Good morning Ames! Tuesday was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Ruth Wakefield invented them in the 1930s by accident, Nestlé slapped the recipe on a bag, and now we have a national holiday. Hope you celebrated accordingly.

Lets do it.

— Chance

Cyclone Football Is Almost Here

The 2026 Iowa State Cyclones open their season on September 5 at Jack Trice Stadium against Southeast Missouri State at 1pm. It's the first season under new head coach Jimmy Rogers, and the first full season with beer sales at the stadium.

The home schedule is packed with big matchups including Utah, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, and Farmageddon against Kansas State on November 28 to close out the year. Football weekends are coming, dust off the cardinal and gold.

Ada Hayden Got a Little Upgrade This Summer

If you've been out to Ada Hayden Heritage Park lately, you may have noticed the mini shelters looking a little fresher. City staff completed renovations on all three in mid-July. This consists of new metal roofs, accessible benches and tables, concrete foundations, and accessible sidewalks replacing what was there before.

Ada Hayden is one of Ames' most beloved outdoor spaces and these shelters get a lot of use. The best part is it was all funded by donations.

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Data Center Decision On Hold

After weeks of packed council chambers, protest pins, and passionate public testimony, the Ames City Council made its call on the LightEdge data center proposal: not yet. The council voted 4-2 to delay the decision for nine months; pushing any final answer to May 1, 2027. Ward 3 Rep. Gloria Betcher pushed for the longer timeline, arguing that six months wasn't enough to properly research the proposal and host additional community listening sessions.

New Recycling Campus Is Taking Shape

Three months into construction and the Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus is moving right along. Site grading, stormwater, and utilities work are mostly wrapped up, and crews are now working on paving, electrical, and foundation work.

The big milestone coming up: the pre-engineered metal building starts going up in August. Once the building is enclosed, the facility equipment gets installed inside. For context: this is the facility that replaces Ames' 50-year-old trash-burning system and anchors the new curbside recycling program that launched July 1.

Rolling Hills Music Festival @ Throughout Ames - The multi-venue classical festival kicks off with "A Walk in the Park," an immersive strolling concert through McFarland Park at your own pace. Free, 6:30-8pm

Summer Symphony Concert @ Bandshell Park - An anniversary program running from Rodgers and Puccini to Hamilton and John Williams, with soprano Katharine Hensley of Ames featured on two arias. Free, bring a lawn chair, 8-9pm

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

Rolling Hills Music Festival @ Reliable Street Art Gallery - "Homeward Bound," a program of string music built around belonging and home. 7:30pm

Tiny Deck Concert Featuring Todd Partridge @ Wheatsfield Co-op - A gritty blend of blues, folk, and Americana from a former King of the Tramps member, backed by his band The Whiskey Gospel. 6-7:30pm

Ames Main Street Farmers' Market @ Downtown Ames - Face painting, the Bookmobile, live music from Asphalt & Stained Glass, and a salsa cooking contest. 8am-12:30pm

Rolling Hills Music Festival @ Ames History Museum - A free Community Play-Along at 1pm (bring your own instrument), followed by "Iowan Sounds" at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. 7:30pm

The Time Out Pinball Tournament @ Time Out - 6-8 rounds of match play with prizes for the top three. Check-in by 2:30pm

An Evening with Bronwyn @ Alluvial Brewing - Grammy-nominated fiddler Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, formerly of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, fronts her own band for the first time. All ages, 7pm

Rolling Hills Music Festival @ Ames Public Library - A Children's Concert of bird calls, love songs, and country jigs with Iowa roots. Free, 3-4pm

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

Roosevelt Summer Sundays: The Matt Terronez Band @ Roosevelt Park - Funkified jazz and rock returns for a joyful set. 7-8:30pm

Thanks for reading this weeks scoop. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who had a baby this weekend. They definitely won’t read it.

See you next week.