Your Ames Voice

Thursday, July 30, 2026

July 30, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Happy Thursday!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the cool weather when we had it and are managing this week’s heat so far. My advice still stands: treat yourself to a cold drink or ice cream 🍨.

This Saturday, the Voice will have a booth at the Main Street Farmers’ Market. Please stop by! We’d love to meet more of our subscribers☺️. Also, if you haven’t visited Rummage RAMPage yet, there’s still a couple days left! Check out our photo gallery in the newsletter for more information.

In today’s newsletter, our top story follows entrepreneurs as they share what it took to start their businesses and how CYstarters helped lay the foundation for their success. This year’s CYstarter entrepreneurs work showcase their work later today at ISU Research Park.

The Ames City Council put a pause on data center decisions for nine months and Ames took a major step toward building its new Municipal Energy Center. Dog-Eared Books has a monthly audiobook walking club while the community shares its interests with open mic night at Alluvial Brewing.

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

Thank you for your continued support,

 
Amber Mohmand, News Editor
[email protected]

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

 

Top Story

CYstarters is an 11-week summer program for ISU students or recent graduates. | Photo: CYstarters

CYstarters: Fostering a foundation for new entrepreneurs

by Kate Laffey

Startups are hard, no matter what age a new business owner is. For students who want to launch their own business, CYstarters provides the resources and some funding.

Clayton Mooney and Megan Sweere, Iowa State University alumni and members of the first CYstarters cohort in 2016, can look back at their early startup days and use what they learned to teach entrepreneurship to current students.

Clayton Mooney, founder of Clayton Farms, was with his previous company KinoSola during the first CYstarters program. Now Mooney gives back to the organization through his guidance and donations.

“Startups are hard — nine out of every 10 fail,” Mooney said. “So finding your calling in an accelerator program, to me, that’s why I think CYstarters is the best accelerator in the state because they give you money to live off of to test your ideas, and they don’t take equity. It’s a heck of a deal.”

 

The Ames Voice thanks its advertisers. | Become one

 

News

Ames City Council
by Bill Monroe

In a 4-2 decision, the Ames City Council voted for a nine-month pause on new data center projects while the city studies how the fast‑growing industry affects neighborhoods, utilities and future development.

 

More from Story County

🔌 Ames approved millions in contracts for its future energy center.
⚡️ The conversation around a proposed Ames data center keeps evolving.

 

Civic Calendar

Mon: Building Board of Appeals — 4 p.m., Room 235, Ames City Hall
Mon: Commission on the Arts — 5 p.m., Council Chambers, Ames City Hall
Tue: Board of Supervisors — 10 a.m., Administration Building (Nevada)
Tue: Public Art Commission — 5:30 p.m., Room 235, Ames City Hall
Wed: Planning & Zoning Commission — 7 p.m., Council Chambers, Ames City Hall
Thu: Property Maintenance Appeals Board — 4 p.m., Council Chambers, Ames City Hall
Thu: Public Nuisance Appeals Board — 5 p.m., Council Chambers, Ames City Hall

Sustainability
by Brittany Huston

Rummage RAMPage kicked off last weekend, offering the community a second-hand sale that keeps reusable items out of the waste stream.

Arts and Entertainment

Books
by Lara Jones

Book lovers combine the art of exercise with the joy of listening in an all-genre audiobook-walking club.

Performance
by Kate Laffey

While local musician Adam Kindred recently opened Alluvial’s open mic night with his original song “The Suckiest Open Mic in All of Iowa,” his point is actually that no one actually sucks.

In Other News

⚖️ An Iowa State professor is suing the university over pay equity. (Des Moines Register)
🌪️ Take a look back at Jamie Pollard's biggest moments at Iowa State. (Iowa State Daily)
🌟 Supporting children with autism is driving innovation at an Ames startup.(Ames Tribune)
🐾 A kitten is safe after getting stuck behind a car's grille at an Ames Scooter's. (We Are Iowa)

 

Submissions & Get Involved

Have a news tip or idea? Something on your mind, you saw or want to know more about it — let us know.
Sign up for the Voice and receive our 2 newsletters for free every week to your inbox.
Submit an obituary to the Voice. It’s free to both submit and read them.