The week of April 27-May 3 was another eventful stretch of competition for Ames-area high school male athletes competing in spring sports 3 Ames boys soccer team defeated Des Moines Lincoln (4-0) and Des Moines Hoover (2-1) scored a pair of 3-0 victories over Bondurant-Farrar and top rival Nevada The Ames boys tennis team earned an 8-3 victory over Mason City on April 29 in Ames and the Ballard boys golf team defeated Adel-Desoto-Minburn in a nine-hole dual at the Ballard Golf and Country Club in Huxley on April 29 golf and soccer teams also had a productive week Area boys track and field teams continued to keep busy in the week between the Drake Relays and the state qualifying meets Here are the Ames Tribune male Athlete of the Week nominees for the week of April 27-May 3. AmesTrib.com readers vote to determine the winner who will be announced at the end of the week 3 Ames boys soccer team to a 4-0 victory over No Sigurdsson put two goals on the board to help the Little Cyclones improve to 8-2-1 on the season and he did an excellent job helping the Class 2A No 3 Gilbert boys soccer team dominate possession of the ball during a 3-0 victory over rival Nevada on May 1 at Gilbert Mattson's goal came on a 25-yard direct kick with 21 seconds left in the first half BallardColvin had a strong nine-hole round for the Ballard boys golf team during a 143-159 dual victory over Adel-Desoto-Minburn on April 29 at the Ballard Golf and Country Club in Huxley Colvin was the individual medalist at the meet He shot a 2-under-par round of 34 to win medalist by one stroke over teammates Mason Gatchel and Alex Weeks Lucchesi gave the Roland-Story boys track and field team a win in the 3,200-meter run during the Norsemen Relays boys track and field meet on May 1 at Story City Lucchesi won the 3,200 with a time of 10 minutes Wierson won both the 100 and 200 dash events for the Collins-Maxwell boys track and field team at the South Hardin Invitational in Eldora on May 2 Wierson clocked in at 11.22 seconds in the 100 and 23.52 in the 200 Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman A recent study has revealed that homelessness has risen in Story County by 20 percent in the last five years Representatives from the City of Ames and Story County are collaborating to develop a plan that will better support the growing unhoused community which may include expanding emergency shelters The Ames City Council and the Story County Board of Supervisors hired the consulting firm Analytic Insight tasked with analyzing local data to recommend ways to assist the homeless population More: Searching for a consultant: Ames pledges $12,000 to help curb rise in homelessness The firm presented a Homeless Action Plan to the community on April 28 The plan includes three fiscal years of recommended actions Ames and Story County could take No official action was taken on the plan since the presentation was not made at a regular meeting Copies of the report are available on the City of Ames website More: A May Day rally and food drive is taking over Bandshell Park in Ames. What you need to know: Story County's homeless population has grown since 2020According to data Analytic Insight collected homelessness in Story County has increased by 20 percent since 2020 Within Story County, Ames has the highest percentage of residents living under the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) at almost 25 percent More: Building trust, connecting services: How Ames' HOST program is helping the unhoused community There are 62 crisis center beds available for single people and four for families in the Two Rivers Region The data said 105 beds are needed for local individuals and 15 for families support that helps limit residents from being unhoused can serve 18 single people and nine families though 181 individuals and 25 families are in need Analytic's data also indicated that there are only 40 permanent supportive housing units available when 76 are needed Five actions were recommended during the April 28 meeting that could be implemented within the first year The first was continuing to support on-the-ground service provider partnerships, like the Homeless Outreach and Support Team (HOST) made up of local service providers that assess and consult with homeless individuals on a weekly basis Supporting the existing agencies and expanding their reach will be helpful to the community President of Analytic Insight Amy Flowers said She also recommended building a peer navigator program where someone who has or is actively experiencing homelessness can serve as the bridge between providers and reluctant residents and they can offer real-time guidance where the shelters are where to find health care or get mental health services,” Flowers said “Their presence has also been shown to reduce conflict and help promote long-term stabilization.” More: Ames nonprofit, The Romero House, provides homeless with friendship and essential services Flowers said they encourage expanding a partnership with IowaWORKS Mobile Workforce Center job fairs and establishing a case manager housed in General Assistance with Story County It could cost as much as $261,360 if all actions are approved and take place in a single one Developing a homelessness task force in 2026Flowers recommended creating a task force in year two that would establish a community vision and develop policy recommendations “I see this task force as being essentially a policy body; responding to emerging issues communicating with the public and making sure they’re informed,” Flowers said Some Ames residents attending the presentation indicated they would like the task force to be a year-one priority instead and with an emphasis on members who have experienced homelessness Flowers said both requests could be possible The county and Ames were encouraged to provide all-weather daytime refuge to better prepare for the range of Midwest weather More: Ames doesn't have a homeless shelter. How does the city support the unhoused? Because a high percentage of Story County renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing Flowers said it's also important to align with or supplement local funding for emergency housing "It puts people in somewhat of a danger zone of housing insecurity or instability," Flowers said "It's important to make sure there's local funding available for someone who might need a month or two of reprieve from rent to address another need like a medical bill." The proposed year two budget is estimated at $73,500 with the bulk going towards daytime refuge Year three of the action play would be the most costly but would likely also have the biggest impact and build mixed-use permanent supportive and affordable housing About 20 to 30 units of permanent supportive housing were recommended along with 30 to 40 units of affordable housing and 30 to 40 units of senior affordable housing The estimated budget for such a project ranged from $26 million to $35 million political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com Ames girls tennis players Laura Chen and Helen Mao have formed a unique relationship over the years began her varsity career with no singles matches as a freshman 1 singles player over the past two seasons and she is looking to qualify for state and set herself up for a big senior season They have not interacted much on the tennis court during meets though they did get the opportunity to play as a doubles team on April 22 during a 9-2 Ames dual victory over Des Moines Lincoln in Des Moines They defeated Lincoln's team of Anna George and Amelia Shaw in straight sets the talented tandem has bonded over playing piano gardening and helping out the less fortunate “It’s been a really big pleasure of mine to work with Helen because she always follows through,” said Chen Mao has been heavily involved in playing the piano since she was little She wants to go into nursing and pursue the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano after high school Chen is not as heavily involved with playing the piano But she has been playing since she was seven or eight years old and competing in regional competitions Chen stated that she may get a minor in piano during college The musical gifts of Mao and Chen are not limited to the piano Mao also plays the percussion in band and Chen is in the high school orchestra “That’s also something we share together.”  More: Meet Ethan Wang, a freshman sensation on the Ames boys tennis team both Chen and Mao are involved with Ames High School's Students to Eliminate Poverty and Hunger Club The enjoy gardening and helping grow vegetables and fruits in West Ames that will be donated to Food at First a local non-profit organization consisting of a daily free meal program and perishable food distribution known as the Food at First Free Market “It’s a huge collaborative effort,” Chen said “Helen’s been a big help lately and I’m really looking forward to that.”  They will be starting the community garden back up soon More: Twin sisters Ava and Ella Lohrbach plan to lead Gilbert girls golf back to Iowa state meet Chen just blanked Indianola's Emily Allen by an 8-0 score in the No 1 singles match during the Little Cyclones' 8-3 loss to the Indians on May 2 at Ames Chen is now 5-1 in singles play on the season "Laura has always shown she has an abundance of tennis talent," said Ames coach John Hernandez "We put a big demand on her by asking her to play the No She handled it well and has come back to play good tennis this season." Chen said she has a strong backhand and that she has done well staying focused during meets She said she needs to work on doing better at reading her opponents and continuing to strive for better consistency She is aiming high to end her junior season “State is definitely one of the goals,” Chen said “I guess my biggest goal this season is just to build up my consistency It’s an experience trying to learn each one’s game and trying to beat them.”  More: Meet Jessie Lohman, an uplifting presence on the Ames girls golf team Mao fell to Indianola's Maci Lerseth by an 8-3 score on May 2 3 singles positions and has been a part of five victories in doubles play "She brings a great work ethic to the court and she can fight it out with any opponent she faces." Mao said her growth over the past couple of years has been evident in every phase of her game and my technique has gotten better,” Mao said through playing with others and through more experience I think it’s good that we also have a good community here that’s always uplifting others The Ames girls tennis team wraps up the regular season next week with home duals against Marshalltown and Des Moines East and the Ankeny Centennial Invitational at Ankeny Then it is the IGHSAU 2A individual regionals on May 12 followed by the team regionals on May 16 and May 20 to set the stage for the state singles and doubles tournaments and team tournament Chen and Mao want to make the most of their time together as Little Cyclone teammates “Part of the fun of having Helen on the team is being able to chat on the bus and those team-building activities,” Chen said “I’m really looking forward to that in the next two weeks.”  Both girls will continue to remain busy after the tennis season and Chen must make a quick turnaround for the next tennis season as the IGHSAU moved high school girls tennis to the fall for 2025-2026 “We both want to get a very diverse high school experience,” Mao said “All our hard work can be given to people who are maybe less fortunate.”  A forgotten but historic piece of Veisha art is out of storage and headed for the limelight once again a long-lost painting was discovered in the backstage storage space at Stephens Auditorium Longtime Stephens employees immediately recognized its significance Painted by renowned American artist Milton Wolsky the artwork depicts the stage set of the 1970 production of “Oliver!,” which was part of Iowa State University’s Veishea celebration Stars Over VEISHEA stage productions were beloved highlights of ISU’s annual student-run celebration which was canceled in 2014 because of rioting From 2024: Whatever happened to Iowa State's Veishea? This year marks a decade without the celebration The restored “Oliver!” painting will be officially unveiled at 4 p.m in the main floor lobby of Stephens Auditorium Veisha began in 1922 as an annual celebration named after Iowa State's colleges — veterinary medicine The week-long event was intended to celebrate all of the schools and was held each April At one point, Veishea was the largest student-organized event in the nation More on VEISHEA Veishea through the years The beloved festival came to a crushing end in 2014 Then ISU President Steven Leath announced he was canceling Veishea because of the recurring violence referencing several riots throughout the festival's nearly 100-year history "I am not going to be the president who has to call a student's parents in the middle of the night to tell them that their student has been critically injured at another Veishea disturbance," Leath said at a news conference announcing his decision Stars Over VEISHEA sparks many dear memoriesTom Jensen has many memories of Stars Over VEISHEA productions He was involved with them for five years while he attended Iowa State His friends used to tease him about majoring in Stars Over VEISHEA and minoring in engineering The production was a springboard into the entertainment industry for many who were involved Many of the students went on to be professional actors “Friends of mine went on to manage theatre and arena facilities work on Broadway and in television and film," Jensen said "I retired a few years back after decades in the production/technical sides of television and finally a career in lighting equipment manufacturing and installation in venues of many types and sizes." More: Creative Artists' Studios of Ames' open house brings together local artists, enthusiasts Chuck Collins said in an email that “Oliver!” was the high point in his ISU experience is featured at the top left of the painting “I had a family member frame the copy of it which was in a magazine,” Jones Kenning wrote in an email Although typical Stars Over VEISHEA productions involved large casts and crews “Oliver!” far surpassed those efforts by including 41 local elementary school students and more than 85 members of the cast More than 130 crew members volunteered for makeup props and construction of the massive set pieces Some of the orchestra members enjoyed riding up and down in the orchestra pit lift “For those who were involved in that production during April-May 1970 will always hold a special place in our hearts," Jensen said created a painting that captured a scene from the “Oliver!” production at Stephens Auditorium Wolsky had spent much of his career as a prominent illustrator during the "Golden Age" of American magazine art in the 1940s and ’50s His work appeared in publications such as Time Wolsky returned to Omaha and was working with advertising powerhouse Bozell & Jacobs Wolsky was commissioned to paint a series of 37 high-profile buildings across Nebraska and Iowa When that employee left Stephens in the 1990s the painting was placed in storage and eventually forgotten More: Ames residents brave dreary weather for May Day rally in support of healthcare rights, fair wages the 22-by-22-inch canvas was struggling from years of poor care Collections Conservator Sonya Barron took possession in early 2021 and suggested a conservation treatment and Stephens Auditorium collaborated to identify the artist and trace the photo’s provenance Barron discovered an inscription on the back of the board that provided the first clue to the artist’s name Additional investigation led to Patrick Drickey Drickey provided valuable insight into Wolsky’s career his work for InterNorth and the provenance of the painting The gallery owner noted that Wolsky's paintings were usually gifted to the institutions they depicted the painting stands not only as a tribute to Milton Wolsky’s talent but also as a vibrant snapshot of Iowa State’s cultural history — a once-forgotten gem that’s finally back in the spotlight,” Tammy Koolbeck who served on the Stars Over VEISHEA Organizing Committee Kretschmar Runge generously supported the painting’s restoration and framing through gifts to Stephens Auditorium Posters of the painting will be available for sale Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune The week of April 27-May 3 was another busy one for Ames-area high school female athletes The Ames girls golf team won the Turk Bowman Invitational and Linda Bloom Invitational The Little Cyclone girls tennis team defeated Mason City and fell to Indianola and the Class 3A No 13 Ames girls soccer team scored victories over Des Moines Lincoln (7-0) and Des Moines Hoover (6-0) Nevada and Roland-Story also were productive in golf Area girls track and field teams were also busy in the week between the Drake Relays and the state qualifying meets Here are the Ames Tribune female Athlete of the Week nominees for the week of April 27-May 3. AmesTrib.com readers vote to determine the winner 1 singles match for the Ames girls tennis team during an 11-0 victory at Mason City on April 29 and an 8-3 loss to Indianola in Ames on May 2 Chen took down Mason City's Olivia Wickman in straight sets She defeated Indianola's Emily Allen by an 8-0 score Lohrbach was medalist runner-up at both the Turk Bowman Invitational at the Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames on April 29 and the Prairie City-Monroe Invitational at the Gateway Recreation in Monroe on May 1 Lohrbach carded a 3-over-par round of 75 over 18 holes at the Turk Bowman Invite to take second to Marshalltown's Natalie Henson Lohrbach finished with a 78 at the PCM Invite to finish two strokes behind her twin sister Ava for first place 13 Ames girls soccer team during its 6-0 victory over Des Moines Hoover on May 2 at Ames Selsby got a hat-trick plus one by putting four goals on the board for the Little Cyclones She also scored one goal during a 7-0 victory over Des Moines Lincoln on April 29 at Des Moines Sporleder won two individual events for the Roland-Story girls track and field team at the George Abell Hawkette Relays on April 29 in Jewell Sporleder placed first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.53 seconds She also won the long jump with a jump of 17 feet Erickson won the 1,500 and 3,000 for the Colo-NESCO girls track and field team at the Belle Plaine Invitational on April 29 at Belle Plaine Erickson finished the 1,500 in 5:30.97 and the 3,000 in 12:11.31 She also placed second in the 800 with a time of 2:33.21 Ames’ only all-women choral ensemble, Good Company is ready to perform an evening of music celebrating solidarity The group’s spring concert will be held at 7 p.m Audience members can expect an evening of dynamic performances heartfelt harmonies and an uplifting celebration of sisterhood in the concert titled "A Beautiful Noise: Songs of Solidarity This powerful and inspiring concert will feature songs about women’s voices including “What’s Keeping You From Singing” and “A Beautiful Noise,” by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile More: Former Burger King lot in Ames is being replaced with a grab-n-go fave. When does it open? "We are thrilled to welcome a special invitational choir featuring women and girls from the community singing alongside us on select pieces — raising their voices together in harmony and strength," said chorus member Mary Richards The invitational choir will sing alongside the ensemble on “Defying Gravity” from the musical “Wicked” and ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” two anthems of empowerment and joy The program will also include an eclectic mix of music from the jazz classic “Take Five” to selections celebrating the beauty and renewal of spring Tickets are available at www.goodcompanysings.com More: The Ames Farmers' Market is about to return. What to know about the Main St. spectacle The song “What Happens When A Woman Takes Power,” which is performed a cappella with body percussion "I think the music is very apt for what's going on in the world right now," Jean said compromising more than 100 clandestine operations and leading to the deaths of at least 10 Western intelligence assets the BBC spoke to one of the spies who was betrayed by Ames Soviet agents working for the CIA suddenly began to disappear these Western intelligence sources were picked up by the Soviet intelligence service Oleg Gordievsky was one of those double agents he had been secretly working for the UK's foreign intelligence service and facing the very real possibility of death by firing squad Gordievsky narrowly escaped with his life after MI6 smuggled him out of the Soviet Union in the boot of a car interrogated and prepared for the worst'.Afterwards Gordievsky tried to work out who had given him up "For nearly nine years I have been guessing who was the man and I didn't know any answer," he told the BBC's Tom Mangold in an interview with Newsnight on 28 February 1994 Gordievsky would get his answer when veteran CIA officer Aldrich Ames stood up in a US courtroom and confessed to compromising "virtually all Soviet agents of the CIA and other American and foreign services known to me" Ames admitted that he had divulged the identities of more than 30 agents spying for the West and compromised more than 100 clandestine operations Ames's betrayal had resulted in the execution of at least 10 CIA intelligence assets including General Dmitri Polyakov a senior official in Soviet army intelligence who had supplied information to the West for more than 20 years was convicted and sentenced to life without parole Just as British spy Kim Philby's exposure as a Soviet agent in the 1960s had rocked the UK establishment it was "now Washington's turn to stare in disbelief at the extent of Ames's damage" He regrets getting caught – he doesn't regret being a spy – Leslie G WiserIt was Ames's role as head of the CIA's Soviet counterintelligence department that had allowed him to cause such damage It gave him almost unfettered access to classified information about the US's covert operations against the USSR and Ames's position had also meant that he could sit in on debriefings from other Western spy agencies This is how the UK's most valuable spy a KGB colonel who was passing vital intelligence to two British services These meetings would create the outlandish situation wherein "the top KGB defector was debriefed by the top KGB mole" "The Americans were very thorough and really very good at debriefings," said Gordievsky and now I realise [Ames] was sitting there Ames had been exposed to the spy world at an early age His father was a CIA analyst who helped his son get a job at the Agency after he had dropped out of college But Ames's later decision to betray the intelligence service would be driven less by ideological misgivings as by his need for money Ames showed promise as a counterintelligence officer He was first posted with his wife Nancy Segebarth where he was tasked with recruiting foreign agents But by 1972 his superiors had called Ames back to CIA headquarters feeling that he wasn't cut out for field work and was assigned to planning field operations against Soviet officials His father's struggles with alcohol had stalled his CIA career Ames's own heavy drinking began to derail his progress intoxicated and in a compromising position with a female CIA employee The situation was not helped by Ames's lackadaisical attitude to work which saw him leave a briefcase full of classified information on a subway in 1976 In History is a series which uses the BBC's unique audio and video archive to explore historical events that still resonate today. Subscribe to the accompanying weekly newsletter.  In an effort to get his career back on track Ames accepted a second overseas posting to Mexico City in 1981 But his behaviour and continued excessive drinking meant that he failed to distinguish himself as a CIA officer he was involved in a traffic accident in Mexico City and was so inebriated that he was unable to answer the police's questions or even recognise a US embassy officer sent to help him After a particular drunken profanity-laden argument with a Cuban official at a diplomatic reception at the embassy his superior recommended the CIA assess him for alcohol addiction on his return to the US Ames also continued to engage in extramarital affairs, one of which would prove to be a turning point for him. Toward the end of 1982, he began a relationship with a Colombian cultural attaché recruited to work for the CIA, Maria del Rosario Casas Dupuy Their romance grew increasingly serious until Ames decided to divorce his first wife marry Rosario and bring her back to the US with him Despite his less than stellar performance at the CIA On his return to the Agency's headquarters in 1983 he was made counterintelligence branch chief for Soviet operations giving him widespread access to information about clandestine CIA activities Ames had agreed as part of his divorce settlement to Nancy to pay the debts they had accrued as a couple Compounded by his new wife Rosario's expensive tastes her love of shopping sprees and her frequent phone calls to her family in Colombia Ames's money problems spiralled out of control He would later tell Arizona senator Dennis DeConcini that it was his escalating debts that led him to contemplate selling the secrets he had access to "I felt a great deal of financial pressure I was clearly overreacting to," Ames said WATCH: 'For nine years I've been guessing who was the man who had betrayed me'.Betraying his country"It was about the money, and I don't think he ever really tried to lead anybody to believe it was anything more than that," FBI agent Leslie G Wiser, who was involved in the investigation that led to Ames's arrest, told the BBC's Witness History in 2015 but he soon realised that he had "crossed a line • How Vladimir Putin rose to power in Russia • How Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jewish people in WW2 • How the US dropped nuclear bombs on Spain in 1966 Ames was paid to pass over a wealth of top secret information to the KGB He would take classified documents – detailing everything from listening devices connected to Moscow's space facility to new state-of-the-art technology that was able to count Soviet missiles' nuclear warheads – wrap them in plastic bags Since his role involved official meetings with Russian diplomats he was often able to meet his handlers face-to-face without arousing suspicion He would also leave packets of classified documents in secret pre-arranged sites called dead drops earlier he would place a chalk mark on a mailbox and the Russians would see that chalk mark and then they would know that the drop had been loaded with the documents," said Wiser He would then know that the transfer of documents was done safely and securely." It was through Ames's leaking of secret intelligence information that the KGB would identify virtually all of the CIA's spies in the Soviet Union effectively shutting down its US covert operations there "I'm not aware of any other spy or mole in the US that has caused such a loss of human life in terms of human assets," said Wiser The sudden disappearance of so many CIA assets did raise alarms and trigger the search for the mole within the Agency in 1986 but Ames would continue to slip under the radar for the best part of a decade And he was paid handsomely for his treachery receiving a total of about $2.5 million from the Soviet Union Ames made little attempt to hide his newfound wealth Despite never having a salary of more than $70,000 a year spent tens of thousands of dollars on home improvements and purchased a Jaguar car It would be his lavish lifestyle and spending that would place him in the spotlight and lead to his eventual arrest by Wiser's FBI team in 1994 Ames has shown very little remorse for his actions or for the deaths that they led to "He had a very high opinion of himself," said Wiser about Ames For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. 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Iowa man accusing of plotting a mass shooting at the Iowa State graduation ceremony will remain in jail during the May 17th commencement The U-S Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Iowa says 28-year old Tanner Bandy has been ordered to be held without bond after he waived his right to detention hearing scheduled May 1rst Bandy is also charged with stalking a former girlfriend cash and details about his plans at the ISU commencement ceremony when he was arrested The U-S Attorney's Office says Bandy will remain in jail while a federal grand jury considers possible indictments A recent study at Iowa State University showed how packaging can affect consumer choices for bacon Iowa State researchers wanted to see if natural antioxidant treatments would prevent or minimize color changes in packaged bacon the packaging had a significant influence.  a senior in animal science and meat science associate professor of animal science.  retail lighting and exposure to oxygen can cause photo-oxidation of cured meat products causing the bacon to appear gray or brown in color.  “Bacon is increasingly offered in full-service meat cases in Iowa and throughout the country.  As a result this graying effect in bacon is no doubt off-putting to consumers even if it does not necessarily reflect a decline in meat quality or safety,” Houser stated.  The factors they looked at included two different “natural” brine solutions - rosemary green tea and smoked sugar - and two types of packaging – aerobic (oxygenated) and anaerobic (de-oxygenated The bacon was exposed to LED lighting typically found in retail stores.  The experiment conducted under refrigerated conditions in a lighted where Major monitored and recorded the color values of bacon using a colorimeter a hand-held light meter that records standardized color values She compared the color of bacon from the two brine treatments in the oxygenated and de-oxygenated packaging.  The researchers decided to measure the color of the bacon in the aerobic packaging every two hours as it faded so quickly Bacon in anaerobic packaging was measured less frequently as it hardly faded over the week-long study period.  The anaerobically packaged bacon slowly developed a deeper red color a change more in line with consumer preferences the researchers hypothesize that this could be due to still active mitochondria in the meat causing it to continue absorbing oxygen and to become more pigmented “Anaerobic packaging is the current industry standard especially for partially heat processed meat products like bacon,” Major said “Our research confirms that it prolongs the attractiveness of bacon on the shelf that’s going to improve product sales and reduce waste.”  Major’s poster about the project won second place in a competition at the Reciprocal Meats Conference in Oklahoma City in 2024. An abstract on the findings was published in the journal Meat Muscle Biology (abstract 51) Funding for the project came from the Iowa Pork Producers Association.  Major has also worked on another pork-related study looking at a protein as a possible measure of pork chop quality A report from that work with Iowa State meat scientists Elisabeth Huff-Lonergan and Steven Lonergan will be published soon and Major will present a poster on the research at this summer’s Reciprocal Meats Conference in Columbus she plans to intern with Tyson Foods to work on McDonald's poultry products and then return to Iowa State to attend graduate school and continue research in the Houser lab.  Stephanie Major, Department of Animal Science, stephani@iastate.edu Terry Houser, Department of Animal Science, 515-294-7434, thouser@iastate.edu  Ann Y. Robinson, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-3066, ayr@iastate.edu Wofford transfer Evangelia Paulk has committed to the Cyclones BREAKING: Wofford transfer Evangelia Paulk has committed to Iowa State, sources told @On3sports. The 6-0 sophomore averaged 12.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg and 3.3 spg this season. TRACKER: https://t.co/StsxDxjlYl pic.twitter.com/b3ts9tNiaE the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year this past season will have two years left to play at Iowa State Paulk averaged 12.8 points with 8.4 rebounds and two assists per game North Carolina knocked down 42 three-pointers and was also a 77 percent shooter from the free throw line Paulk posted solid numbers as a freshman for Wofford averaging 8.5 points with almost seven rebounds a game Where Paulk could really make a difference is by creating turnovers She recorded 95 steals last year and 46 the season before She recorded the second triple-double ever by a Wofford women’s player scoring 17 points with 10 rebounds and 10 steals DANA BECKER Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in north-central Iowa. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The excitement was palpable among the children in line anxiously waiting to check in for Rocco Becht's football camp at Ankeny High School on May 3 Others raced to put on their official camp T-shirt and release their jitters by having a catch with friends and parents Once the Iowa State quarterback arrived at the field Many sets of young eyes watched the Cyclones' QB1 closely with both curiosity and awe But once they were divided into groups and stations they were eager to show Becht and their peers what they can do a lot of local coaches came out here to help me and I'm happy to give back today for these kids and work on their skills Hopefully they have a good camp and it's worth their time." were divided into groups based on grade and age They participated in drills to refine their skills in nearly every aspect of the sport where they got to compete in a scrimmage with hopes to catch a touchdown pass from Becht "He's always been a giver," his mother, DeeAnn Becht, told the Register back in October While there has been plenty of discourse by fans and media surrounding the impact of NIL on college athletics not all of the conversation has to be negative Becht has used some of his NIL to be a positive presence in the local community He also donated $7,500 of his NIL money to the Perry youth football program In April, he donated new Xbox Series X consoles to every pediatric room at the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames His May 3 camp is the latest to help the youth and possibly even inspire a future Cyclone football player the kids in attendance will have some cool stories to share at the lunch table next week and perhaps some memories to last a long time a lot of youth football camps," Becht said "My dad actually put a lot on and I enjoyed it from how he would run the camps and I kind of wanted to do the same thing I'm able to do that now with all this NIL stuff going on I don't think there's any other way as an athlete to go about it We had a great turnout today and I'm excited for all these kids to show me what they got let the kids be kids and let them have fun." Becht completed 59.4% of pass attempts for 3,505 yards He also ran for 318 yards and eight touchdowns on 98 carries Becht ranks among the top five in program history in a variety of single-season and career passing categories including an active record of 18 straight games with at least one touchdown pass and the single-game record of 446 passing yards The 6-foot-1 quarterback also led Iowa State to a program-best 11-3 record last season and was named MVP of the Pop-Tarts Bowl Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5 FILE - The Iowa State logo is displayed on the field before an NCAA college football game against West Virginia FILE - The Iowa State logo is featured on a team jersey during the the schools' NCAA college football media day The NCAA has taken disciplinary action against five current or former Iowa State football support staff members for combining to make more than 6,200 online bets totaling more than $100,000 on professional and college games including men's and women's basketball games involving the Cyclones The five were identified during a state investigation into sports wagering activities in campus athletic facilities from 2021-23 In a negotiated resolution finalized last week Kyle Highland and Mason Williams acknowledged they knowingly violated NCAA sports wagering bylaws and all are subject to a one-year show-cause order through April 24 Any of the five hired by another school's athletic department will be required to attend the annual NCAA Regional Rules Seminar at his own expense and serve a two-week suspension during the show-cause period Iowa State's athletic department declined to comment on the case Friday The NCAA classified the violations as Level II for the individuals involved meaning the breaches could compromise the integrity of the NCAA collegiate model was a football graduate assistant in 2021 and 2022 He was hired back as director of football analytics April 24 His biography on ISU's athletic website did not mention where He was found to have placed 787 bets totaling about $55,359 former assistant director of football equipment operations including 46 bets on ISU men's and women's basketball He now is an assistant equipment manager for the Detroit Lions including 25 bets on ISU men's and women's basketball His LinkedIn page indicated he worked in sales for a sporting goods company after he left Iowa State former football recruiting operations assistant including eight bets on ISU men's and women's basketball He now is Army's assistant director of football operations former associate for athletics equipment operations including 12 bets on ISU men's and women's basketball The state Department of Criminal Investigation turned over the names of the five men to Iowa State officials as part of its investigation into underage online sports wagering at colleges in the state. Dozens of athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were caught in the sting and charged with Many of the athletes pleaded guilty and paid a fine; charges were dismissed against others. More than three dozen athletes have joined in a civil lawsuit against the DCI alleging the agency violated their rights and smeared their reputations This story has been corrected to remove an incorrect workplace for Williams AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football rewritten or redistributed without permission Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device A May Day rally in Ames is encouraging residents to fight for working families A coalition of local organizations is hosting a demonstration from 4 to 7 p.m to support of a world where "every family has housing The rally was organized and is sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Indivisible Ames, Ames Visibility Brigade More: Several hundred Ames residents flock to Bandshell for nationwide 'hands off' anti-Trump rally The coalition is coordinating frequent local events with national events to amplify its presence "Our goal is to add our local voices to the national voice and give people in our community an opportunity to gather and support the issues that concern them," Wheelock said and we join them in demanding public investment in our lives More: Mary Greeley's CEO is retiring after more than 25 years in Ames. Who will replace him? with the Ames Visibility Brigade’s regular sign rally More: Stange Road in Ames is under construction again. How long will the northbound lane be closed? The sign rally will resume after the speakers finish until 7 p.m A mutual aid food drive will also be held throughout the event Residents are encouraged to bring non-perishables Another Dunkin' location is on its way to Ames and it just might be ready for the fall The old Burger King restaurant at 209 Lincoln Way is currently being demolished to make way for a second Dunkin' drive-through coffee shop in town Dunkin also has a location at 2650 Lincoln Way on the Iowa State University campus More: Ames council approves residential housing at Research Park, paves way for Dunkin' drive-thru Both locations are owned by Krishna and Rashmi Patel they own about 50 Dunkin' restaurants in 40 different states "Ames being a very strong market," Krishna Patel said "We are performing very well at the other restaurant there." Bringing Dunkin' to the heart of AmesFor years the Patels fielded requests from customers pining for a Dunkin’ away from the hustle and bustle of the ISU campus The pair eventually identified their ideal site More: A 20-year Mary Greeley veteran is the Ames hospital's new CEO. What to know: I think it will be more accessible to the community in general," Krishna Patel said "For people who don't want to come closer to campus because of the parking and drive-thru backup Starting fresh with a new building on Lincoln WayThe Harold Pike Construction Company in Ames informed the Patels that the project would likely be completed by late October or early November Dunkin' restaurants employ 15 to 20 staff members The local owners anticipate maintaining the same level of staffing at the Lincoln Way store as well Design plans call for structural improvements including reducing the drive-through lane from five feet to four feet and reducing parking spaces from 27 to 24 More: Ames approves plans to fund and orchestrate S. 16th Street expansion near Jack Trice The old Burger King building will be modified to include an indoor seating area The indoor play structure will be removed and replaced with a new façade and patio a few hundred Ames residents recently gathered at Bandshell Park for a May Day rally A coalition of local organizations hosted a demonstration for three hours on Thursday The rally was organized and sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Indivisible Ames, Ames Visibility Brigade and ISU Student Democrats – who “are organizing a world where "every family has housing The crowd’s homemade signs and rainbow flags contrasted with the grey sky as they chanted phrases like More: 'Creativity doesn't retire': Ames retirement community will auction off original paintings Multiple speakers from local organizations encouraged attendees to "keep standing up," to call and write their elected officials in Des Moines and Washington D.C or beating your head on a brick wall but they have to know that we’re out there,” Barb Wheelock from the League of Women Voters said “They can’t think that they’re wearing us down that we’re giving up or that they’re making us afraid The Ames Community School District is on the move The Ames School Board unanimously approved the district's withdrawal from the Iowa Alliance Conference and its subsequent request to join the Little Hawkeye Conference during its April 21 meeting Ames will join a conference starting in 2026 that is relatively smaller than its current grouping according to BEDS enrollment data from the 2024-2025 school year has 327 more students than the second-biggest school in the Little Hawkeye Conference boast enrollments of more than 1,000 students Superintendent Scott Grimes said the Little Hawkeye Conference aligns with the school district's needs in terms of size and competition as well as providing increased levels of play for students More: After sudden closure for 'client safety,' Live Hydration opens with renewed focus 6 months later "What's always within changes for conferences is what's best for student involvement," Grimes said "If we have teams A through F in basketball these schools also have similar A through F It provides more opportunities for all the kids." The Little Hawkeye Conference is comprised of Dallas Center-Grimes More: Campustown Showdown in Ames will feature cattle drive, live music, fashion show Travel, revenue and competition among reasons why Ames is on the moveAmes CSD has been a part of the Iowa Alliance since its formation in 2021 The league's 11 high schools are primarily located in central Iowa The Little Cyclones were joined by long-time rivals Fort Dodge who were all also previous members of the CIML The Iowa Alliance has strived to provide student athletes with a great experience, and Ames has seen an upward trend in participation and athletic success, the local district noted. However, the district also has noticed some struggles, including an increase in travel and a decrease in gate receipts The district said they often overwhelm their conference opponents in many sports and those schools can't always field teams for lower-level sports Ames CSD was approached by the Central Iowa Metropolitan League (CIML) and the Little Hawkeye Conference the Little Hawkeye Conference has eight high schools More: How a female business owner has grown her Ames stores by committing to Iowans Ames High School's enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year was 1,106 students, according to school board documents Valley High School had the largest enrollment in 2024-25 with 2,290 students Marshalltown High School has the largest enrollment in the Iowa Alliance Conference The Little Hawkeye Conference has invited six additional schools while the CIML has extended an invitation to four districts A partial road closure has generated some traffic congestion near a busy Iowa State University intersection Stange Road is being reconstructed from Blankenburg Drive to 13th Street in an Iowa State University-led and managed project and a new sidewalk on both sides of Stange Road Reconstruction was necessary due to the age and condition of Stange Road Iowa State manager of construction projects The northbound lane of Stange Road is currently closed to traffic with detours directing vehicles to head east to Grand Avenue a few days after the fall semester begins at Iowa State on Aug More: Roni's Mac Bar to open its first Iowa store. Here's how to sample over 70M flavor combos the City of Ames has completed work on Stange Road Iowa State's current Stange Road project is tied to the south end of the city's project The city completed work on Stange Road in 2023 while 24th Street underwent multiple projects in 2024 There has been extensive communication and coordination with the city since the Stange Road detour routes directly affect commuters and CyRide bus routes More: Iowa State, University of Iowa students hold pro-DEI protest during Board of Regents meeting The ongoing Stange Road construction means that southbound traffic must use the far west lane Northbound traffic will be detoured to Grand Ave Signage is in place to direct drivers through detours and closures A "viral" mac and cheese bar popular with college students has settled into Ames Roni's Mac Bar the "Viral Mac and Cheese Place," opens on Saturday The store is the company's first franchise in Iowa The build-your-own macaroni and cheese franchise lets customers choose from a wide variety of cheeses chief executive officer of Roni's Mac and Cheese said the business as the "Chipotle of mac and cheese." More: This 'viral mac and cheese place' is on its way to Ames. Find out where: "It's comfort food; whether you're a hungover college kid tattooed biker or a little princess in a tutu you're going to find something here that you'll love," Senese said "It's a fun way to think outside the box." Roni's Mac Bar will be open from 10:30 a.m A grand opening celebration will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m The first 100 customers will have the chance to win a year's supply of free mac and cheese The grand opening will also feature trivia coffee from Bellbottom Cafe and a special appearance by Cy the Cardinal "Think outside the box" is painted on the wall inside the mac and cheese bar and the menu certainly inspires customers to do just that Roni's Mac Bar has created a menu of more than 77 million possible combinations that continues to grow and toppings such as tomatoes and even pineapple − a topping that can be a key indicator of a repeat customer More: The Ames Fire Department is planning to leave its Welch Ave. station. Hint: It's not going far The franchise's extensive menu caters to everybody "You can add everything; you can add one thing; you can get some original plain mac and cheese," Wahlert said College students are a huge part of the franchise's demographic The bell curve of Roni Mac Bar's social media indicates a lot of college followers The franchise's Lincoln Way location will help serve nearby Iowa State students The local Roni's Mac Bar will need 15 employees to operate The building interior also has a foosball table Roni's Mac Bar was founded in 2022 in Waco Other franchises have recently opened in Utah Wahlert firs heard of Roni's Mac Bar when he stumbled across its Instagram in late 2023 and was attracted to the comfort food "I could eat (mac and cheese) for breakfast "It goes with anything; it goes by itself." Wahlert reached out to Roni's Mac Bar in early 2024 The company's social media had already indicated there was an appetite for the franchise in Ames  The community can also follow the restaurant's social media channels "Being able to get the word out has definitely helped us," Senese said "A lot of new businesses don't have that luxury where thousands of them are already in the area it's made it really easy to let them know that we're here and really get the hype going." A surefire sign of spring is about to sprout as the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market kicks off its new season About 4,000 people regularly flock to downtown Ames on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m which is held on Main Street between Clark and Kellogg avenues through October the crowd balloons beyond 5,000 guests who frequent the many Main Street booths offering produce “We counted 5,000 visitors many weeks last year,” said Lojean Petersen and there were days when a lot of our vendors sold out of their products The year's first market is set for Saturday The Ames Farmers' Market pulls local residents and also many from surrounding communities. Led by the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, the event is a weekly opportunity to buy directly from local Iowa vendors and producers The various booths offering items such as seasonal fresh fruits More than 105 vendors have signed up for the farmers’ market so far with about 60 scheduled to appear each week and roughly 60 small businesses are “occasional vendors,” Petersen said “We’ll rotate the occasional ones to keep the market fresh and new every week,” she said “I think that’s the fun part — we never have the same lineup two weekends in a row.” The Ames Farmers' Market will offer a special petting zoo themed daysSpecial events are scheduled for nearly every weekend in Ames the Iowa League of Heroes — there are a lot of fun events planned,” Petersen said “We even have wandering mini golf coming one weekend.” Those events are always free to the public thanks to several market sponsors Each farmers' market is accompanied by live music on Main Street while a half-dozen or so food trucks are on hand “We work very hard so families and people don’t have to go out of town looking for something to do on a Saturday morning,” Petersen said Two downtown Ames businesses, Cooks’ Emporium and The Recipe are sponsoring a slate of six cooking contests during the Ames Farmers' Market More: Photos: Ames downtown Farmers Market's Farm to Table dinner The farmers’ market will hold its annual Farm to Table event which raises funds to support the farmers' market and keep the event free for guests but that does not begin to tell the senior’s story Ames changes the game in ways that can’t be quantified in a scorebook “He’s making the saves that he should and some that he shouldn’t,” said Ames’ father hedging situation where someone is coming around the corner and he pops out He can come out and cut down their angle and make it difficult There are a lot of shots happening that aren’t going on the net .. Davidson senior defender Liam Pierce said he did not know of Ames’ conditions until Dave Ames told him before a Dispatch interview during the team’s April 23 practice “I’ve never seen something happen and know that was why He leaves it out there every single time.” Related story: Team manager Brenden Garrett inspires Olentangy Liberty hockey Vance Ames might have been destined to star in lacrosse given that his father played collegiately as a defender at Arizona and Bentley University and older brother Kaiden is a midfielder at Elmhurst College in suburban Chicago But the road was circuitous; Vance took the game up in second grade and played attacker until the effects of CP meant he could not keep up athletically or in terms of speed He shifted into goal and has been there ever since “My brain signals don’t work as well to my right side,” Vance said but it’s not nearly as bad as my right foot or right leg in general My right calf is a little smaller than my left “I have struggled with the shots on (the left) side because I’ve had to push off that (right) foot Just playing with confidence and knowing I can do my job is critical.” Related story: Detroit Tigers, college sports TV broadcaster Jason Benetti thrives with CP Region 3 selection and third-team all-state honoree a year ago further develop the muscles on his right side He takes four pills a day to combat Crohn’s During an April 22 game against Dublin Coffman Ames found himself running the ball almost to midfield during a clearing attempt his third of the season to go with three assists “(Coffman) covered everyone but me and I had to run over the midline,” Ames said Davidson (9-4) has won eight of 10 games after a 1-2 start and is ranked 11th statewide by LaxNumbers.com have been Region 3 runners-up each of the past three seasons but we can only get better from here,” Ames said “We’ve worked on me playing more aggressive cutting offensive players’ angles or being able to go out and get ground balls when the offense is not a threat to score Just being more involved in leading the defense with my voice and even my body.” High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X The Ames Community School District is pouring more time and effort into the property that houses its new multi-purpose learning center The Ames Multi-Purpose Educational Center (AMES Center) is located in the former Beloit Residential Treatment Center on Northwestern Avenue a handful of blocks southeast of the Ames High School The Ames Community School District committed more than $10 million to the new facility The district purchased the building from Lutheran Services for $2.5 million after the Beloit program shuttered in 2021 New plans include construction, building renovations of a separate structure, site redevelopment, and selective demolition at 1323 Northwestern Ave Renovations will be made to the Odland Building and the gymnasium The Odland Building will be updated to meet modern standards meeting spaces and potential public rental space The gym work would add a new classroom or office space A new HVAC and fire panel and detection system would be installed at both buildings The school district plans to demolish two additional buildings at 1323 Northwestern Ave − the administration building and an existing garage structure "They're not in the best shape," Ames CSD Director of Facilities Rob Addy said "It doesn't make much sense to rehab those particular buildings." More: AMES Center opens with therapy classrooms, home school assistance program, food pantry After receiving approval from the Ames School Board on April 21 a Request for Proposal has been sent out for architectural The deadline to receive proposals is May 9 A contract for design and redevelopment services will likely be awarded on May 19 and an official start date for the project will be determined after An estimated project cost has not yet been released The Ames Multi-Purpose Educational Center (AMES Center) houses therapeutic classrooms space for the home school assistance program The school district is also considering a plan to erect a new building at 1323 Northwestern Ave. The new building would be designed to include storage for special education and general curriculum The new building would work well given its location "This site is pretty much centrally located within the district," Addy said "It makes a lot of sense to have those particular items there so we don't have to go from one end all the way to the next." garden at AMES Center propertyThe district believes a few exterior enhancements could create a more vibrant educational space outside of the AMES Center The proposal includes walking and biking paths throughout the property a traffic garden for educational use and upgrades to the existing community garden The addition of new playground equipment was also suggested which would likely replace the current structure The proposal mentions new parking and drive layouts for improved student drop-off and pick-up Guard Emerged As Offensive Threat For Virginia Last Season Thanks for visiting A restaurant in west Ames has closed abruptly “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Mullets due to unforeseen circumstances effective immediately,” the post stated The 1980s-themed eatery and bar celebrated its grand opening on July 26 It was the first Ames location for the Des Moines-based chain that offers a fun vibe and a renowned breakfast menu The Story County establishment was the first to be open for dinner as well as breakfast and lunch Mullets offered a large patio overlooking a pond More: A long-running joke is no more. Yes, Olive Garden is coming to Ames. What to know: Mullets scaled back temporarily on its hours due to challenges with staffing the restaurant was operating at its full schedule The Mullets restaurant in Ames was a "dream come true" for local franchise owners Jordan and Miranda Cook Jordan Cook is also the city administrator in Nevada. The City of Indianola recently announced Cook was one of three finalists in its search for a new city manager The owners of the Ames Mullets would not tell the Ames Tribune why they closed More: Making cheese is a 'gouda' thing for ISU Creamery. How a $25K grant will double production The Mullets restaurant played ‘80s and ‘90s music and had a game room in the back The walls were covered with throwback photos and memorabilia A custom-painted mural on the west wall of the dining room paid a colorful homage to Mullets a little train that used to run between campus and downtown It has been an honor to serve this community and we’ll forever cherish the moments we’ve had with each and every one of you,” Mullets wrote in its Facebook post “Thank you for being part of our journey.” More: Popular west Ames sports bar and restaurant closes suddenly after 18 years West Towne Pub, which operated in the same Mortensen Road location for 18 years prior to Mullets, closed in April 2024 Mullets took over the corner building just a few months later in June (This story has been updated to add new information.) Ames speaks carefully and gently in a deeply compelling nasal voice which he describes as “affected.”    Ross Macdonald – starting in the late ‘80s I wrote my first mystery story: “Bored to Death.”  I later published it in McSweeney’s That short story became the basis for my TV show I was involved in TV and hardly writing prose at all I went back to write another piece of crime fiction I’ve managed to write three of them in the last five  years Do you see yourself writing Doll books indefinitely I got introduced to Richard Stark [the hardboiled pseudonym of Donald Westlake]; and I just devoured those 24 Parker novels Then what Ross Macdonald did: 18 Lew Archer novels And then of course there’s Michael Connelly I sort of discovered Connelly after I started writing the Doll books with his intersecting universes – oh my God patterned on those classic private eye figures He’s not necessarily consciously different It’s a little bit like trying to describe the sound of my own voice who is that guy?”  Just ‘cause probably of my affected tone   Or —  a slightly goofball take on the world or he would be a little melancholic about how he had screwed up his love life – but – he had real clarity of purpose Whereas Doll – I think ultimately what makes him different is that there’s just a lot of Introspection And he’s a little bit nuttier; he’s more of a screwup invariably get hit on the back of the head of them walking into spots where they get hit from behind sort of an Everyman private eye – who’s also a student of Buddhism He’s been trying to apply Buddhist philosophy; he’s not necessarily a Buddhist; he wouldn’t call himself a Buddhist which mirrors my own sort of interest and application of Buddhist philosophies to my life Though I hope that I make it clear in the books – that he might be getting a lot of this stuff wrong to figure out how to apply these things.”  So I hope that if anyone reads the books and it makes them a little bit interested in Buddhism that they’re not turned off by Doll not being an expert practitioner He has to set it aside in order to start hitting bad guys to keep the pirate from committing further negative deeds that would  cause the pirate bad karma as well as to protect the people that the pirate was going to hurt they want – to quote the New Testament – to turn swords into ploughshares: to transform violence into compassion Compassion was certainly one of Lew Archer’s strong suits Which I know is part of it:  The first noble truth of Buddhism is “Life is characterized by suffering.’”  I just picked up The Chill because it helps me to try to write my stuff but – his clients sometimes annoy me too much sometimes I like him to be – I like it when he battles tough guys when he goes to see that mother in Santa Monica He goes up against  tough guys in that one I think   I like when he goes up against tough guys; just my thing with whom he enjoys an unusually strong bond and the dog – these are reflections of my inner life And it’s funny: I saw a quote from [Donald]) Westlake when he was talking about [Richard Stark’s criminal protagonist] Parker Though I tend to prefer Stark to Westlake He said about Parker: “I didn’t give him a dog; I didn’t give him anything to make him more likeable “Oh – he’s –”   I felt like in a way he was calling me out for giving this guy a dog But I didn’t do it to make him more loveable; it’s just a reflection of my love for my dog It’s a unique relationship; it’s way beyond Asta and Nick Charles I guess Asta would probably be the closest But Nick Charles – he seems to tolerate Asta And then Ross Macdonald sort of picked up the baton from both of them He’ll have these passages about the water and then his great fire novel: [The] Underground Man I also try to have environmental themes in the Doll books there was that Monarch butterfly migration there were maybe fewer references to nature but his descriptions in Underground Man of fires on the ridge Two things – I love how he’s always running all over the place I just reread the Mexico one: The Zebra-Striped Hearse like in The Underground Man: he’s zigzagging here he’s zigzagging there; he’s almost getting the kid for the reader – it kind of keeps you always in tension I don’t totally remember who the killer is He wrote them so you couldn’t know in advance; he would write them so he wouldn’t know who the guilty one was until late in the text He made it so that almost any of the characters might be the murderer I kind of try to learn from all these guys What about their stories compels me as a reader There’s a noticeably gruesome aspect to your books I know; Doll’s sort of like a cartoon figure believable enough that someone could persevere through these things: the blows to the head One of the writers who blurbed the first book said “This is a book about being in the human body and the horror of the body.’” I don’t want to overly disturb the reader I guess there’s a gruesomeness to the books and keeps having frostbite and gets gangrene And it is a real issue for homeless populations in colder areas because they get these terrible infections But Doll feels great tenderness towards this character; it’s his ex-lover who’s lost her legs You’re at work on the fourth Doll book now What with everything going on in the world When you write novels you’re sort of a year behind we might be living in a total authoritarian state by the fall; I mean we’re very close to it now And so – will Doll be navigating that world I’m just so overwhelmed – as so many people are – with anxiety and dread which are like Times Square ticker-tape machines you have to be careful with what you put in your mouth   We have to be careful not to poison our minds Masthead About Advertisers: Contact Us Privacy Policy Become a member for as low as $5/month When TJ Douglas was in seventh grade he was sitting with his mother at the Iowa high school state track and field meet in Des Moines Lynn Douglas was coaching for Waukee at the time and she and her son were watching the 4A girls shuttle hurdle relay prelims during the final event of the night at Drake Stadium he turned to his mother and asked a question "Do you think you'll ever get to coach me?" They were living in Des Moines at the time and that question stuck with Lynn Douglas She had been around track and field all her life was a revered track and field coach for Iowa State He coached the Cyclone men's track and field program for 30 years as both an assistant and the head coach helping ISU claim 15 Big 8 Conference titles More: The Ames girls are jumping for joy in 2025 Iowa high school girls track and field season Lynn Douglas went on to marry current Ames head athletic performance coach Tony Douglas Lynn Douglas's brother Scott is an Ames track and field legend He ended up competing for both ISU and the University of Northern Iowa About 1 1/2 years after TJ Douglas asked his mother that fateful question the Douglas family got the opportunity to move back to Ames Lynn Douglas took over as the head coach of the Ames boys and girls track and field programs in 2022 "I remember people asking my brother and I if our dad pressured us into running," Lynn Douglas said and I hope we've been able to do the same for TJ."  More: Top 20 Ames-area Iowa high school boys track and field athletes ahead of the 2025 season TJ Douglas said he was a little hesitant about moving to Ames at first it has turned out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to him but I think it’s definitely the best thing because I like getting coached by mom,” Douglas said Douglas has emerged as a serious talent for the Ames boys track and field team this season He has become an elite hurdler and an excellent sprinter for the Little Cyclones lifting and spending every Sunday running hurdles Douglas has shown he can compete with anyone in the state in the hurdle events “It’s the reps and the work,” Douglas said but it’s also getting my mindset into place Thinking about winning and going faster in general.”  More: Inspiring play of Christian Gallt has the Ames boys soccer team eyeing Iowa state tournament He came in second in the 400 hurdles at the Hi Covey Invitational boys track and field meet in Ames after crossing the finish line in 55.77 seconds That time would have put him seventh in Class 4A Douglas took third in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 14.92 seconds Douglas anchored Ames to a runner-up time of 1:04.64 He also ran the second leg on Ames' runner-up sprint medley relay team that took second after running a 1:35.52 “I always know he’s going to do good and that pushes me to do well too,” said Drew Vander Wilt and that makes me want to work harder and do well for our team.”  Vander Wilt loves having Douglas around on the track “TJ is a great teammate,” Vander Wilt said working super hard and trying to win every rep.”   Douglas enjoys helping Ames succeed in the sprint medley and the other sprint relays “I like being part of a team,” Douglas said It’s more pressure to do good for your team and not let them down.”  "He used to call the hurdles 'turtles,'" Lynn Douglas said he'd set balls and toys in the yard and run over them and I remember he just found such joy in that." he is following in his mother and uncle's footsteps "He really wants to beat his Uncle Scotty on the Ames top 10 list," Lynn Douglas said "My brother was a two-time state champ for Ames Douglas said he wants to win state in the 110 highs this year He also wants to break 54 seconds and qualify in the 400 hurdles and run a split under 14 seconds in the shuttle hurdle relay Vander Wilt said anything is possible with Douglas "I think he can do that," Vander Wilt said “I’m confident he can make state in all three." That would please his mother/coach very much I want him to be happy and grow to be his best self," Lynn Douglas said I want to do all I can to help him reach his goals Iowa — According to the Iowa Workforce Development website bus drivers in Ames will be laid off in May after the Ames School Board approved a contract with another school transportation company Durham School Services has provided transportation services to Ames students for the last 15 years the Ames Community School District approved a new contract with First Student which is another school transportation company According to the Iowa Workforce Development website 62 Durham employees in Ames will be laid off on May 31st First Student provides services to other school districts in Iowa Both of these districts provided positive feedback to the Ames School Board This is the first time since 2015 that the district has requested proposals for transportation services Both Durham and First Student submitted proposals school board members said their decision came down to the price tag First Student offered a proposal that was estimated to be $1 million less than the current Durham services Mike Miller is a veteran bus driver in Ames who spoke during the meeting “I have been recruited last year by Gilbert because I’m a 15-year bus driver and I know how to do my job the External Communications Manager for Durham School Services we were made aware by the school district that they had chosen to move forward with a new transportation provider All of the drivers that meet employment standards will either stay in Ames or transfer with us.” Durham provides transportation to six other school districts in Iowa Lam confirmed that they are not expecting layoffs at any other location The Ames Community School District provided this comment: The Iowa Department of Revenue has denied renewal of a popular Ames establishment's alcohol license because of felony convictions tied to a majority owner Located at 1320 Dickinson Avenue, Perfect Games is a family entertainment center with bowling The full bar covers a significant portion of the facility which is also home to several large TVs and nightly specials The Iowa Department of Revenue denied Perfect Games' renewal application because Markley fails to meet the standards of “good moral character,” according to a letter sent to Perfect Games "A person of 'good moral character' is one who has such financial standing and good reputation as will satisfy the Director that the person will comply with all of the laws and regulations applicable to the person’s operations," the letter stated "A person of 'good moral character' is one who has not been convicted of a felony." The Ames City Council is not allowed to override the state's decision They denied Perfect Games' alcohol license renewal on Tuesday Perfect Games' current alcohol license expires on May 12 More: 'The Frederich Pitch' at Lloyd Kurtz Park bolstered by $50K donation. When is it opening? said during Tuesday's meeting that the business is appealing the state's decision He asked the council to wait for the process to finish Perfect Games was notified of the Iowa Department of Revenue's denial on Friday McPartland noted that Perfect Games has not removed Markley as an owner because they are under a court order not to "We want nothing more than to remove him from our ownership group," McPartland said during Tuesday's council meeting City Attorney Mark Lambert said the council didn't have much choice but to deny the application because the state had already ruled "If (the council) were to approve (the alcohol license) Perfect Games can serve alcohol during appealLambert said Perfect Games can reapply for the license once they've established different ownership and Markley is no longer listed "This is a very difficult situation for a business like Perfect Games," Ames City Council member Tim Gartin said on Tuesday "I would like to try to brainstorm ways we could be accommodating but still be in compliance with the Department of Revenue." Lambert also noted that Perfect Games can continue to sell alcohol while the appeal is in process "The appeal process takes some time," the city attorney said More: A west Ames restaurant has suddenly closed less than a year since opening. What happened? Markley was also a partial owner of Inside Golf and Ames and ran his own medical office called the Wellness Clinic in Ankeny He was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of a child and possessing child pornography in 2023. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of sex trafficking by fraud or coercion More: Durham School Services plans 'mass layoffs' after Ames CSD contracts with new bus provider According to reporting from the Des Moines Register, prosecutors described repeated offenses and deception that date back to the late 1990s They said Markley approached young men claiming he was performing research on human sexuality he needed to conduct physical examinations of his young male employees for insurance reasons Case prosecutors said Markley used his access and in many cases his control over the victims' finances to pressure them into letting him perform sex acts on them Markley was sentenced to 15 life sentences in federal prison on March 24 one for each of the 14 boys he pleaded guilty to molesting Des Moines Register reporter William Morris contributed to this story She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.