Good morning Ames! PSA to anyone whose pool bag hasn’t left their trunk since July. You have 26 days left. The Furman Aquatic Center is open through Labor Day and most kids start school in a couple weeks. That season pass isn’t going to swim itself.

Lets do it.

— Chance

Tyrese Haliburton Is Coming Home to Hilton

Mark October 7 on your calendar. Former Iowa State star and two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton is bringing his Indiana Pacers to Hilton Coliseum for an NBA exhibition game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 6 p.m.

It's the first NBA game at Hilton since 2018 and only the fourth in the building's history — putting it in company with some legendary Cyclone moments. Haliburton is returning from a season-ending Achilles injury that kept him off the court all of 2025-26, making this his long-awaited comeback game. There may not be a better place to make that return than the building where it all started.

Tickets go on sale September 9 at pacers.com/iowastate. (more)

Ames Schools New Discipline Policy

If you have kids in the Ames Community School District, there's a new disciplinary framework taking effect this school year. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 2428 into law on June 1, and the Ames School Board approved its implementation policy Monday. Here's how it works in plain terms:

For non-violent disruptions (things like disorderly conduct or abusive language) students can be removed from class and supervised for at least 30 minutes. Elementary students (K-5) need a teacher-principal consultation before returning. Middle and high schoolers are out of that class for the rest of the day but can attend others. Parents get a call before readmission.

For violent disruptions involving injury, property damage, or assault, the same removal applies but with stricter conditions. In assault cases, the student won't return to that classroom at all, and the teacher has the right to decline readmission.

The Oversight Review Committee consists of two teachers and one administrator, mental health professional, or behavioral interventionalist aiming to help build the policy quickly ahead of the school year. (more)

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Fitch Aquatic Center Almost Done

The Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center is nearly finished and already busy. The Ames City Council approved a $132,270 payment to Story Construction this week. The payment pushed the project's funding gap to $134,990. To cover it, the city is pulling $89,734 in unused funds from the Ada Hayden Heritage Park Trail project and making up the rest with donations given specifically for the aquatic center.

Approved changes have added more than $618,000 to the original cost. Story Construction acknowledged it contributed to some project delays and agreed to waive $166,316 in supervision costs, reducing what it asked to be paid. The city attorney noted the city would have owed the full $298,586 under the contract if Story had pushed for it.

In the meantime the facility is already up and running. Fitness classes started May 18, the pool opened June 1, and the six-lane lap pool, zero-depth entry splash pool, wellness pool, and party rooms are all seeing use. (more)

Pub Fiction @ Downtown Ames - The Ames Public Library Friends Foundation's literary pub crawl returns. Dress as your favorite book character (optional) and hit participating downtown spots for themed drink specials. 21+, 5:30-9pm (info)

Tiny Deck Concert Featuring Perfect Strangers @ Wheatsfield Co-op - 6-7:30pm

30th Annual Senior Variety Show @ Ames City Auditorium - "START-STRUCK: Stage and Screen" brings Story County residents 60+ together for a night of song, dance, and humor. 7-9pm

🎸Fred Love @ Mucky Duck Pub - 7-11pm

🎸The Bone People @ Alluvial Brewing - 7pm

Ames Main Street Farmers' Market @ Downtown Ames - Redzband handles the music this week. 8am-12:30pm

Bookstore Romance Day @ Dog-Eared Books - A celebration of all things romance, with signed copies and buy-one-get-one deals on romance titles. 9am-8pm

Ames Community Moms Swap @ Public Library - Drop off your gently used kids clothing, toys, books, gear, and maternity wear starting at 2:30, then take what you need. Everything left over goes to charity, so it's a win either way. 3-5pm

Veterans Hike with Ruck Iowa @ Downtown Ames - The first annual hike through the heart of Ames welcomes veterans of all ages. 10am-5pm (registration)  

30th Annual Senior Variety Show @ Ames City Auditorium - A second showing of "START-STRUCK: Stage and Screen." 2-4pm

Jazz Brunch with Vintage Cafe @ Cornbred BBQ - Live jazz while you brunch. 11am-2pm

Sunday Music Series @ Prairie Moon - Indigo Monks takes the vineyard stage for wine, pizza, and live music. 3-6pm

Roosevelt Summer Sundays: The Get Down @ Roosevelt Park - Motown, soul, and R&B return for a full-on park party. 7-8:30pm

Thanks for reading this weeks scoop. If you found something useful, please share it with someone whose out-of-office reply is still up from last week. It’s totally an “accident.”

See you next week.