Your Ames Voice

Thursday, June 25, 2026

June 25, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Happy Thursday!

It’s been one year since the soft launch of this newsletter! When we started publishing Your Ames Voice, we had 117 subscribers. Since then, we’ve grown by over 1,000 — and see some of our favorite stories below. It’s so exciting to see our readership grow within the community.

In the last year, we’ve added new reporters to our local news staff, but we’re always seeking volunteers throughout our newsroom. Our team is more than just reporters. There's also photography and copy editing, coaching opportunities for any news veterans, journalism internships for students, and administrative-assistant work for anyone who can help us run more efficiently.

Even if you only have a couple of hours a week to give, we can find a place for you.

In today’s newsletter, the top story is all about a proposed data center near the municipal airport. Hundreds gathered on Tuesday night to hear the presentation on how the center would affect the city.

In other news, a fatal crash prompted the city council to review pedestrian safety, Ames Middle School students are preparing to go to Japan and Cyclone Athletics will soon sell alcohol. In Community Voices, we learn more about recycling.

Thank you for your continued support,


Amber Mohmand, News Editor
[email protected]

 

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Top Story

An overflow crowd at Tuesday's Ames City Council meeting heard initial information about a proposed data center. | Photo by Bill Monroe

Ames community hears potential benefits, challenges of proposed data center

by Bill Monroe | Staff Reporter | Published on June 24, 2026

Residents flooded city hall on Tuesday night to hear about a proposed data center in Ames. Many were seated outside the at-capacity council chambers and joined hundreds of at-home viewers who watched the proceedings on a video feed.

They gathered to hear about a Des Moines technology company, Lightedge, that wants to build a large data center on city-owned land near the James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport. City leaders are taking a step-by-step approach before deciding whether to say yes.

Lightedge, which stores and manages computer data for businesses across the Midwest, sent a letter to the council in May asking to negotiate a lease for about 11 acres of land on Aviation Way, just west of the Sigler Companies building and is currently farmed.

 

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City of Ames

Ames Schools

Middle schoolers travel to Japan in sister city exchange

by Kate Laffey | Staff Reporter

For some Ames middle school students, next week will be a chance to travel out of the country and experience a new culture with a host family.

Ames City Council

Fatal crash prompts review of pedestrian safety

by Bill Monroe | Staff Reporter

A fatal pedestrian crash on one of Ames’ busiest roads has prompted city leaders to take a hard look at whether streets are safe enough for people on foot.

More from City of Ames

Civic Calendar

Tue: Board of Supervisors — 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)
Tue: Mary Greeley Medical Center Board of Trustees — noon, Atrium A, 1111 Duff Ave.
Tue: Ames City Council Listening Session — 6 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall 
Wed: ASSET Admin Team Meeting — 12:15 p.m., United Way of Story County
Wed: Planning & Zoning Commission — 7 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall

Sports

Cyclones

Alcohol sales to begin at ISU athletic venues

by Jared Larson | Staff Reporter

In the high-stakes arena of modern collegiate athletics, tradition is often the anchor, but money is the engine.

Community Voices

Sustainability

Going Green: Ames begins curbside recycling

by Nolan Sagan | Contributor

You probably have already received the 96-gallon blue recycling container for this program. Why is it so important for Ames residents to recycle?

 

More from Community Voices

Stories That Shaped Our First Year

The Ames Voice began publishing occasional stories in May 2025. Then in July, not long after our mostly word-of-mouth subscriber list hit 100 emails, we soft-launched this weekly newsletter. We’ve since published more than 300 stories. These are some of our favorites that showcase the local reporting we strive to achieve.

 

♻️ Ames is in the process of shifting from its 50-year waste-to-energy program to recycling to manage the city's waste.
🏈 Photos: Ames High defeats Council Bluffs in its homecoming game and marking its first win of the season.
🏛️ Outgoing President Wendy Wintersteen reflects on her career and the highs and lows of 46 years at ISU.
🚑 The care team behind a miraculous rescue looks back on giving a trapped man 47 more years of life.
🤝 Food at First received an unexpected $18,000 from Penn State fans after Matt Campbell's exit.
🥛 Ames residents don't need to worry about the safety of their water supply, even as concerns of water quality in central Iowa rise.

In Other News