Your Ames Voice

Thursday, May 7, 2026

May 07, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Happy Thursday!

This week is a bit of a milestone for me (Amber): the plants in my garden are still alive and growing! I started a garden about three weeks ago, and I’m slowly learning how to keep plants alive. That said, if any of you have some helpful (and kind) tips for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. 😊

And now, onto the news. Our top story follows the work being done for the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival this fall. It's currently seeking submissions.

In other news, the Ames School Board approved a new literacy program for the elementary schools. The program focuses on providing a comprehensive education of reading, writing and speaking. In sports, the Little Cyclones’ boys soccer team came back in the second half to defeat Des Moines East. There's also a profile of Arnold E. Siedelmann, one of Ames' longtime chiefs of police.

To our college students, good luck on finals next week! Summer is just around the corner. 🥳 And if any are seeking a journalism internship, our application is available for the fall and spring semesters.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Amber Mohmand, News Editor
[email protected]

Top Story

Behind the scenes of the filming of Urban Mining, a recent short documentary by Eric Smidt. He is helming the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival this fall. | Photo: Eric Smidt/Ames Regional Economic Alliance

Ames fall festival will celebrate nonfiction filmmaking

by Anthony Capps | Editor | Published on May 6, 2026

Eric Smidt started his career telling stories through social media. It’s since expanded to include print publications and podcasts, among others. But one avenue he is most passionate about is through documentaries.

“In documentary filmmaking, you have to go deeper into a subject and you must have a strong visual component,” he said “I enjoy the process of weaving the story together with multiple lenses, doing multiple interviews, the editing — it flexes a different creative part of storytelling more than anything.”

Smidt, vice president of marketing & communications at the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, has been making occasional documentaries for the last 15 years.

This fall, Smidt is bringing that passion for the documentary form to the entire community. He’s helming the inaugural Ames Documentary Film Festival, scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Ames Public Library.

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City of Ames

School Board

Ames School Board approves new elementary literacy program

by Amber Mohmand | News Editor

Ames elementary students will learn literacy skills from a new program that provides comprehensive coverage of reading, writing and speaking.

Civic Calendar

Mon: Historic Preservation Commission, 6 p.m., Council Chambers, Ames City Hall

Mon: Story County Conservation Board, 5:30 p.m., Story County Conservation, McFarland Park

Tue: Board of Supervisors, 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)

Tue: Ames City Council, 6 p.m., Council Chambers, Ames City Hall

Sports

Boys Soccer

Little Cyclones mount late comeback to defeat Scarlets

by Davin Bakerink | Staff Reporter

On a windy day in Ames, the first half of the Little Cyclones’ boys soccer game against Des Moines East was not going in Ames’ favor.

Community Voices

People of Ames

Ames Notables: Arnold E. Siedelmann

by Ames History Museum | Contributor

A U.S. Navy veteran, Ames Police Chief Arnold E. Siedelmann started as a patrolman in Ames in the early 1950s and quickly advanced to chief, leading the department 18 years from 1966 to 1984.