music, Russo has developed a unique understanding of genres and songwriting.

$40 per table

Wednesday, April 29

👨‍🏫 A Fresh Look at Anthropogenic Climate Change
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

David R. Legates, a research fellow at the think tank Independent Institute, offers a deep dive into the latest data and perspectives on human-driven climate shifts.

FREE

🎷 Jazz Night "Sól"
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

jazzONE and the ISU Jazz Combos play tunes to connect with the fiery ball of energy that is the sun. Featured works include those by Danilo Perez, Bill Evans, Lucky Thompson, Christine Jensen, Soundgarden, Martha Kato, Stan Kenton and Jerome Sabbagh.

$10 public, free for students

Thursday, April 30

📀 Why Do Fans Buy Albums They Can't Play?
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

An intriguing look at the economics and psychology behind modern vinyl and physical media collections by Seongyeob Kim, a Ph.D. candidate in economics at Iowa State.

FREE

🎤 Big Richard w/ Casey Joe & The Foxes
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

The all-female bluegrass powerhouse Big Richard is known for virtuosic playing and biting wit. They are joined by local favorites Casey Joe & The Foxes for a major spring highlight.

$15+

Friday, May 1

🚗 America 250: Insights Into Iowa’s Transportation History
2:30 p.m. | Ames Public Library

Join Bill Whittaker, Brennan Dolan, Ray Werner and Libby Wielenga for insights into Iowa’s transportation history, covering pre-settlement roads, early Highway Commission history, the Good Roads Movement and key innovations.

FREE

🚂 America 250: Streamliners Across Iowa
4 p.m. | Ames Public Library

Sleek railroad Streamliners criss-crossed Iowa from the mid-1930s through the 1950s. Transportation consultant Bob Bourne will cover some of the important design elements characteristic of railroad streamlining and talk about the memorable trains that ran through Iowa on several railroads. There will be an emphasis on the Streamliners of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad through central Iowa.

FREE

Saturday, May 2

🥗 Ames Main Street Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Main Street

The weekly summer event with food and entertainment returns. The first performer of the season is Jake Doty.

🚚 Food Truck Parc Season Opener
Noon to 2 p.m. | The Parc, 202 E. Lincoln Way

Come out to enjoy unforgettable food trucks to kick off the 2026 season. It’ll have fun for the whole family — yard games, a bounce house, caricature artist, live music by Royce Johns and much more.

🎤 Raising Treble Voices Festival
3 p.m. | Stephen Auditorium

The first Raising Treble Voices Festival brings together six central Iowa treble voice choirs — Waukee, Waukee NW and Webster City High Schools plus ISU Cantamus and Lyrica and the Ames women’s choir Good Company — and the ISU orchestra. The festival features a joint performance of It Is Happiness, a choral suite of the poems of Mary Oliver by renowned composer Joan Szymko.

$15, free for students

🎤 Live at The Railyard: Matt Woods
6 p.m. | Cornbred Barbeque

Come on out to see blues band Matt Woods as the first full band night. The band specializes in old school urban electric blues.

🎻 Fireworks Fiesta
7:30 p.m. | Ames City Auditorium

Pianist Mei-Hsuan Huang performs the beloved Second Piano Concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This extraordinary display of virtuosity is perfectly matched with a trio of brilliant dance works by Mexican composers that bring the season to a dazzling conclusion.

$20 general, free for students

Sunday, May 3

🌱 Native Plant Day + Sale
Noon to 3 p.m. | McFarland Park

This event’s goal is to make native Iowa, local eco-type plants more accessible to the community while providing education on a variety of related topics. At noon, Sarah Nizzi, pollinator conservation specialist with the Xerces Society, will present “How Small Spaces Can Make a Difference for Pollinators.”

🎶 Masterworks Concert
3 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

The Iowa State Singers, the Iowa Statesmen, the ISU Orchestra, a chamber orchestra and the Des Moines Choral Society will join to present two large works. The main feature will be Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, a 35-minute masterwork that decries war and pleads for peace. Texts come from both Walt Whitman and Scripture. The Iowa State Singers will perform Jake Runestad’s Footprints, a 30-minute work for choir and chamber orchestra.

$15, free for students

🎶 Memory: Music From “Cats,” Mozart and “Lord of the Rings”
7 p.m. | St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado Ave.

The Ames Choral Society’s spring concert will feature music from iconic moments and masterworks of the past that are sure to have you reminiscing.

$15 adults, $5 youth

Upcoming events on our radar

🛒 May 7: Parking Lot Bingo and Food Drive, Daisy’s Dog House

🎶 May 15: Across the Water, Collegiate Presbyterian Church

In Case You Missed It

Recent headlines from the Ames Voice

Ames athletes post strong finishes at Drake Relays

Paws-on service: 2-year-old Belgian Shepherd joins ISU PD

Ames Electric faces $190 million power plant overhaul

Happy Thursday! 

In today’s newsletter we have a feature of ISU PD’s first working K-9, Zak. He’s a 2-year-old Belgian shepherd who joined the department last month. Also, the costs for updating the city’s power plant nearly doubled, and the city council needs to figure out how to pay for it. The council also discussed using solar energy as an alternative but the timeline is tight.

The Ames boys and girls soccer teams both had wins at home in the past few days. And in Community Voices, the 22-acre wildlife refuge Leopold Woods gets the spotlight.

We also want to continue highlighting our wonderful team of volunteers for the Ames Voice, they’ve been amazing, to say the least. 🤩 Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Celebrating National Volunteer Week

On Tuesday, we covered the newsroom staff. Today, we recognize the people who built the platform they stand on.

Board of Directors: Our strategic guidance comes from a dedicated group of local leaders:

• Kevin Stow (Board President)

• Dan Culhane, Alison Doyle, Charlie Weaver and Allen Weber

• And our newest voices: Luke Deardorf and Michele Appelgate

Fundraising Engine: A special recognition of Doug Burns, Brynn Sweere and Bob Woodward for their fundraising efforts and for opening the doors that allowed the Ames Voice to secure its future.

Founding Voices: We wouldn’t exist without the early belief of our founding organizers and sponsors: First National Bank, Pat Brown State Farm Insurance and Grandon's Funeral and Cremation Care.

Donors & Sustaining Members: To those who have contributed major gifts or monthly sustaining support — you are the financial bedrock that keeps our journalism independent.

Our Members & Subscribers: Finally, to our 1,000+ subscribers. You are the reason we do this. Whether you’ve been with us since our "early adopter" phase or joined us this morning, you are the most important part of the Ames Voice architecture.

Community Council (Our Founding Advisors): We are deeply indebted to this panel of local leaders and experts who helped shape our mission:

• Lynne Carey (Former Director, Ames Public Library)

• Carolynn Klaus (League of Women Voters of Ames and Story County)

• Dr. Eric Abbott (ISU Greenlee School)

• Mark Witherspoon (ISU Greenlee School)

• Anthony Capps (former Ames Tribune reporter)

• Mike Krapfl (ISU News Service)

• Dr. Cornelia Butler-Flora & Dr. Jan Flora (ISU Sociology)

• Ann Campbell (Former Ames Mayor)

• Susan Gwiasda (Public Relations Officer, City of Ames)

• Warren Madden (Former VP of Finance, Iowa State)

• Bill Monroe (Former Director of the Iowa Newspaper Association)

• Charlie Weaver (Executive Director, Minnesota Daily)

• Allen Weber (Former President of the Ames Tribune)

Top Story

Zak’s first day of duty was March 22. He’s the first dog at ISUPD trained for law enforcement duties. | Photo: Fiona Winn

Paws-on service: 2-year-old Belgian Shepherd joins ISU PD

The Iowa State University Police Department welcomes a new addition to the force: Zak, a 2-year-old Belgian Shepherd trained in explosives detection.

Zak joined Officer Solomon Farner in March for a five-week training session. The two started their first day of duty together March 22. Zak’s the first dog at ISU PD trained for law enforcement duties. He was first working with police K-9, providing a new layer of security to campus events, operations and life.

Zak’s special nose is working in every room he enters, which adds up during eight- to 10-hour shifts with his handler, Farner.

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

City of Ames

City Council Ames Electric faces $190 million power plant overhaul by Bill Monroe | Staff Reporter Updating Ames’ aging power plant cost $190 million. That’s more than double early estimates and every electric customer in the city would help pay for the project through annual rate increases stretching to 2057. Continue Reading

In case you missed it:

Ames eyes solar farm at airport but deadline looms

Ames water, sewer rates will increase this summer

Ames PD investigates vehicles vandalized with swastikas

Sports

Girls Soccer Photos: Little Cyclones roll past Urbandale by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter On a warm, 70-degree Monday, Ames took control early and never let up in a 3-0 win over Urbandale. Continue Reading

Boys Soccer Photos: Ames breaks halftime deadlock, pulls away from Marshalltown in second half by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter Both Marshalltown (4-1-2) and Ames (3-0-2) entered the Thursday match aiming to avoid their first defeat of the season. Continue Reading

More from Sports

BSOC: Ames cruises to 5-1 win over Fort Dodge

T&F: Weather can’t slow Little Cyclones as Ames teams advance to Drake Relays

GSOC: Little Cyclones strike late to defeat Ottumwa 3-0

Community Voices

Story County Conservation The Outside Story: Leopold Woods by Jim Colbert | Contributor Perched on a low ridge a little north of Ames and just west of the South Skunk River sits a little “postage stamp-sized” natural area called Leopold Woods Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

Ames Notables: Sarah Emery

Behind the lens, the grind defines Iowa’s state tournaments

Ames Notables: Carole Sager Horowitz

The Outside Story: Prairie Valley Preserve

In Other News

Ames CSD: Weddle Named Principal at Mitchell Elementary

Iowa State Daily: Cyclone to Cowgirl: Crooks commits to Oklahoma State

Ames CSD: Soaring To New Heights with Rocketry Club

Iowa State Daily: PHOTOS: Iowa State students embody “Living Gallery” at The Fashion Show 2026

Iowa State Daily: Iowa State sued for withholding records from Dublin game

Happy five freedoms!

This week’s events include a lecture by author and immersion journalist A.J. Jacobs, who will discuss his previous experiment of living within the bounds of the original meaning of the U.S. Constitution.

Elsewhere, Iowa Supreme Court Justice Christopher McDonald also talks about the Constitution, CeCe Winans comes to Ames, Ames Piano Quartet performs Fauré and Schumann, the Symphonic Band gets semiquincentennial, horticulturist Melinda Myers digs gardening, Ames Women’s Choir shares happiness and Henry A. Wallace comes alive on the stage.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Celebrating Our Volunteers

For this National Volunteer Week, we’re noting the people who ensure your news is accurate, timely and fair.

Newsroom Engine: A massive thank you to Anthony Capps and Amber Mohmand, our editor and news editor who manage the complex daily flow of information.

Sharpest Eyes: Our dedicated copy editors, Mike Krapfl and Jodi O'Donnell, who ensure every word is polished before it hits your inbox.

The Newshounds: We are incredibly grateful for our current group of tireless reporters: Bill Monroe, Jared Larson, Mike Kitchell, Artemis Tack, Fiona Winn, Davin Bakerink and Deni Chamberlin.

Previous Contributors: There are numerous others who have also provided us with copy, editing help and so many other valuable contributions. This especially includes the journalism students who have occasionally offered up photos from local happenings.

Community Voices: We are thankful for those who are contributing these informative local pieces, including the people at the Ames History Museum as well as Jim Colbert and Nolan Sagan.

Systems Architect: A special shoutout to Charlie Weaver and Jason Burns. Behind every clean layout and managed subscriber list is Jason and Charlie’s vital technical and data oversight.

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

Event Spotlight

Author A.J. Jacobs

Lecture Exploring Originalism: A Year of Living Constitutionally 6 p.m. Tuesday | Sun Room, Memorial Union Best‑selling author A.J. Jacobs, who has previously attempted Radical Honesty, read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and lived for a year following every rule in the Bible, discusses constitutional interpretation and the practice of “living constitutionally” in modern law. Read More

Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following the Flying Dutchman, a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate, to the deepest depths of the deep sea.

FREE

Tuesday, April 21

🎶 Opera Studio – Shadows and Echoes: Music and Art on Campus
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

Students in the music department perform fully staged scenes from famous operas and operettas. This program provides a look at the dramatic and vocal training of the department’s vocalists.

$10 public; free for students

Wednesday, April 22

🎥 Sitting Still
5:30 p.m. | Kocimski Auditorium, 0101 Design

This documentary features preeminent landscape architect Laurie Olin, one of the world’s most influential urban designers, and his profoundly social vision.

FREE

👨‍🏫 True Crimes and Mistaken Eyewitnesses: “Whodunnits” and How Psychological Science Changed Our Understanding of Eyewitness Identification Evidence
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

Research psychologist Gary L. Wells looks at how psychological science has revolutionized our understanding of eyewitness evidence and “whodunnits.”

FREE

🎭 American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace
7 p.m. | Ames Public Library

In this one-act play, actor Tom Milligan portrays Henry A. Wallace, the agricultural innovator and founder of Pioneer Hi-Bred seed corn company who became U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and later vice president under Franklin D. Roosevelt.

FREE

⚖️ Channeling Conflict: The Constitution, the Courts and the Character of American Self-Government
7 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Iowa Supreme Court Justice Christopher McDonald explores the Constitution’s deliberate architecture of tension, the judiciary’s growing centrality to the resolution of those tensions, and the ongoing dialogue between state and federal courts that embodies the Founders’ vision of productive institutional competition.

FREE

🎷 Jazz Night "Digits"
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

Jazz 2.0 and the ISU Jazz Combos play tunes whose titles are numerical, featuring works by Rob McConnell, Bob Reynolds, Pat Metheny, Oliver Nelson, Radiohead, Stan Kenton and John Coltrane.

$10 public; free for students

Thursday, April 23

👨‍🏫 Queering Taxonomy: How to Challenge Categorizations that Divide and Separate
5 p.m. | Cardinal Room, Memorial Union

This reading and lecture by poet and community organizer Matty Layne Glasgow invites us to consider the paradoxical — how we might deconstruct established taxonomic categories of genre, science and cultural identity to help us innovate new practices that can embrace the queer and fluid, the lyric, joyful and connective.

FREE

🌱 Gardening for Your Health and Well-Being
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author and columnist Melinda Myers discusses the physical and mental health benefits of therapeutic gardening and nature connection.

FREE

🎤 Mango Soul / Mike Walsh Band
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

A groove-heavy double header featuring classic rock, soul and country influences.

$5

🎤 CeCe Winans: More Than This Tour
7 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

Cece Winans’ More Than This Tour features the expected worship moments like “Goodness of God,” “Believe for It,” and “Alabaster Box” while also introducing new standards like “That’s My King,” “Holy Forever,” “Come Jesus Come” and more.

$37+

Friday, April 24

🎤 Weary Ramblers and Beggars’ Bargain
7 p.m. | Ames City Auditorium

Newly-formed Iowa Americana duo Weary Ramblers brings together Chad Elliott and Kathryn Fox and a showcase of multi-instrumental performances. Rooted in indie rock and Americana, Beggars’ Bargain combines Micah Spurlock’s Texas blues guitar with Joe Bach’s philosophical songwriting.

$10

🎶 ISU Wind Ensemble
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

The concert band at Iowa State performs advanced wind literature by contemporary composers. Featured will be Julie Giroux’s Sixth Symphony, The Blue Marble, which will accompany an amazing film based on Planet Earth.

$10 public; free for students

🎤 Lipstick Homicide and Bat Problem w/ Sunchoke
8 p.m. | Maintenance Shop

This rock show features Iowa City-based punk pop favorites Lipstick Homicide and the newly established Des Moines rock band Bat Problem.

$10+ public, $6+ ISU students

Saturday, April 25

🎺 Symphonic Band: Americans, We!
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

A concert celebrating the spirit of America ahead of the 250th anniversary this summer.

$10 public; free for students

Sunday, April 26

🎹 Ames Piano Quartet Recital
3 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

Come enjoy the Ames Piano Quartet as they perform two of the great masterpieces of chamber music: Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet in G minor and Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet.

🎤 Good Company: Ames Women’s Choir presents “The Nature of Happiness” Spring Concert
7 p.m. | St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado

Through a program of expressive and inspiring works, the choir invites you to pause, listen and experience the moments of happiness that music can bring. The concert will also feature the premiere of five new choral works by its collaborative pianist, Peter Roberts.

$15+

Monday, April 27

👨‍🏫 Cooking, Fishing and Jogging through Phase Space: A Practical Guide to Discovering and Understanding New Materials
7 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Ames Laboratory Senior Scientist Paul C. Canfield explores how the design, discovery, characterization and control of novel materials underpin solutions to some of the 21st century’s most urgent challenges.

FREE

In Case You Missed It

Recent headlines from the Ames Voice

Ames boys soccer team breaks halftime deadlock, pulls away from Marshalltown in second half

Weather can’t slow Little Cyclones as Ames teams advance to Drake Relays

Ames Notables: Sarah Emery

Ames water, sewer rates will increase this summer

Happy post-tax day!

Let’s all take a minute and appreciate the fact that taxes are filed. If any of you are like me (Amber) and waited until the 11th-hour to file your taxes, kudos but maybe start earlier so you don’t have to worry about several major deadlines falling on the same day. 😅

In today's newsletter, we have a story about the increase in your water and sewer rates this summer, including how much rates will rise and what the increases will fund.

Elsewhere, the Little Cyclones' boys soccer team defeated Fort Dodge, making their first home game of the season a win. The girls team won a home game earlier this week, too. We have photos from both games.

In Community Voices, we have a spotlight on Sarah Emery, Ames' first school teacher. She taught at the Hoggatt School, which was completed in 1862.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Top Story

John Dunn, the water and pollution control director for the city of Ames, is shown giving a tour of the Water Treatment Plant on July 16, 2025. | Photo: Kyle Werner

Ames water, sewer rates will increase this summer

Starting in July, Ames residents will see a slight increase in their water and sewer rates.

The Ames City Council on Tuesday approved a 3.5% increase in water rates while sewage service will increase by 5.5%. The increases will take place on July 1, the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year, and they’re largely driven by a nearly $65 million, state-mandated nutrient reduction project at the water pollution control plant.

Ames’ rates are below the state’s median water rates. The city is in the 15th percentile in terms of cost for the water rates, which means that 85% of the utilities in the state are charging more than Ames for drinking water, Water & Pollution Control Director John Dunn said at the meeting.

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

City of Ames

Sports

Girls Soccer GSOC: Little Cyclones strike late to defeat Ottumwa 3-0 by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter Coming off a 4-0 win at Fort Dodge, the Ames Little Cyclones returned home to face Ottumwa, which was looking to rebound after a loss to Des Moines Roosevelt. Continue Reading

Boys Soccer BSOC: Ames cruises to 5-1 win over Fort Dodge by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter Led by a hat trick from Matthias Roettger, Ames High’s boys soccer team defeated Fort Dodge 5-1 on Friday. Continue Reading

 

More from Sports

PHOTOS: Ames girls soccer opens season with 1-1 draw

PHOTOS: Off to the Races: Ames High track season is here

Community Voices

People of Ames Ames Notables: Sarah Emery by Ames History Museum | Contributor Sarah Emery moved to Story County with her family around 1856 and settled in what is now Nevada. The following year she took her first teaching position. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

Behind the lens, the grind defines Iowa’s state tournaments

Ames Notables: Carole Sager Horowitz

The Outside Story: Prairie Valley Preserve

Ames Notables: Dorothy Schwieder

In Other News

Iowa State Cyclones on SI: Audi Crooks Sets Visit With Big Ten School in Transfer Portal

Iowa State Daily: Ten ISU programs face closure, 13 face merger or consolidation

City of Ames: Parts of South Third Street to Close for Repairs

City of Ames: KHOI, ISU, City Host Earth Day Appreciation 2026

ISU News Service: Link between pollinators and diverse landscapes is a two-way street

Ames Tribune: Ames renaissance festival rebrands ahead of year 3. What to know

Let’s make this week about a different Taxman!

This week, the Ames staple band Indigo Monks performs at Alluvial Brewing, and the jazz combo can cover a vast array of musical genres.

ISU Theatre brings us Peter and the Starcatcher, Opera Iowa presents an afternoon of musical theater, the Renaissance Faire returns, Iowa State University students present their latest for fashion, young classical musicians perform downtown, and Ames High Drama gets Rotten.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Indigo Monks

Music Indigo Monks 7 p.m. Friday | Alluvial Brewing Ames’ premier jazz combo performs classic standards, originals and “non-standard” classics from Duke Ellington to Taylor Swift. $10 Read More

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: Marty Supreme
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.

FREE

🎭 Peter and the Starcatcher
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday | Fisher Theater

A Tony-winning play that serves as a prequel to Peter Pan, using physical theatre and imagination to tell the orphan's origin story.

$20 public; free for students

🎭 Something Rotten!
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday | Wayne “Hank” Hansen Performing Arts Center, Ames High School

A musical comedy about Bottom brothers Nick and Nigel, playwrights living in Elizabethan England and struggling to compete with the wild success of their contemporary, William Shakespeare.

$15 public; $10 students

⚔️ Prairie Rose Renaissance Festival
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday | 1400 S. 4th St.

Previously called the Ames Renaissance Faire, the 2026 Prairie Rose Renaissance Festival will include knights, duels, royalty, food, music, entertainment and community. Costumes are not required.

$18+ adults; $12+ children

Tuesday, April 14

🩰 World Ballet Company: Cinderella
7 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

A breathtaking production of the classic fairy tale featuring a multicultural cast of elite professional dancers. It features hand-painted sets, over 150 stunning costumes and Prokofiev’s legendary score.

$40+

🚂 Albert Benton Pullman: Railroad Pioneer and American Entrepreneur
7 p.m. | Ames History Museum

This talk by Simon Cordery, professor of history at Iowa State, details the life of an unjustly neglected Gilded Age figure. Older brother of the notorious George Pullman, Albert Pullman made several crucial but forgotten contributions to the success of Pullman's Palace Car Company and engaged in an erratic, fascinating investment career.

FREE

Wednesday, April 15

👨‍🏫 Natural Hydrogen: An Overlooked Energy Resource
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

U.S. Geological Survey research geologist Geoffrey Ellis discusses the potential for “Gold Hydrogen” trapped underground to become a clean energy source. He outlines the geological search for this renewable fuel and its role in decarbonization.

FREE

🎺 CySlides and Trombone Studio
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall 

The resident ISU student trombone choir, CySlides, will perform several original works by Bill Reichenbach, Madeline Lee and Andrew J. Skaggs. Also featured will be Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3.

FREE

River Valley Veterans Network
6 p.m. | Torrent Brewing Company

The gathering creates a welcoming space for veterans to connect with one another, discover resources and explore employment opportunities in a relaxed, supportive environment. Businesses who value veteran talent are invited to attend.

Thursday, April 16

🧬 Science with Cyclones
5:30 p.m. | Reiman Gardens

A family event for kids age 2 to 11, attendees will learn in interactive ways about topics from Spider-Man and scabs to badgers and green cows. Cy will be there to meet the kids.

FREE

✍️ Re-Engaging with Writing in the Age of AI
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Organizational facilitator Elizabeth Wardle discusses how writing remains a vital tool for learning and human connection despite the rise of generative AI.

FREE

👚 Day to Day Life of a Designer
7 p.m. | Cardinal Room, Memorial Union

Katrina Pedrick, designer for clothing brand Aerie, provides a practical look into the professional world of design, focusing on the daily challenges and creative workflows.

FREE

Saturday, April 18

🛠️ Ames Repair Café
10 a.m. | Ames Public Library

Drop in to a free Repair Café at the Library! Volunteers will help repair broken items to give them a longer life cycle. There is no charge for repairs at the Repair Café.

FREE

🎤 Spring of Ames 2026
6:30 p.m. | Ames City Auditorium

In its second year, this concert showcases young award-winning classical musicians from across Iowa. All ticket proceeds support KHOI music programming.

$15 general; free for students

🎤 Haymakers
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

A lively string band performance focused on bluegrass and old-time favorites. Their energetic sets are a staple in the local Ames music scene.

$10+

👚 The Fashion Show
7 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

Produced entirely by students, The Fashion Show showcases more than 100 student design entries. The event provides students with enriching leadership opportunities, connections with other students and an outlet to express their creativity.

$19+

Sunday, April 19

🎶 Arias in Ames
2 p.m. | Northminster Presbyterian Church

The talented musicians of the 2026 OPERA Iowa troupe offer an afternoon of arias and songs from musical theater.

$20 public; free for students

Monday, April 20

🎸 Paul McCartney's Evolution as a Bass Player
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

An exploration of McCartney’s technical innovation and global impact on popular music by Brian F. Wright, associate professor of music history at the University of North Texas.

FREE

Upcoming events on our radar

⚖️ April 22: Channeling Conflict: The Constitution, the Courts and the Character of American Self-Government, 2630 Memorial Union

🎤 April 23: CeCe Winans: More Than This Tour, Stephens Auditorium

🥗 May 2: Ames Main Street Farmers Market opening day, Downtown Ames

🎶 May 3: Masterworks Concert, Stephens Auditorium

🎶 May 15: Across the Water, Collegiate Presbyterian Church

Happy Artemis II's return to Earth eve!

In today’s newsletter, we have photos from the Ames High girls’ first soccer game of the season. Facing the Pella Dutch, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Elsewhere, the Ames Police Department is investigating acts of vandalism, the latest happened earlier this week. The case against a Fort Dodge man accused of murdering his sister and nephew is paused as a judge ordered a competency evaluation.  

In Community Voices, reporter Davin Bakerink offers a peek behind the media curtain of covering the state basketball tournaments. Next year, the boys tournament comes to Hilton Coliseum.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Top Story

Ames’ Natalie Westort (2) cheers with teammates after scoring to tie the game 1-1 against Pella during a home match on Monday. | Photo: Davin Bakerink

PHOTOS: Ames girls soccer opens season with 1-1 draw

On a cold, windy 45-degree night, the Ames girl’s soccer season opened for the Little Cyclones with a 1-1 draw at home against the Pella Dutch.

Pella entered the Monday match after a 2-1 win over Bondurant-Farrar. Ames’ scheduled first game against Linn-Mar last week was postponed.

Both teams were looking to rebound from postseason losses last year. Ames fell 3-0 to Waukee Northwest in the Class 3A Substate 1 championship, while Pella dropped a 5-0 decision to Dallas Center-Grimes in the opening round of the Class 2A state tournament.

The match featured a defensive, back-and-forth pace with limited scoring opportunities, as both teams emphasized possession and passing.

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

City of Ames

Ames Police Ames PD investigates vehicles vandalized with swastikas by Amber Mohmand | News Editor The vandalism took place over the past few weeks, according to a news release from Ames police. Reports have been taken from residents in the 100 block of Crystal Street, the 200 and 300 blocks of South Fifth Street, the 1600 block of South Kellogg Avenue and the 2800 block of Grand Avenue. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Ames CSD still short on funding despite state aid increase

Ames Quilt Guild marks a decade of creativity and community

Joel Sartore: Documenting 18,000 species and counting for Photo Ark preservation

PHOTOS: Residents rally at No Kings protest in Ames

Aquatic center nears opening, contractor dispute clouds finish line

 

Civic Calendar

Mon: School Improvement Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., Ames CSD office

Mon: Historic Preservation Commission Meeting, 6 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Tue: Board of Supervisors, 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)

Tue: Ames City Council Meeting, 6 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Wed: Planning and Zoning Commission, 7 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Thurs: Parks and Recreation Commission, 4 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Community Voices

State Basketball Tournaments Behind the lens, the grind defines Iowa’s state tournaments by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter The Iowa State Girls Basketball Tournament is where champions are crowned, Cinderella runs take shape and players carve their names into history. From the outside, it’s all about the games. From the media side, it’s about everything else. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

Ames Notables: Carole Sager Horowitz

The Outside Story: Prairie Valley Preserve

Ames Notables: Dorothy Schwieder

Going Green: Myth-busting electric vehicles

In Other News

City of Ames: Construction Continues on S. 16th Street; Traffic Maintained

Iowa State Daily: Over the fence: What’s going on outside Beardshear Hall?

Ames Alliance: The Ames Regional Economic Alliance Announces Ronnie Olson as Executive Director of Ames Main Street

ISU News Service: Micro-credential course teaches K-12 educators critical AI literacy skills

Ames Tribune: Lyndsey Fennelly's ice cream van rolls out a delicious adventure

Hoppy Tuesday!

On Saturday, country superstar Luke Combs takes the stage at Jack Trice Stadium, and the Grand Ole Opry member will be joined by Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James. They’re all better together.

Elsewhere, the library has its spring book sale, the Fab Four have your ticket to ride, the ISU Symphony Orchestra performs Hector Berlioz, Arkansauce does back-to-back nights at Alluvial and a lecture explores the impact of telenovelas on modern internet culture.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Luke Combs (Photo: Jeremy Cowart)

Music Luke Combs with Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James 5:20 p.m. Saturday | Jack Trice Stadium Country star Luke Combs stops by Ames for his My Kinda Saturday Night tour. He’ll be joined by special guests Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James. $77 Read More

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: Anaconda
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

A group of friends (Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton) are going through a mid-life crisis. They decide to remake a favorite movie from their youth but encounter unexpected events when they enter the jungle.

FREE

📚 Book Sale
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday | Ames Public Library

Find great deals on thousands of used items, including books, movies and music. Proceeds from the sale are used to enhance Library programs and services. While admission is $1 on Sunday, everything is free.

$2 Thursday; FREE Friday and Saturday; $1 Sunday

🎭 Over the River and Through the Woods
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday | Ames Community Theater

A funny and touching story about intergenerational relationships, deep familial love and the inevitable little heartbreaks that occur as time passes and children grow.

$20

Tuesday, April 7

👩‍🏫 Democratizing Math and STEM Success
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Namrata Vaswani, the Anderlik Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State, discusses how early math skills impact future STEM outcomes and how to improve teaching “soft skills.”

FREE

Wednesday, April 8

🎥 Carving the Divine: A Film and Discussion About the 1,400-Year History of Buddhist Woodcarving
5:30 p.m. | Kocimski Auditorium, College of Design

A documentary screening and rare look into the 1,400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition with director Yujiro Seki.

FREE

🐟 From Fish to Humans: The Evolution of Vertebrates
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Paleontologist Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish, explains how our bodies contain the history of ancient ancestors. He uses fossil evidence to show the long journey from fins to hands.

FREE

Thursday, April 9

📺 “Crying in Spanish”: Telenovela Memes in Latine Social Media
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Adriana Estill, the A.D. Hulings Professor of American Studies at Carleton College, explores the cultural impact of Latin American soap opera tropes in modern internet culture. She analyzes how these memes navigate identity and humor within the Latine community.

FREE

🎤 The Back Alley & Easy Honey
8 p.m. | The Maintenance Shop

Chicago indie rock quintet The Back Alley will make you jam out. Visiting from Charleston, S.C., Easy Honey brings a blend of “self-titled” indie-surf rock.

$15+ public; $10+ students

Friday, April 10

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State
4 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

A high-stakes Big 12 series begins as the Cowgirls visit Ames. This matchup typically features elite pitching and high-level conference competition.

🎤 ISU Music & Theatre Friday Soirée
5 p.m. | The Maintenance Shop

The April installment of the Soirée series offers another chance to see student recitals in a casual setting. Join Music and Theatre faculty, staff and students in this time of fellowship and informal performance opportunity.

FREE

🎤 Arkansauce with Marques Morel (Night 1)
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

Night one of a two-night bluegrass run with the nationally touring Arkansauce. Beloved Iowa troubadour Marques Morel opens the evening with grit and soul.

$20+

🎤 Brother Trucker with Bad Vibes
7:15 p.m. | Ames City Auditorium

Brother Trucker delivers the kind of hard-hitting, blue collar Americana that could only come from Iowa’s Trailer Records lineage — gritty stories, big grooves and a live show that hits like a freight train.

$10

🎤 The Fab Four
7:30 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

Widely considered the best Beatles tribute in the world, this show features uncanny costume changes and note-perfect performances. It tracks the band’s evolution from Liverpool to Abbey Road.

$33+

Saturday, April 11

🎭 Senior Variety Show Auditions 2026
Noon to 4 p.m. | Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1416 20th St.

Story County seniors aged 60+ are invited to bring a 3 minute, theme-related act. The show will take place Aug. 14 and 15.

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State
1 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

The series against Oklahoma State continues with a Saturday afternoon game. It’s a featured weekend for Cyclone Athletics with various fan promotions expected.

🎤 Saturday Night with Chris Patterson
6 p.m. | Cornbred

Chris Patterson, a founder and frontman for Great Caesar’s Goat, performs a solo show.

🎤 Arkansauce (Night 2)
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

The second night of blazing bluegrass and spring vibes with the Arkansas-based quartet. Expect a completely different setlist and high-energy improvisation.

$20+

🥁 Percussion Ensemble
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

This high-impact concert features contemporary percussion literature using everything from marimbas to “found objects.” It is one of the most visually and rhythmically dynamic concerts of the semester.

FREE

Sunday, April 12

🎻 ISU Symphony Orchestra
4:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

ISU Symphony Orchestra will be performing Symphony Fantastic by Hector Berlioz, a pioneering five-movement program symphony telling a tale of an artist’s obsessive love, despair and hallucinations.

$10 public; free for students

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State
Noon | Cyclone Softball Complex

The Cyclones conclude their three-game series against the Cowgirls. Sunday games at the complex are known for family-friendly events and youth activities.

Upcoming events on our radar

🎭 April 16-19: Peter and the Starcatcher, Fisher Theater

🎭 April 17-19: Something Rotten!, Wayne "Hank" Hansen Performing Arts Center

🎶 April 19: Arias in Ames, Northminster Presbyterian Church

⚖️ April 22: Channeling Conflict: The Constitution, the Courts, and the Character of American Self-Government, 2630 Memorial Union

What's going on and Happy Maundy Thursday!

We’ve surpassed 1,000 subscribers! Thank you for continuing to read and share our content with your family and friends. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about our promise. Our 1,000th subscriber will get an email from us this week to award a prize. We appreciate your support! 😊

Onto our newsletter, our top story profiles the Ames Quilt Guild, where local quilters can gather to share their creativity, build a community and celebrate their love for the craft.

Elsewhere, we have photos from Saturday's No Kings rally where over 1,000 people gathered at O’Neil Park to protest the Trump Administration and its recent actions, including ICE and the war on Iran. Track and field season is also here, and we have photos from the Ames Expo Meet on Monday.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

For any journalism students, check out our internship application. However, anyone can apply to work in the newsroom. It's more than just reporters — photography, copy editing or administrative-assistant work.

The Voice is always seeking volunteers across all divisions, whether that's in the newsroom, fundraising, marketing, etc. Even if you only have a couple hours a week to give, we can find a place for you. We are also seeking an advertising sales representative.

If you have any questions about opportunities, reach out to Anthony Capps for newsroom questions and Al Weber for advertising, marketing and administrative questions.

Top Story

The Ames Quilt Guild gathers quilts to donate to area organizations at the First Methodist Church on March 26. | Artemis Tack

Ames Quilt Guild marks a decade of creativity and community

Built on the motto, “Food. Fun. Fabric,” the Ames Quilt Guild is a way for quilters to share their creativity, build a community and celebrate their love for the craft.

The motto is to reflect the group’s purpose, Pam Geringer, a member of the guild, wrote in the June 2024 issue of the guild’s newsletter.

“‘Food’ was intentionally mentioned because not all area quilting groups allowed snacks at meetings and this group wanted to enjoy treats while socializing and sharing the pleasure of quilting,” Geringer wrote.

Up until 2016 Ames didn’t have any quilting groups, which caused quilters to meet outside of Ames in places such as Gilbert, Ankeny and Des Moines. In 2015, Susan Fraser and Marge Fitzgerald met Judy Larsen and talked about starting a guild in Ames.

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City of Ames

Activism PHOTOS: Residents rally at No Kings protest in Ames by Deni Chamberlin, Brittany Huston, Cooper Hyde and Zachary Quinn | Contributors Over a thousand community members showed up and protested for the national No Kings Protest on Saturday. Organizers expected attendance of about 1,000 for Saturday’s No Kings at O’Neil Park. Instead, 1,700 showed up. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Joel Sartore: Documenting 18,000 species and counting for Photo Ark preservation

City cuts costs, moves forward with $18 million recycling campus

Aquatic center nears opening, contractor dispute clouds finish line

Ames City Council approves $17.4 million for street restoration, propose 1.57% property taxes increase

‘Figuring it out along the way’: New ISU President David Cook’s journey brings him home

Civic Calendar

Mon: Ames School Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m., District Office (Ames)

Tue: Board of Supervisors, 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)

Tue: Public Art Commission, 5:30 p.m., Room 135 at City Hall (Ames)

Sports

AHS Track & Field Off to the Races: Ames High track season is here by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter Freshman and sophomore athletes from Ames, Waukee, Dowling and Ankeny competed in the Ames Expo Meet on Monday, a preparation for the upcoming high school track and field season. Continue Reading

Men’s Basketball MBB: Cyclones’ tournament run ends with 76-62 loss to Tennessee by Jared Larson | Staff Reporter No. 2 seed Iowa State saw its NCAA Tournament run end late Friday night, falling 76-62 to No. 6 seed Tennessee in the Sweet 16 at the United Center, Chicago. The loss drops the Cyclones to 0-4 all-time at “The House That Jordan Built.” Continue Reading

 

More from Sports

MBB: Cyclones surge past Kentucky, return to Sweet 16 behind Lipsey’s 26

WBB: Cyclones fall to Syracuse in first round

MBB: Jefferson’s injury looms large in opening win against Tennessee State

In Other News

OLLI: OLLI at Iowa State classes for spring begin Monday. More than 40 classes will be offered and membership is required.

WHO13: Ames High School launches girls flag football club with Minnesota Vikings grant

ISU News Service: From classroom to career: How one graphic design course helped pave the future for student startup business

ISU News Service: The ISU Research Park still works for faculty startups

Ames Alliance: AREA Podcast: Ashley Thompson, President & CEO of United Way of Story County

Story County Conservation: Registration is open to watch a live prairie burn later this month

Happy golfing season and may your meeting schedule today be manageable!

As we head into Easter weekend, event highlights include a dance production of Peter Pan the West Des Moines-based School of Classical Ballet and Dance. Also, Ames Community Theater gets intergenerational, writer Lyz Lenz visits Ames, ISU PD cracks a big case and the Best Picture winner shows for free.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Peter Pan (Image: Iowa State Center)

Dance Peter Pan 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday | Stephens Auditorium A high-flying new production of the classic story about the boy who wouldn't grow up from the School of Classical Ballet and Dance. This family-favorite is filled with wonder, adventure and breathtaking moments. $41+ Read More

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Help Us Hit the Big 1,000! 📣

The Ames Voice is closing in on a major milestone, and we’re asking for your help to push us over the finish line! We are officially on the hunt for our 1,000th subscriber.

Not only will subscribers get the best local news, stories and updates delivered straight to their inbox, but there is a tasty bonus on the line:

🎁 The Prize: Our 1,000th subscriber wins a $25 gift card to the Ames restaurant of their choice!

Whether they may be craving a classic burger, some local tacos or a cozy café treat and coffee, the next local classic treat could be on us.

How you can help:

• Forward this note to a neighbor who just moved in.

• Text the link below to a friend who always asks "what's going on this weekend?"

• Share us on your neighborhood Facebook page.

Share this link to help them subscribe.

Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: One Battle After Another
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

When their enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own. This six-time Oscar-winning movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Teyana Taylor.

FREE

🎭 Over the River and Through the Woods
7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday | Ames Community Theater

A funny and touching story about intergenerational relationships, deep familial love and the inevitable little heartbreaks that occur as time passes and children grow.

$20

Tuesday, March 31

🚓 An International Sexual Predator Ring Exposed: How ISU PD Cracked the Case
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

Chief Michael Newton and Officer Kami Feld share the behind-the-scenes story of a complex digital investigation. They detail how local campus police tracked a criminal network across international borders.

FREE

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Northern Iowa
4 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

The Cyclones take on the UNI Panthers in a non-conference regional matchup. It's an opportunity for fans to see top-tier Iowa talent on one field.

FREE

Wednesday, April 1

👨‍🏫 Mathematics for Human Flourishing
6 p.m. | South Ballroom, Memorial Union

Francis Su, the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, explores how the beauty and logic of math can lead to a more meaningful and just life. He argues that math is a deeply human endeavor that builds virtues like hope and persistence.

FREE

🎥 Ben-Hur
7 p.m. | Movies 12

A Jewish prince (Charlton Heston) is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, but it's not long before he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

$12+

🎶 Flute & Clarinet Ensembles
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

A showcase of woodwind chamber music featuring the ISU Flute Ensemble and Clarinet Choir. These large woodwind groups perform a mix of original compositions and orchestral transcriptions.

FREE

Thursday, April 2

👩‍🏫 Mental Health Matters
5 p.m. | Great Hall, Memorial Union

An evening dedicated to suicide awareness and mental health advocacy, featuring speaker Foster Huggins. The event includes a resource expo followed by a keynote on finding purpose through grief.

FREE

📖 Life and Inspiration in Iowa: A Conversation with Author Lyz Lenz
7 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Journalist Lyz Lenz discusses her memoir This American Ex-Wife and the complexities of life in the Midwest. She offers a sharp, witty look at gender, faith and autonomy.

FREE

🎤 Clarion: Blue Fairy Tour w/ Forest & Bed
8 p.m. | Maintenance Shop

The Los Angeles-based three-piece band Clarion brings their spin on shoegaze, rock and post punk to Ames. Forest will support the show and Bed will open.

$16 public, $12 ISU students

Friday, April 3

🎾 Tennis: Iowa State vs. Cincinnati
4 p.m. | Ames Fitness Center (South)

Iowa State welcomes Cincinnati for a Big 12 conference tennis match. The Cyclones look to leverage home-court advantage in this critical conference pairing.

FREE

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Arizona
4 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

Big 12 action continues as the Arizona Wildcats travel to Ames for the first time as conference foes. This series marks a significant weekend for the Cyclones' post-season aspirations.

🎤 Erf & Alleygrass
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

A "groove ship" double-header featuring funk-prog vibes and jamgrass energy. The night includes intermission comedy from Max Power to keep the energy high.

$9+

🎤 Friday Night Live with Corbett Reeves
6 p.m. | Cornbred Barbecue

The first live music at Cornbred of the season and the first appearance for Corbett Reeves. The rock/folk-playing Norwalk native has been a fixture in the Des Moines music scene for years.

Saturday, April 4

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Arizona
Noon | Cyclone Softball Complex

Game two of the series against Arizona provides a midday Saturday outing for Cyclone fans. Expect a competitive atmosphere against a historically strong softball program.

🎤 Larry Myer
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

A premier independent singer-songwriter with over 3,000 performances across North America. He delivers a powerhouse Americana show with guitar and harmonica.

$5

Sunday, April 5

🎾 Tennis: Iowa State vs. West Virginia
Noon | Ames Fitness Center (South)

The Cyclones wrap up their weekend tennis homestand against the Mountaineers. This match is a key opportunity for ISU to climb in the Big 12 standings.

Monday, April 6

👩‍🏫 How Free Market Thinking Blocked Climate Action
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

Historian Naomi Oreskes examines why scientific warnings about climate change were ignored for decades. She traces the political and economic ideologies that favored industry over environmental protection.

FREE

Upcoming events on our radar

🎤 April 10: The Fab Four, Stephens Auditorium

🎤 April 11: Luke Combs with Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James, Jack Trice Stadium

🎭 April 16-19: Peter and the Starcatcher, Fisher Theater

Happy Thursday and may you live long and prosper! 

We had a packed house at our co-sponsored event featuring Pulitzer-Prize winner and Storm Lake Times Pilot Editor Art Cullen. Every seat the library staff could find was filled with those eager to hear about Art’s book. Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore, the director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State University, led the Q&A discussion.

Thank you for showing up, and welcome to the several new subscribers we added from the event! 😀

In today's newsletter, we talk to Joel Sartore, who for 20 years has been working on the Photo Ark, a National Geographic project that aims to photograph all species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. Tonight, he will speak on campus.

In other news, Ames is on the verge of opening its long-awaited Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center, but a dispute with a contractor is threatening to put a blemish on the project. The Cyclone men are heading to the Sweet 16.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Help Us Hit the Big 1,000! 📣

The Ames Voice is closing in on a major milestone, and we’re asking for your help to push us over the finish line! We are officially on the hunt for our 1,000th subscriber.

Not only will subscribers get the best local news, stories and updates delivered straight to their inbox, but there is a tasty bonus on the line:

🎁 The Prize: Our 1,000th subscriber wins a $25 gift card to the Ames restaurant of their choice!

Whether they may be craving a classic burger, some local tacos or a cozy café treat and coffee, the next local classic treat could be on us.

How you can help:

• Forward this note to a neighbor who just moved in.

• Text the link below to a friend who always asks "what's going on this weekend?"

• Share us on your neighborhood Facebook page.

Share this link to help them subscribe.

Top Story

Joel Sartore photographs Johnny, the serval (Leptailurus serval), at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. | Photo: Cole Sartore

Joel Sartore: Documenting 18,000 species and counting for Photo Ark preservation

As a boy, Joel Sartore read about passenger pigeons, a once common North American bird that likely numbered in the billions but was purposely hunted to the point of extinction by 1914. He had a difficult time fathoming why people allowed such a thing to happen to the pigeon.

More than five decades later, Sartore, now a photographer for National Geographic and founder of the Photo Ark, is even farther from any comprehension.

“In fact, my understanding of that grows less with each year. I don’t understand why people don’t care,” he said. “The world would be so much better if we were a little bit kind and tolerant and thoughtful about nature especially.”

For the past 20 years, Sartore led the Photo Ark, a National Geographic project that aims to photograph all species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.

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City of Ames

Ames City Council City cuts costs, moves forward with $18 million recycling campus by Bill Monroe | Staff Reporter City leaders voted to move ahead with a major overhaul of Ames’ waste system after trimming nearly $1.6 million from an over-budget project, bringing the total construction cost for a new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus (R3C) to about $18.1 million. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Aquatic center nears opening, contractor dispute clouds finish line

Ames City Council approves $17.4 million for street restoration, propose 1.57% property taxes increase

‘Figuring it out along the way’: New ISU President David Cook’s journey brings him home

Bids for recycling campus nearly $2.8 million over estimate

Ames to begin search for next city attorney

 

Civic Calendar

Thu (March 26): Ames Human Relations Commission, 5:30 p.m., Room 235 at City Hall (Ames)

Thu(March 26): Ames CSD Policy Meeting, noon, virtual

Tue: Board of Supervisors, 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)

Tue: Planning and Zoning Commission, 7 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Sports

Men’s Basketball Cyclones surge past Kentucky, return to Sweet 16 behind Lipsey’s 26 by Jared Larson | Staff Reporter Behind a career-high 26 points from Ames native Tamin Lipsey, No. 2 seed Iowa State punched its ticket to a third Sweet 16 in five years with an 82-63 win over No. 7 seed Kentucky on Sunday at the Enterprise Center. Continue Reading

 

More from Sports

WBB: Cyclones fall to Syracuse in first round

MBB: Jefferson’s injury looms large in opening win against Tennessee State

Community Voices

People of Ames Ames Notables: Carole Sager Horowitz by Ames History Museum | Contributor Carole Sager Horowitz was a trailblazer in Ames, best known for producing and promoting theater and the arts throughout central Iowa. Carole’s initial love of theater was fostered by her mother, who took her to Broadway performances in Manhattan. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

The Outside Story: Prairie Valley Preserve

Ames Notables: Dorothy Schwieder

Going Green: Myth-busting electric vehicles

In Other News

Iowa State Daily: PHOTOS: Pro Day in Ames

ISU News Service: Recycling plants’ plastic-cleaning process may pose water contamination risks

ISU News Service: Iowa State’s Pest-ID team, global researchers, work to build an app to help farmers

Ames Tribune: Ames women's group bakes ‘Pay Gap' cookies for Norah O’Donnell visit

Happy Tuesday! We hope everyone had a fun and safe spring break.

This week, you could pick from blues, dream pop, folk and classical music or weather, wildlife and history lectures. Plus there’s stand-up comedy, a Simon Estes documentary, and Easter egg hunts.

Don’t forget to tell your friends about us!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Weary Ramblers

Music Celebrate the Blues: Weary Ramblers and The Other Brothers 7 p.m. Saturday | Stephens Auditorium For KHOI's spring fundraising concert, the Weary Ramblers, winners at the 2026 International Blues Challenge, headline a concert with opener The Other Brothers, semifinalists at the 2026 International Blues Challenge. $15+ Read More

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Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: Eternity
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

FREE

Tuesday, March 24

🌧️ Iowa’s 2020 Derecho: What Have Meteorologists Learned?
6 p.m. | Great Hall, Memorial Union

Meteorologist William Gallus breaks down the science behind the devastating 2020 wind storm. He shares new research on predicting these "land hurricanes" to improve future warning times.

FREE

🎖️ A Visit from a Civil War Soldier
7 p.m. | Ames Public Library

Dressed in full Union Army regalia, O.J. Fargo focuses his first-person presentation on an individual Iowa soldier’s Civil War experience. After a brief overview of the state’s involvement, the audience is introduced to a returning Civil War veteran (played by Fargo). He will detail the experiences of an Iowan during the conflict.

FREE

🎤 Tokyo Tea Room w/ Mr. Softheart
8 p.m. | The Maintenance Shop

This UK-based dream pop band brings their psychedelic, melodic sound to Ames for an intimate set. They are joined by the atmospheric indie-rock stylings of Mr. Softheart.

$16 public; $12 ISU students

Wednesday, March 25

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Drake
4 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

In-state rivals meet as the Drake Bulldogs visit Ames for a single-game showdown. This matchup often brings high energy as part of the local rivalry series.

👩‍🏫 Menopause 101: Symptoms, Treatments, and What to Expect
7 p.m. | Ames Public Library

Join for a clear, straightforward overview of menopause and perimenopause. Rachel Frederick, a physician assistant and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, will discuss typical symptoms, myths and misconceptions, and modern approaches to care.

FREE

😂 Daniel Tosh: My First Farewell Tour
7 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

Known for his biting satire and long-running show Tosh.0, the comedian brings his latest stand-up set to Ames. Note: This show contains mature content and language.

$45+

Thursday, March 26

🐘 The National Geographic Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals
6 p.m. | Sun Room, Memorial Union

Renowned photographer Joel Sartore presents his mission to document every species living in the world’s zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. His stunning visuals aim to inspire action for global conservation.

FREE

🏛️ Museum Meetup: Make and Model
6 to 8 p.m. | Christian Petersen Art Museum

In partnership with the Student Innovation Center’s 3D Lab and FIRST Lego League, University Museums invites you to build and design a Lego work of art while discovering how resin 3D printing and advanced 3D scanning can replicate objects, support conservation and increase art accessibility.

FREE

🎤 Doomed Pioneers
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

An enchanting and eclectic folk duo returning for a special spring performance. Their unique sound combines haunting vocals with rich instrumental layers.

$5

🎹 Du, Meine Welt!: The World of Clara and Robert Schumann
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

This collaborative recital explores the romantic and musical world of Clara Wieck and Robert Schumann. It features guest artists alongside faculty members for an evening of 19th-century German Lieder and piano works.

FREE

Friday, March 27

🎤 Run Dog / Joel Sires
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

Run Dog makes their Alluvial debut alongside favorite Iowa songwriter Joel Sires. This Americana-indie showcase is a perfect way to beckon spring.

$7+

Saturday, March 28

📝 American Revolution Transcribe-a-thon
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Ames Public Library

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by helping history live on. You can bring the words of the people who lived during the American Revolution to life at the library's Transcribe-a-thon. This event is part of the Library of Congress's "By the People" volunteer transcription program. At 10 a.m., there'll be a presentation by Richard Kehrberg of the Iowa State University Department of History on Revolutionary War-era handwriting and documents.

FREE

🎭 Senior Variety Show Auditions 2026
Noon to 4 p.m. | Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1416 20th St.

Story County seniors aged 60+ are invited to bring a 3 minute, theme-related act. The show will take place Aug. 14 and 15.

🎤 Alluvial Anniversary Party w/ Iowa No Mountain Boys
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

Celebrating Alluvial's 11th anniversary with the final night of the Iowa No Mountain Boys residency.

$5

Sunday, March 29

🎥 Ben-Hur
2 p.m. | Movies 12

A Jewish prince (Charlton Heston) is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, but it's not long before he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge. This film also plays at 7 p.m. April 1.

$12+

🐰 Easter Community Eggstravaganza
2 to 4 p.m. | St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado Ave.

Families and friends are invited to an afternoon of laughter and community including photos with the Easter Bunny, making festive crafts, playing games and a cake walk. Everything is planned inside, so the fun won’t be affected by the weather.

FREE

🐰 Easter Egg Hunt
2 to 4 p.m. | Memorial Lutheran Church, 2228 Lincoln Way

This annual Easter Egg Hunt includes crafts, coloring eggs and playing games, with the Easter egg hunt at 3 p.m.

FREE

Monday, March 30

🎥 Simon Estes: A Heart & A Voice
5:30 p.m. | Great Hall, Memorial Union

A documentary screening and conversation with world-famous bass-baritone and Iowa native Simon Estes. He reflects on his legendary career and his philanthropic efforts across the globe.

FREE

👨‍🏫 A Distinctively Christian Approach to Engineering
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

This lecture by Paul Griffioen and Justin Vander Werff, engineering professors at Dordt University, explores how a Christian approach can offer both a sense of purpose within the engineering profession and a philosophical framework for practicing engineering with integrity and depth.

FREE

🎻 Chamber Orchestra Concert
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

The ISU Chamber Orchestra performs a selection of classical and neoclassical works designed for a smaller, more intimate string and wind configuration. This performance highlights precision and classical style.

$10 public; free for students

Upcoming events on our radar

👩‍🏫 April 2: A Conversation with Author Lyz Lenz, Memorial Union

🎭 April 2-12: Over the River and Through the Woods, Ames Community Theater

🎭 April 4: Peter Pan, Stephens Auditorium

🎤 April 10: The Fab Four, Stephens Auditorium

🎤 April 11: Luke Combs with Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James, Jack Trice Stadium

Happy Thursday! And we hope you're enjoying your spring break so far. 😊

In today's newsletter, David Cook began his term as Iowa State University’s 17th president. He was born in Ames, grew up here and graduated from Iowa State, so we asked him about finding his way back home.

In other news, the Ames Police Department arrested and charged a Fort Dodge man for the murder last weekend of his sister and her 1-year-old son. In sports, both the Cyclone men and women begin March Madness play this weekend.

Our Community Voice spotlights Prairie Valley Preserve, located north of Ames and one of Story County Conservation's newer additions.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Top Story

David Cook began his term as Iowa State’s 17th president on March 1. | Photo by Amber Mohmand

‘Figuring it out along the way’: New ISU President David Cook’s journey brings him home

Coming back to Ames — let alone becoming the president of Iowa State University — seemed like a distant dream for David Cook.

It’s been 34 years since the Ames native and Iowa State alumnus earned his bachelor’s degree, after which he went to the University of Kansas and began his career.

“We always thought coming back to Iowa was always something that was in the back of our minds and I never thought it was possible that I could come back and be president,” Cook told the Ames Voice, sitting in his new office, the Office of the President at Iowa State.

He began his term as the 167-year-old university’s 17th president earlier this month.

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City of Ames

Crime & Courts Fort Dodge man accused of murdering his sister and infant nephew by Amber Mohmand | News Editor A Fort Dodge man is charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed his sister and his 1-year-old nephew to death. Continue Reading

 

More from City of Ames

Bids for recycling campus nearly $2.8 million over estimate

Ames to begin search for next city attorney

Regents discuss tuition hike, land sale and campus improvements

Iowa Public Radio to move to downtown Ames after lease extension ends

Ames reaches deal to fix, open Schainker Plaza by the end of the year

 

Civic Calendar

Thu (March 19): Parks and Recreation Commission, 4 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Mon: Ames CSD Regular Meeting, 5:30 p.m., District Office (Ames)

Tue: Board of Supervisors, 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)

Tue: City Council Meeting, 6 p.m., Council Chambers at City Hall (Ames)

Thu: Ames CSD Policy Meeting, noon, virtual

Arts & Entertainment

Ames Voice Sponsored Event With urgency and clarity, Art Cullen tells us the rent is due for Iowa, the nation and democracy by Doug Burns | Contributor With a rare sense of place, a know-it-when-you-see-it Iowa-ness, Art Cullen’s roaring new book is nothing short of an unsparing mirror for 3.3 million of us in the state. Continue Reading

Sports

Women’s Basketball: March Madness Cyclones, Orange clash in March Madness opener by Jared Larson | Staff Reporter The Cyclones (22-9, 10-8 Big 12) head into the NCAA Tournament in Storrs, Connecticut, with a 23-23 all-time record. Continue Reading

 

More from March Madness

MBB: Cyclones head to St. Louis as No. 2 seed in March Madness

Community Voices

Story County Conservation The Outside Story: Prairie Valley Preserve by Jim Colbert | Contributor The Landers Prairie portion of Prairie Valley Preserve is truly rare and special. It includes “remnant prairie” – native prairie that was never plowed. Such remnants are quite rare in central Iowa. Continue Reading

 

More from Community Voices

Ames Notables: Dorothy Schwieder

Going Green: Myth-busting electric vehicles

Ames Notables: William Ricketts

The Outside Story: Jim Ketelsen “Greenwing” Marsh

In Other News

The Guardian: Iowa State’s Audi Crooks is a velveteen unicorn – and March’s biggest matchup problem

Ames Alliance: Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market Expands for the 2026 Season

City of Ames: CDBG/HOME Public Forums Planned for Wednesday

City of Ames: Construction Begins on S. 16th Street Monday

Ames Tribune: Renderings of the new Ames Event Center are here. What you should know

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

If you aren’t traveling for spring break 2026, don’t fret. Ames still has events. Quilts will blanket Reiman Gardens, Courtney Krause and Meara Rose perform at the city auditorium and a lecture will educate about the past, present and future of electricity in Ames.

And kicking off next week, newspaper editor and author Art Cullen will speak about his new book on Monday. The event is sponsored by the Ames Voice, and we’ll be around if you want to stop by and say hello or if you are interested in getting involved.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
news@amesvoice.com

Event Spotlight

Art Cullen, author and The Storm Lake Times Pilot editor

Book Talk Author Event with Art Cullen 7 p.m. Monday | Ames Public Library Join us for an evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning editor, author and journalist Art Cullen to celebrate his new book, Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest: Notes from the Edge of the World. This event is sponsored by the Ames Voice. FREE Read More

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Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🌱 2026 Garden Quilt Show
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday | Reiman Gardens

Reiman Gardens and the Iowa Quilters Guild host this three-day show, which encourages the art of quilting through beautiful displays of garden-themed quilts. This show will award prizes in several categories, including Big and Small, Garden Theme: We’ve got the biggest bulbs of them all!, and Big Sacrifices. Vendors demonstrating, displaying and selling fabric art will also be available.

FREE

Tuesday, March 17

👩‍🏫 Protecting Assets from Nursing Home Care Costs
7 p.m. | Danfoss Room, Ames Public Library

Attorney Merlaine Mosley breaks down Medicaid planning in plain language and explains lawful strategies to protect your home and assets while still qualifying for care.

FREE

🎥 Leprechaun
7:45 p.m. | Movies 12

An evil, sadistic Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) goes on a killing rampage in search of his beloved pot of gold.

$5

🎤 Ride On
9 p.m. | Sam's Place

Green beer and rock-and-roll music provided by Ride On.

Wednesday, March 18

🎤 Open Mic Night
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

Hosted by Adam Kindred, the night is open to music (2 songs), comedy, poetry and prose.

FREE

Thursday, March 19

⚡ Learn with the League: Ames Electric Utility
7 p.m. | Rotary Room, Ames Public Library

Since 1896, the city has been providing electricity to its residents and for the past 50 years operated a waste-to-energy facility. Today and into the future the city is focused on a balance of “Reliable, Renewable and Rates.” Don Kom, director of electric services, will discuss how Ames is uniquely positioned to blend these three cornerstones of utility preparedness.

FREE

Friday, March 20

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Houston
4 p.m. | Cyclone Sports Complex

The Cyclones take on the University of Houston Cougars.

🎤 Silversonic
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

A versatile local group delivering a blend of rock and alternative covers and originals. Their sets are known for being melodic and highly danceable.

$8

🎤 Courtney Krause and Meara Rose
7 p.m. | Ames City Auditorium

Fifth and Clark Fridays continues with the lyrically driven and Des Moines–based singer-songwriter Courtney Krause, who blends country, folk, soul and rock. Pianist, vocalist, songwriter and Iowa native Meara Rose also performs, showcasing her love for soul, Latin jazz and her classical music roots.

$10

Saturday, March 21

🎤 Writer’s Round w/ Wally Neal & Guests
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

A yearly tradition featuring Wally Neal, Casey Joe Collins and others in a song-sharing circle. The intimate "listening room" format lets the stories behind the songs shine.

$5

Upcoming events on our radar

🌧️ March 24: Iowa's Surprising 2020 Derecho: What Have Meteorologists Learned?, Memorial Union

😂 March 25: Daniel Tosh: My First Farewell Tour, Stephens Auditorium

📷 March 26: The National Geographic Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals, Memorial Union

👩‍🏫 April 2: A Conversation with Author Lyz Lenz, Memorial Union

🎭 April 2-12: Over the River and Through the Woods, Ames Community Theater

🎭 April 4: Peter Pan, Stephens Auditorium

🎤 April 10: The Fab Four, Stephens Auditorium