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 Polk County and Ankeny Unveil Large-Scale Wetland Project at Fourmile Creek IA- The Fourmile Creek Watershed Management Authority is proud to announce the dedication of the Creekview Stormwater Wetland a collaborative project by Polk County and the City of Ankeny featuring the construction of an expansive stormwater wetland designed to treat urban runoff from approximately 423 acres of pre-regulation development The Creekview Stormwater Wetland is located at 405 SE Creekview Drive This visionary project aims to treat roughly 500 acres of residential and commercial development runoff from the City of Ankeny surpassing the capacity of previous wetlands within the watershed A unique partnership with a local developer has facilitated a land donation to further expand the Fourmile Creek Greenway which is nearing a remarkable 1,000 acres of public land within the 500-year floodplain “The Creekview Stormwater Wetland is a groundbreaking project within the Fourmile Creek Watershed renowned for its effective use of stormwater wetlands to manage urban discharges Polk County continues to be a leader in innovative stormwater management practices.” features strategic design elements such as a properly sized forebay These features are engineered to deliver strategic water quality and flow reduction benefits this project allows us to retrofit stormwater management onto a fully developed urban landscape with minimal disturbance and costs,” said Ankeny Mayor Bobbi Bentz “The Creekview Wetland is the perfect example of what happens when public and private partners work together to solve complex urban challenges with smart Project leaders held a dedication ceremony today to underscore the joint efforts and achievements in sustainable land and water management The Marshalltown girls’ tennis team dealt with all the adversity and stood up to the many challenges on Friday in the Hawkette Invite Despite a lengthy rain delay and a change of venue Marshalltown remained unbeaten with a 7-4 triumph over Ankeny on Friday at the Ankeny Tennis Center as well as the Ames Fitness Center With no end in sight to the morning’s rain north of the Des Moines metro MHS (10-0) endured the elements and the relocation overcame a singles split for the first time this season and dominated doubles play with a near-sweep the Bobcats and Hawks (3-5) split the singles contests 3-3 but Marshalltown mowed through in doubles play The 7-4 final represented the closest 11-match contest for the unbeaten Bobcats this season beating Ankeny’s Olivia North 8-4 to also improve to 10-0 Kate Sandvick captured an 8-3 victory over Lilith Francel at No and Reese Jensen scored a convincing 8-1 triumph at No Sandvick and Kennedy Feldman teamed up for an 8-5 victory at No but Ankeny countered with an 8-0 sweep at No Marshalltown put the match away by sweeping the rest Jensen and Ellie Downs were 8-7 winners at No Ellie Hughes and Rachel Jones prevailed 8-0 at No while Bella Avise and Karsyn Price picked up an 8-4 win at No The Bobcats go in search of the Iowa Alliance Conference North Division title on Monday with a 4 p.m MHS closes the regular season with Tuesday’s home match against Des Moines North Izzie Doyle and Franchesca Maurelis Javier Ventura FORT DODGE — The Marshalltown girls’ golf team posted the three lowest scores of the day in a decisive Iowa .. The NCAA has taken disciplinary action against five current or former Iowa State football support staff members for .. LLC | https://www.timesrepublican.com | 135 West Main Street Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mary Joanne Ochs Growing up she enjoyed spending time with family and participating in activities like camping adventures Mary graduated from Norway High School in 1978 where she also enjoyed socializing with friends and attending dances She attended Mount Mercy College and graduated in 1983 Mary was united in marriage to Don Ochs on September 17 They made their first home in East Amana where they welcomed two sons IA where Mary was a stay-at-home mom while also doing childcare before starting a career with Ankeny Community Schools in the special needs program and generous soul who dedicated her life to helping others Her career was more than just work; it was a calling She made a lasting impact on the lives of countless young people and their families Mary and Don are members of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Church where she served as a Religious Education teacher and Eucharistic Minister She also provided side dishes for funerals when asked Though she experienced health challenges in recent years Her loving spirit touched everyone she met and the many children whose lives she helped shape will remember her not only for what she did but for how she made them feel valued Mary and Don were truly appreciative of the support from family support group members and her Ankeny Schools family and family throughout this journey are sincerely appreciated and will not be forgotten husband Don; sons Matthew and Stephen (Kelly); mother Mary Zumsande; brothers Nick and Tom (Pam); and sister Carol (Steve); and her beloved grandchildren Kieran and Hudson; along with many special nieces and all who knew and loved her are welcome to attend Mary’s Celebration of Life starting with a visitation on May 1st at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home (8201 Hickman Rd Mass of Christian Burial will be held on May 2nd at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Church (510 E 1st St Ankeny) at 10:30 AM with a luncheon to follow Burial will be at East Amana Cemetery (5199 C St East Amana) beginning at 4PM for those who would like to join Add to Calendar Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory Add to Calendar Add to Calendar Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Catholic Church Add to Calendar Add to Calendar This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Pump up your tires and check your brakes — National Bike and Roll to School Day is Wednesday The Ankeny Police Department and Ankeny Community School District encourage students to walk or bike to school as part of this nationwide event which promotes a healthy lifestyle and raises awareness about the importance of safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists Ankeny police officers and school staff will be at elementary schools that morning to walk and bike with students Their presence supports students on their journey and highlights the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety in our community We look forward to seeing students out there on May 7 The former leader of the Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the theft of more than $250,000 from the organization entered the plea April 30 in Polk County court to four felony charges: theft The plea spared Cox from four other charges but is an admission she used a chamber-issued credit card for personal expenses and tried to cover it up She was dismissed from the chamber in November following an internal audit that found financial irregularities Ankeny police said a board member contacted them Nov The chamber announced Cox's hiring in December 2021 Cox also transferred money from a chamber bank account she had created to her personal bank account to cover up the theft and altered transactions on credit card statements to try to make the transactions appear to be normal expenses Second-degree fraudulent practice carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison The other felony charges each carry potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison All the charges also can include up to more than $10,000 in fines She must also pay restitution on all eight counts Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com or on X at @pslifeisabeauty. Find out more about him online through the Register's staff directory The week of April 27-May 3 was another one filled with action for Des Moines metro-area high school female athletes Girls track and field teams continued to work toward getting best times and distances in the week between the Drake Relays and state qualifying meets There were several exciting girls soccer games and area girls golfers and tennis players also stepped up their game with the postseason rapidly approaching Here are the Des Moines Register's female Athlete of the Week candidates from the Des Moines metro area for the week of April 27-May 3 DesMoinesRegister.com readers vote to determine the winners who will be announced at the end of the week Hofbauer did an excellent job distributing the soccer ball for the Class 2A No 2 Dallas Center-Grimes' girls soccer team during a 10-0 victory at Newton on April 29 Hofbauer dished out three assists during the Mustangs' victory Fair had a strong night on offense for the Class 3A No 3 Ankeny Centennial girls soccer team during a 4-0 victory over Kaneland (Ill.) on May 2 at the Bettendorf Tournament of Champions in Bettendorf Fair got off four shots on goal and she pulled off a hat-trick for the Jaguars by putting three goals into the net Waukee NorthwestWiig was the individual medalist during the Waukee Northwest girls golf team's 166-183 victory over Dowling Catholic in a nine-hole dual meet at the Willow Creek Golf Course in West Des Moines Wiig shot a 39 during the meet to beat teammate Lola Minnick by one stroke for medalist and she also joined up with teammate Sophie Schmitz to win the No 1 doubles match during the Ankeny girls tennis team's 11-0 victory over Southeast Polk on April 29 Francel swept Southeast Polk's Addison Bartles in straight sets Francel and Schmitz took down the Rams' team of Bartles and Kylie Ciesielski by scores of 6-2 and 6-0 Coghlan won both the 100 and 400-meter hurdle races and she also helped Adel-Desoto-Minburn take first in the shuttle hurdle relay during the Tiger Invitational girls track and field meet on April 29 at Adel Coghlan won the 100 hurdles in 14.96 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 1:03.65 She ran the third leg on the ADM shuttle hurdle team that clocked in at 1:02.51 Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines' newest thrift store in Ankeny may entice eager shoppers but Executive Director Steve Havemann says to look beyond the good deals revenue generated from the Ankeny location will go toward the longtime nonprofit's programs which Havemann said have seen a "terrifying" rise in visitors which supports Iowans reentering the workforce "Our expansion to our fourth thrift store has been very intentional," he said "We know that more people than ever are coming to us for food and clothing assistance through our food pantries as well as our scheduled appointments to every 15 minutes the organization's longtime commitment to serving the community is further strengthened Vincent de Paul really is: It's the first step to a second chance for people that need help or assistance," Havemann said "It's a second chance for clothing to find a new home and to be repurposed Vincent de Paul's new thrift store in Ankeny is 9 a.m The first 100 customers will receive a complimentary Vinny's shopping bag Customers also can enter raffles to win $100 gift certificates and other prizes as well as enjoy food and snacks throughout the event A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m April 28 to mark the store's official opening Vincent de Paul thrift stores sell furniture Vincent de Paul of Des Moines has two thrift stores in Des Moines — one on the city's north side at 1426 Sixth Ave and another on the south side at 520 Army Post Road The store on Army Post Road also is open noon to 5 p.m Vincent de Paul's thrift store in Windsor Heights is at 801 73rd St and has the same hours as the store on Army Post Road Donations can be dropped off at the four locations from 9 a.m For more information, visit www.svdpdsm.org F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on X @writefelissa Hy-Vee is shutting down food production facilities in Chariton and Ankeny in a move that will affect hundreds of workers Closing after June 24 shifts will be a 48,000 square-foot Short Cuts facility in Chariton that cuts fresh fruit and vegetables and a 150,000-square-foot plant in Ankeny where Hy-Vee makes take-and-bake pizzas A combined total of 461 jobs will be affected: 129 in Chariton and 332 in Ankeny where the Hy-Vee Fresh Commissary is the city's ninth-largest non-retail employer The work was moved from individual stores when the facilities opened in 2018 Hy-Vee decided to shift the production back to the stores because the shelf life of items prepared at the facilities More: Hy-Vee stops sales for Tone’s Spices from Ankeny in favor of McCormick products "This move will significantly improve product freshness availability and customer service as more employees will be placed in retail stores," a news release said "This move gets us back to being an even stronger grocer," Potthoff said She said bringing more people back to the stores who are capable of processing produce also will pay dividends on other value-added products such as sandwiches which currently are made in the commissary and shipped to stores "Now sandwiches produced in the stores can add tomato "We can't do that when everything is made in the commissary and shipped filed a state-required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act But Potthoff said the company is trying to find other positions for the affected employees with "hiring events" beginning immediately at the two locations and human resources staff on hand to assist The news release said Hy-Vee "is committed to assisting all impacted employees during this transition," placing as many as possible at stores The two facilities will continue to be owned by Hy-Vee as the company explores manufacturing more shelf-stable products or repositioning them for different uses "I don't think we will have any problems finding uses for that space," Potthoff said Earlier in April, Hy-Vee also announced changes to the operation of its in-store Market Grille restaurants. Beginning May 1 Hy-Vee will end bar service in "select stores" and make other changes It has said those employees will be offered other jobs Philip Joens covers retail and real estate for the Register He can be reached at 515-284-8184 or pjoens@registermedia.com Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com Have you heard of Ankeny School’s Long-Range 10-Year Academic and Facility Plan Get the big picture in this first episode of a new series on this plan with Superintendent Dr Erick Pruitt and Assistant Superintendents Dr This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Congratulations to students from Ankeny Centennial High School and Southview Middle School who are part of Wildcard Robotics Team 4646 winners of the recent Iowa Regional FIRST Robotics Competition This marks the first Iowa team to win the event since 2019 based in Polk City and mentored by John Deere engineers The team designs and builds a robot from scratch using CAD They’re now advancing to the FIRST Championship in April—an international event that brings together the top student robotics teams from around the world this world-class competition celebrates innovation We’re proud of their hard work and wish them the best at Worlds The Ankeny Community School District (ACSD) has released a comprehensive 10-year Long-Range Academic Programming & Facility Plan designed to expand educational opportunities built upon years of strategic growth and investment outlines a clear vision for building a future of choice doubling in size from 5,000 students in 2004 to nearly 13,000 today The district has responded with careful planning and investment leading to major developments such as transitioning to a two-feeder system in 2013 the construction of Heritage and Abbie Grove Elementary Schools planning for and adapting to substantial growth,” said Superintendent Dr “The future will make Ankeny a leader in designing the academic and extracurricular experience for students as growth steadies and the city becomes more fully developed.” The district has proposed a series of major initiatives The first phase of the plan includes key facility upgrades and new construction made possible through a General Obligation (GO) Bond ACSD is preparing for a bond referendum in November 2025 which will will maintain the current debt service levy rate forward-thinking investments keep our district competitive “This plan is about ensuring Ankeny remains a leader in education for generations to come.” The Ankeny High School Band is hosting its 4th Annual Mattress Fundraiser on Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM at the Ankeny High School Commons the commons will turn into a mattress showroom with 30+ styles at prices below retail Questions? Contact Erich.Schmidt@cfsbeds.com or call 515-718-9822 Watch how the fundraiser works: Watch Video We are pleased to invite all parents and guardians to a free informative parent night to promote healthy digital habits within families We look forward to your participation in this event dedicated to fostering a balanced and healthy digital environment for our children Check out our resources below to support the Phones Away for the Day work taking place in Ankeny Schools. (View Board Policy 502.06 Respectable Use of Mobile Devices here.) Download this image and share it on your social media Check out these resources on technology usage for kids & teens: Video Gaming 101: Healthy vs Problematic Gaming Is your teen ready for a personal device? When does internet use become addictive? How to Talk to Teens About Social Media Screenagers: Parent Guide Smartwatches are allowed to be worn to tell time any features that function similarly to a cell phone (e.g. They can communicate their need to a nearby adult and ask to access to a phone Ankeny Schools allow for devices that provide accommodations through an official school plan (e.g etc.) and expect those devices to only be used for the purpose of providing the accommodations.  Listening to music for entertainment or watching videos with a non-instructional purpose is not considered acceptable use Parents/Guardians are always welcome to call the school’s main office to reach their child The building will ensure your child is contacted and/or retrieved to speak with you promptly.   We want to thank all our stakeholders—students and parents—who took the opportunity to respond to the wireless device survey Please view the final survey results here: Student Survey Results Parent Survey Results Classroom Staff Survey Results cellphones and other personal electronic devices are no longer allowed in Ankeny schools The Ankeny Community School District Board of Education approved a plan to ban cellphones during the school day at its meeting on Monday The policy prohibits students from using wireless communication devices during school hours unless directed to use a device by a staff member Devices must be turned off and put away during the instructional day But the final version of the policy also offers some flexibility: with district approval principals can permit device use during certain parts of the day The school board's vote was unanimous. District officials hope the policy will address issues with social media bullying and student mental health while reducing distractions in the classroom to help teachers teach and students learn More: No cellphones in class: Why more Iowa schools are putting in bans to improve mental health What is Ankeny's new cellphone policy?Ankeny's new cellphone policy prohibits students from using wireless communication devices during school hours The policy covers more devices than just phones but they need to be turned off and put away during school hours unless a staff member directs them to use a device That could include a teacher allowing students to use phones for a class lesson While this policy does not apply to extracurricular activities outside school hours coaches and club advisers have the right to disallow phone use The ban does not apply to a student who needs a device for documented accessibility or health reasons such as monitoring diabetes or using a translation service The final version of the policy lets the superintendent allow principals to "permit the use of some and/or all wireless communication devices during designated periods provided that such use is authorized for a compelling operational and/or educational purpose." the superintendent could revoke that permission at any time and for any reason The change comes after feedback from school officials in the new school year Superintendent Erick Pruitt said at the meeting that he was focused on the unique high school environment particularly its large lunches and open campus periods for students Principals would make the request each school year The new policy also address artificial intelligence The AI section prohibits students from using devices to generate photorealistic AI images videos and audio while on district property or away from district property for school-related purposes to deter students from using AI to generate sexually-explicit images of others without their consent The new technology policy goes into effect Oct Families are expected to receive communication from the district about the policy District officials will continue to discuss the policy's impact after it's implemented Ankeny's policy appears to be the most all-encompassing in the Des Moines metro to date Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register Chris Higgins covers the eastern and northern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_ If you are the site owner (or you manage this site), please whitelist your IP or if you think this block is an error please open a support ticket and make sure to include the block details (displayed in the box below) so we can assist you in troubleshooting the issue A new restaurant takes over the former Old Chicago space in Ankeny a Minnesota-based sports bar and restaurant with 10 locations in the Midwest Ankeny with a menu of Midwestern favorites The restaurant really specializes in Midwest favorites such as cheese curds totchos topped with grilled chicken or pork carnitas Midwest sushi with a dill pickle layered with herb cream cheese and ham and pretzel sticks served with a side of queso Wings and burgers make up the bulk of the entrees Think bone-in or boneless wings tossed in sauces such as Alabama white Those who want a true Boulder Tap House experience should try the Epic Burger with three 6-ounce Angus burger patties fried pickles and three slices of American cheese A drizzle of barbecue mayo tops the one-pound burger Other novelty burgers include a brown sugar cheddar burger jalapeños popper burger with jalapeño bacon and chipotle raspberry sauce avocado shrimp burger topped with mango salsa and avocado fries or the cheese curd burger served with Swiss cheese A stuffed burger is a reminder of the Jucy Lucy out of Minneapolis with molten American cheese in the center while the Swicy burger includes ghost pepper jack cheese and spicy peach sauce for a sweet and spicy dish Boulder Tap House also creates a burger of the month with novelty flavors for a limited time as well as creative renditions of bloody Marys and featured cocktails as specials or head to the sandwiches section of the menu for a pulled pork Boulder Tap House also serves milkshakes in flavors including a cotton candy More: Who has the best burger in Iowa? 10 finalists for Iowa's Best Burger contest announced Kids can dine for $6.99 and order corn dogs More: East Coast burger restaurant heads to Waukee this fall. What to know about Wayback Burgers the restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m The Ankeny location of Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom, the home to deep dish and tavern crust pizzas, a beer tour and Sicilian pepperoni rolls, closed at the end of 2023 The Ankeny location will mark the 11th Boulder Taphouse when it opens and the fourth in Iowa along with Mason City Contact: bouldertaphouse.com Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com Ankeny is getting a data center to be located just northeast of the Interstate 80/35 interchange Ankeny City Council members on Monday unanimously approved a development agreement with Edged Des Moines LLC for a $187 million about 105,000-square-foot data center to be built on 17.5 acres at 2701 Southeast 90th St Edged has operational data centers or others under construction across Europe and North America and will lease computer server hall space to tech company clients at the Ankeny facility the company's website notes data center facilities in Atlanta City documents note Edged has committed to creating 22 new jobs within three years at the Ankeny facility and the company will have to extend water and sewer service to the site That will open up 120 acres of land in the immediate area for new development The project is expected to break ground in the summer and take two years to complete The city is offering Edged up to $2 million in tax increment financing rebates over the next five years with the size of the rebates decreasing by 15% every year The rebates would start at 75% in the first year said the project has been in the works for about three years More: Amid changes in Iowa's tax climate, incentives that lured data centers may be on way out Ankeny Mayor Bobbi Bentz said she's been critical of past data center projects because of their high water usage Lord said water consumption at the facility will be no more than a typical warehouse-office building A representative of Edged at the meeting said the facility will use a closed loop cooling system filled with a mixture of glycol and water that only has to be filled once in order to cool the facility's computer servers including supporting office space and other infrastructure the Edged data center in Ankeny won't be quite as big as some others in the Des Moines metro The West Des Moines City Council last year approved modifications to the site plan for Microsoft's Ginger East data center at 1475 S.E The modifications allowed for the construction of two more buildings at the site That left room for at least one more building at the site in the future Microsoft has four other data centers in West Des Moines West Des Moines City Council also last year approved the development agreement for another Microsoft data center — called Ruthenium to be on 132 acres bounded by Southwest 60th Street Woodland Avenue and Veterans Parkway in Madison County — that would have one 245,000-square-foot facility in its first phase Fill the Fund is an event organized by the Wiedenman Family Foundation to benefit the Ankeny Community School District Fill the Fund is a community-wide fundraiser to assist students with negative meal balances in the Ankeny Community School District Participating restaurants agree to donate a percentage of their profits on April 23 to the FUEL Fund Every student in Ankeny Schools is fed a daily lunch regardless of the balance in their lunch account Funds raised during Fill the Fund give access to a fundraised account for those students whose negative balances are greater than -$50 they can utilize this fundraised account so as not to incur additional debt while they work to pay off their existing balance Yankee Clipper The Wiedenman Family Foundation, a 501c3 tax exempt, non-profit organization was formed to undertake projects that will enhance Ankeny and the surrounding communities. Can’t make our evening out? No problem! Donations are always welcomed and appreciated. Make your tax exempt donation online at Wiedenman Family Foundation You can also donate by check to the Wiedenman Family Foundation and mail it to PO Box 931 The Fill the Fund campaign brings together the entire Ankeny community to raise money for school meals while supporting local businesses Ankeny has its first female mayor after the Ankeny City Council appointed one of its members to the job at its meeting Monday night Bobbi Bentz will serve as Ankeny's mayor through Dec She was sworn in as mayor after Monday night's vote Bentz said in an interview she's proud to be mayor as the council's longest-tenured member and the one who has lived the longest in Ankeny “After serving 12 years as a council member with the last two as Mayor Pro Tem I have gained a deep understanding of our community’s needs and opportunities I am excited to bring that experience to this new role," Bentz said in a news release from the city Finding his replacement will be a top priority She told the Register last year ahead of her reelection that the biggest issue facing Ankeny was managing its aging infrastructure amid rapid new growth She added Tuesday the city needs to thoughtfully plan new infrastructure and use better-quality materials for longevity sake Bentz said it's also an important priority for her that Ankeny have a "hometown" feel, which means the suburb has its own identity in the Des Moines metro should have a say when it comes to regional activities and economic growth Who is Ankeny's new mayor, Bobbi Bentz?According to her City Council bio Bentz grew up in Ankeny after her family moved to the community in 1980 She graduated from Ankeny High School in 1997 She has an undergraduate economics and business degree from Cornell College master's degrees in health administration and public health from the University of Iowa and a doctorate degree in community and behavioral health from the University of Iowa Bentz works as an associate director of evidence and outcomes for the pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Co. She also has been an executive account manager and business partner for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield primary care office director for the Iowa Department of Public Health program director at Cornell College and a health policy analyst for the U.S Related: Ankeny will appoint mayor to replace Mark Holm, new Polk County supervisor have three children who are involved in youth sports and activities Bentz also is a board member of the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors' Bureau and the Ankeny Art Center and is a founding member of 100 Women Who Care Ankeny She previously was a Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority commissioner and a board member of Bravo Greater Des Moines Council member Kelly Stearns said Bentz would be Ankeny's first female mayor and has capably served and (led) on the Council for over 12 years Bobbi is deeply involved and connected in Ankeny and is well respected among other metro communities that we collaborate with on numerous complex issues," Stearns said in the city's release The City Council also voted Monday night to fill Bentz's vacancy by appointing someone else to take her council seat The council will gather letters of interest from the community and make its appointment at the Jan But the people of Ankeny also will have the ability to petition for a special election to fill the seat The deadline to file a special election petition for the City Council vacancy is within 14 days after the city publishes its notice of intent to appoint or within 14 days after the appointment is made — whichever is later Ankeny City Council members voted unanimously on Dec 6 to appoint someone to fill the vacancy left by Holm's departure rather than hold a special election Ankeny community members also have up to 14 days from Bentz's appointment as mayor to file for a special election for that role A special election petition requires signatures equal to 30% of the number of people who voted in the last election Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com or on X at @pslifeisabeauty The former leader of the Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce allegedly began stealing more than $250,000 from the organization almost as soon as she started her job there faces 14 felony charges stemming from her alleged use of a chamber-issued credit card for personal expenses: six counts of theft six counts of unauthorized use of a credit card one count of fraudulent practice and one count of money laundering turned herself in to the Ankeny Police Department on Wednesday morning She was dismissed from the chamber in November after an internal audit found financial irregularities. Ankeny police said a board member contacted them Nov The chamber announced Cox's hiring in December 2021 that Cox allegedly first used the card with her name on it to purchase $26,599 in personal items and expenses The documents do not detail what Cox purchased and other types of transactions," the documents say Documents show Cox allegedly continued to use the card to rack up other personal sums three days before police were contacted.Court documents allege Cox transferred $1,291 from a chamber bank account she had created to her personal bank account to cover up theft She also allegedly altered five transactions on the credit card statements to try to make $3,102 in transactions appear to be normal expenses The Register attempted to contact Cox via Facebook but did not immediately receive a response Polk County Jail records show she was still incarcerated without a listed bond as of Wednesday afternoon chair of the Ankeny Area Chamber Board of Directors told the Register the organization's statement in November after Cox's dismissal was still true "The Chamber is financially sound and focused on fulfilling its mission and the board and staff are committed to ensuring this incident will not derail the Chamber’s efforts moving forward," Mills said at the time Mills referred other questions to Ankeny police and the Polk County attorney He said the chamber would have no further comment beyond: "We are excited about 2025 and are focused on hiring a new CEO for the long-term success of the Ankeny Chamber and serving our members." The chamber named board member Trent Murphy as interim CEO after Cox's dismissal Murphy is a former Ankeny school board member and owner of Murphy Enterprises This story was updated to add new information After two years in the District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny 30hop made a move into bigger space at the outdoor shopping center Customers can see the restaurant from the old location only the new 9,000-square-foot restaurant offers a new design on the first floor of a building built from scratch with a towering view of the lawn where much of the live entertainment takes place which got its start in 2014 when it opened in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing with the first rooftop patio in the area includes a 1,000-square-foot patio that looks out on the lawn “The upgrade and square footage was definitely one of the two biggest reasons for the move,” said 30hop owner and operator Darin Blum “Another one being that we had another concept that we could backfill the old space.” The group’s sister restaurant Tribute Eatery & Bar will replace 30hop’s old space in Building 5 Where 30hop has more of a casual feel with reclaimed barn wood and a menu of burgers richer features and a twist on classic dishes The move also gives 30hop diners a front seat for concerts on the park a series of country music concerts that have featured Jerrod Niemann diners have a view of the entire 8,000 square feet inside with minty green- and burnt orange-backed booths lining the floor-to-ceiling windows in one section Lime green lights hang over those tables for a more intimate feel Brown chairs sit around the tables closer to the bar with high-top tables along the center of the space separating the long The bar features high-top stools in that minty green Only four big-screen televisions line the bar with a few more scattered around the dining room Light wood crosses for baffles stretch across part of the ceiling as a sound barrier giving the space a modern yet approachable feel including healthier options like poke bowls $13.99: This dish is a heaping pile of corn tortilla chips Add pork carnitas or chicken tinga for an additional $4 for each $17.99: Take your Cobb salad to the next level with Buffalo chicken and chili crunch aioli kick this burger up a notch $16.99: This dish has practically become a standard for the appetizer menu The tempura shrimp comes with chili crunch for some heat $12.99: If dipping into the Asian side of the menu strikes your fancy try this noodle dish with an Asian marinade and wok veggies and more come together with marinated tuna and sticky rice in this dish on the healthy side of the menu $12.99: Six layers of chocolate cake stack up with a chocolate ganache and caramel sauce for this very shareable dessert there’s 100% blue agave tequila in this margarita but the real flavor comes from the blueberry See the entire menu at 30hop: 30hop.com/menus Beers on tap in Ankeny: untappd.com When will Tribute Eatery & Bar open?The changeover is expected to take two or three months Tribute Eatery & Bar certainly isn’t a white tablecloth restaurant Some of the menu items to start include an ahi stack black and blue potato chips with a Buffalo seasoning and blue cheese fondue A roasted red pepper hummus with goat cheese comes with toasted naan while sundried tomato spinach artichoke dip comes topped with smoked Gouda Tribute carries a crispy chicken club bacon as well as a Cubano with mojo pork and ham The Tribute Burger features a double patty with white American cheese The fish and chips comes with IPA beer-battered pieces of cod while the lemon pepper shrimp linguine has a little heat with the chili-marinated shrimp Other options include rigatoni alla vodka with Italian sausage smoked Gouda mac and cheese with optional add-ons from grilled chicken or marinated shrimp to tofu or mojo pork and a supper club steak with garlic mashed potatoes More: Tribute will replace sister restaurant 30Hop in Ankeny after it moves to bigger space The restaurant recently opened locations in Omaha and Lee’s Summit Contact: 515-289-0227 or 30hop.com Happy hour: Sunday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m The restaurant also has $5.99 specials on Monday (a classic burger) Brunch happy hour: Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 11:30 a.m John Deere has confirmed it will be reducing its workforce at the John Deere Des Moines Works plant in Ankeny by 119 in three phases occurring March 28 The Ankeny facility employs about 1,500 workers “They are not related to production moves,” the statement said these layoffs are due to the weakened farm economy and a reduction in customer orders for our equipment.” Deere officials said the company would continue to scale back production after sales dropped 37% in its Oct 31 first quarter from the same period a year earlier The company’s statement Friday noted that crop price forecasts and interest rates are contributing to a bearish agricultural and construction equipment market Department of Agriculture forecasts calling for a 4.8% decrease in major row-crop cash receipts from 2024 and a drop of more than 30% from 2022 While interest rates did tip slightly lower last year the current rates are still high and persistent inflation in recent months could keep them that way as well as offices in Johnston and Urbandale Employees affected by the latest layoff will receive supplemental unemployment pay followed by transitional assistance that covers 50% of their average weekly earnings for up to 52 weeks Employees can keep their health care coverage for at least six months or as long as they are eligible for supplemental unemployment pay they can extend their coverage for another 12 months but they will have to pay the full premiums themselves employees are eligible to be recalled to their home factory for a period equal to their length of service Those laid off are automatically placed in seniority order for openings they are qualified to perform Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com At face value, Ankeny's boys 4x800 relay team repeating as Drake Relays champions might not come as much of a surprise Returning three members from the 2024 squad that set the Drake Relays record including Missouri commit and cross country and track state champion Ethan Zuber it may have even been expected that the Hawks would secure another white flag senior Nicholas Robie and junior Ike Smith say it was the collective group that made their relay special on April 26 a key piece of a state championship and Drake Relays winning team in 2024 In his place was senior Justice Rathje for the third leg this year As Rathje came down to hand the baton to Zuber exuding all his effort to try and keep pace Rathje fell and paid the price with a few cuts and scrapes Zuber caught up and set a personal best 800-meter run time of 1:50.08 securing back-to-back white flags for Ankeny in the 4x800 with a time of 7:41.41 on April 26 The senior was disappointed in his effort the previous day in the 800 meters saying he let those around him gap him late and left some effort in the tank during his third-place finish he took a look in the mirror and told himself it was time to practice what he preached More: Ankeny's star 4x800 relay team comes together after a year's worth of work I'm not going to let them down," Zuber said "I was going to do whatever it took to give these guys what they deserve." answering questions from the media on behalf of his team as they were honored in front of the crowd at the Blue Oval he was quick to point out that it was Rathje stepping up and laying it on the line that inspired him to run his personal best 800 "The runner I'm most proud of is Justice," Zuber said he's the new addition to the team and he really let it all out He's the reason we were in that to compete and win." While he may have run the slowest leg of the four at 2:00.21 followed by a 1:56.31 by Smith and Zuber concluding with the stellar 1:50.08 Rathje earned his keep with the grit he showed to keep the Hawks within striking distance More: 2025 Drake Relays: Live results, updates of track and field competition at the Blue Oval The Ankeny 4x800 relay team's approach to the track and field season isn't to win at the Drake Relays but rather to peak in late May when the state track and field meet rolls around Rathje's effort proved it has the horses to end up with a state title "It just feels great to be able to be with such a good group of guys and coach and to be able to put it all out there on the line," Rathje said Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.