Good morning Ames! In case you missed it, Post Malone rolled through Ames last week. The man himself was real. The photos of him with half of Ames? Considerably less so. Either way, the internet had a great time.

Lets do it.

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Ames Is Hiring a Watchdog for the New Fire Station

The Ames City Council approved a $95,000 agreement with Denovo Construction Solutions, a West Des Moines firm, to serve as an independent construction adviser during the design and building of Fire Station No. 2.

No building, no hammers, just someone visiting the job site regularly, tracking progress, reviewing costs, and flagging problems before they get expensive. Given that the total fire station budget sits around $10.5 million, having a dedicated set of outside eyes makes a lot of sense.

The fire station project covers everything from design and construction to furniture and emergency alert technology for firefighters. No word yet on a construction timeline, but with an adviser now in place, the city is set up to catch problems early rather than deal with them later. (more)

Jamie Pollard Is Heading Out

Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard has a clearer timeline on his departure. In a wide-ranging interview with ON3, Pollard said he expects to be gone before basketball season starts (likely sometime in late fall after a replacement is hired).

"The agreement I have with Dr. Cook is as soon as they hire the new AD, I will exit stage left," Pollard said.

The retirement wasn't driven by the chaos reshaping college athletics right now. Pollard said he and his wife have long planned to retire while they're healthy enough to actually enjoy it. He originally intended to step down at 60, but former ISU President Wendy Wintersteen asked him to hold on while she prepared her own exit. Two years later, here we are.

Pollard's tenure reshaped Iowa State athletics in ways that are hard to overstate — from facility upgrades to national championship contention across multiple sports to the beer at Jack Trice announcement that went out literally weeks ago. Whoever comes next has a high bar. (more)

Duff Avenue Could Lose a Lane
The Duff Avenue Corridor Study is nearly final. Staff is recommending converting Duff from four lanes to three between the railroad crossing and 16th Street. 57% of survey respondents opposed it, mostly over congestion fears. Traffic modeling shows delays would increase by less than 1.5 seconds per vehicle at most intersections. Final report comes to council this fall.

The Railroad Crossing on Duff Is Its Own Problem
75% of survey respondents want a dedicated study of the Union Pacific crossing near Main Street. It blocks traffic for two hours a day on average, 38 trains per day. A study would cost $400,000. A full grade separation (an overpass or underpasscould run $40-50 million. No decision made yet.

Ames Is Buying $69 Million Worth of New Power Engines
The city is recommending awarding a contract to Wärtsilä North America for three massive natural gas engines to power the new Ames Municipal Energy Center. Total project budget is $192 million. Electric rates expected to increase 2.5% annually for 18 years to pay for it. Council votes July 28. (more)

Back Alley Bingo @ Daisy's Dog House - Hosted by Vanessa Taylor, this is bingo with a wink and a slightly bent moral compass. 7-9pm

🎸Cody James & Bleujack @ London Underground - 7pm 

Karaoke Night @ Mucky Duck - Kids get the mic first for the opening hour before the adults take over and things get interesting. Good food, good entertainment, and a song queue that's first-come, first-served. 7pm

Rummage RAMPage @ Intermodal Facility - The City and ISU team up for Ames' favorite move-out-season rummage sale, keeping perfectly good couches out of the landfill and into someone's new apartment. Drop-off only today; sales start Saturday and run through Aug. 1.

🎸Ben Schrag & the Cautionaries @ Wheatsfield Co-op - 6-7:30pm

🎸Chicken Wire Empire @ Alluvial Brewing - 7pm

🎸Great Caesar's Goat @ Della Viti - 8pm

Ames Ford Performance Night Meet @ Ames Ford - All makes, all models, all welcome, from daily drivers to full custom builds, with Ames Ford Performance donating $20 per vehicle to the American Legion. Show up, show off, and do some good while you're at it. 6pm

Kids CoMotion @ Ames City Auditorium - Hosting “Mapping” – a three-week modern dance intensive for ages 8–18 of all experience levels, capping off with performances at the Ames Farmers Market and Ames City Auditorium. A summer of choreography and creativity. 7:30pm

🎸Craig Swalwell Band @ Mucky Duck - 7pm

Ames Main Street Farmers' Market @ Downtown Ames - Meyer's Pony Rides show up alongside Miles Morgan on music duty. 8am-12:30pm

Rummage RAMPage @ Intermodal Facility - Sales officially open. 8am-6pm

5K Beer Run @ Torrent Brewing Company - A 5K-ish loop through Brookside Park and downtown that ends exactly where it should: back at the taproom. 11am-1pm

🎸Monkey Syndicate @ Cornbred BBQ - 6-9pm

Touch A Truck @ CrossRoad Baptist - Bring the kids to explore fire trucks, ambulances, a bookmobile, and more, with crafts, hands-on activities, and Butts & Bones BBQ, Shoreline Drips, and Pint Size Ice Cream on site. Bring your library card for the bookmobile and your appetite for everything else. 10am-12pm (info)  

Amazing Grace Lemonade Race @ Ada Hayden - Kids Fun Run at 7:30am, 5K at 8:00am. Proceeds benefiting the Children's Cancer Center and Developmental Center at Blank Children's Hospital. What started as a lemonade stand has raised over $233,000 in 10 years, which is the kind of thing that makes you feel good about Ames. (info)

Rummage RAMPage @ Intermodal Facility - Sales continue. 10am-6pm

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

🎸Jason Danielson & Friends @ Roosevelt Park - 7-8:30pm

Thanks for reading this weeks scoop. If you found something useful, please share it with the friend whose dog has a standing order at three restaurants downtown.

See you next week.