Good morning Ames! Luckily I didn’t have to catch a ride after the Luke Combs concert Saturday night and was able to just walk home. My patience couldn’t have handled that. Anyway, we’re trying new event structure. Let us know what you think in the poll- Ames Scoop is for the community, and we want the same community helping shape the newsletter.

Quick reminder: Spring No-Charge Yard Waste Day is this Saturday 8am to 4pm @ 309 Carnegie Ave.

In today’s scoop:

Lets get started.

— Chance

125 Years Old

If you've spent any time on Iowa State's campus, you know the Campanile. The 110-foot bell tower has been standing at the heart of ISU since 1897, and this year it's celebrating 125 years as one of Ames' most iconic landmarks. For those of you that are unaware, the tower is famous for more than just its bells. The tradition of kissing under the tower to become an official ISU coed has been a student rite of passage for over a century. Some of your neighbors probably have a story.

Known For The Trees

Between all the construction and road closures, it's easy to forget that Ames is actually a pretty great place to live. Case in point: the city just picked up the 2025 Tree City USA Growth Award, presented by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa DNR at their annual Community Forestry Awards in Ankeny.

Ames has held Tree City USA status since 1983, and this is the fourth time the city has earned the Growth Award. This is for communities going above and beyond in tree care, planting, and community engagement.

Want to help keep the award for 2026? In honor of Arbor Day, the city is hosting a community tree planting event on Saturday, April 25. Seventy trees will be planted, funded by a state and federal grant. Volunteers should meet at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Welbeck Drive and Harrison Road. (source)

Hy-Vee Is Opening a Health Clinic in Ames

Exemplar Care, will be located in the old Joann Fabric space at Lincoln Center, 632 Lincoln Way, and is expected to open in the coming weeks. It'll offer primary care services, lab testing, and other basic medical treatments. The idea is simple make healthcare easier to access and less of a mystery when it comes to cost. Groceries and a checkup in the same trip seems like a great use of time. (source)

$500,000 to Reimagine Downtown

Out of nearly 800 applications nationwide, Ames made the cut to be granted half a million. This was granted to let Ames explore a multimodal transit hub in downtown Ames. If you didn’t understand that either; here it is in plain English: the city is going to study how to make downtown more connected, more accessible, and easier to get in and out of.

One of the more concrete ideas on the table is a parking structure on the city-owned lot behind Wells Fargo on the west end of Main Street. The project ties directly into the Downtown Ames: A Guiding Vision plan and the Lincoln Way Corridor redevelopment efforts that have been in motion for years. The idea is simple: better access means more people downtown, which means more activity, more business, and a more vibrant core for the whole community. (source)

Quick Update on S. 16th Street

South 16th Street widening project resumed April 8. One lane in each direction is being maintained between South Riverside Drive and University Boulevard, and the shared-use path remains closed for the entire project. This phase is now expected to run eight to ten weeks, with the full project still on track for completion by August 21.

🎸The Whips @ Maintenance Shop - Doors open at 7:30

Science with Cyclones @ Reiman Gardens - Break down everything from Spiderman to biomimicry into fun, interactive displays built for kids at 5:30pm (info)

Trivia Night @ Torrent Brewing - Bring a team and some confidence at 7pm (details)

🎸Matt Woods @ London Underground - Playing from 7-9pm

Piano Studio Recital @ Tye Recital Hall - A free evening of solo piano and selections from Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals at 7:30pm. Grab a seat for a night that's elegant and fun. (info)  

Murder Mystery @ Clouds - A four-course meal wrapped in an experience that turns an ordinary Friday night into something you'll want to talk about next week. Starts at 5:30pm, reservations are required! (details) 

Prairie Rose Renaissance Festival - (formally known as the Ames Renaissance Faire) is running 10am Saturday - 6pm Sunday. Two days of knights, duels, axe throwing, sword fighting, live performers, and food fit for royalty. Costumes are encouraged, but showing up in jeans and having the time of your life is equally acceptable. (details)  

Spring Enchantment Festival @ Reiman Gardens - Local artists, hands-on crafts, live woodcarving demonstrations, food, drinks, and entertainment. Starts at 9am. (details)  

Fashion Show @ Stephens Auditorium - The one night where showing up overdressed is encouraged. Get your tickets here, show starts at 7pm.

🎸Luke Fox @ Cornbred - Playing from 6-9pm

🎸Haymakers @ Alluvial Brewing - 7pm is showtime

Thanks for reading this weeks scoop. If you found something useful, send this to someone who spent last Saturday stuck in traffic.

See you next week.