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Hey Ames, hope your week’s off to a good start!

In today’s wallet-friendly edition: A rolling library’s lasting legacy, grow-your-own mushroom workshops, and tech rescues art with 3D scans + lots of fun things to do for free.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around Ames protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

A rolling library’s lasting legacy: Ames Public Library’s Bookmobile has served seven years, carrying about 2,000 items for all ages. It sits between Lagomarcino and Kildee Hall with same-day pickup, designed by author-illustrator Derek Anderson — see what’s offered and where.

Start a new hobby: ISU Extension will host mushroom workshops in central and eastern Iowa. Participants build a two gallon bucket oyster mushroom kit and learn about fungi, sessions from 5:30 to 7 p.m — get all the details.

Organizational shift signals growth: The nearby Boone County Chamber has appointed Victoria Helling as executive director. Helling, a former attorney and business owner, will lead operations and boost member value and community engagement — read the full story.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Highlights this week:

• Craft Celtic cups and Irish cocktails
• Play Hand and Foot and Euchre
• Explore garden-themed quilts at Reiman Gardens

🫶 We got your back

Crave-worthy toasted sandwiches: Whether you’re into house-roasted meats, hearty soups, or surprisingly good vegetarian combos, West Street Deli keeps lunch interesting with rotating weekly features and from-scratch fare. Perfect between errands or after class, these toasted sandwiches hit right.

Lake loops, anyone? Ada Hayden Heritage Park serves up peaceful water views, easygoing loop trails, and prime birdwatching. Freshly resurfaced path keeps walks, jogs, stroller pushes, and bike rides smooth…just the low-key reset your week needs.

Rainy-day sanity saver: The Pumpkin Patch keeps Ames kids and nostalgic grown-ups smiling with shelves of thoughtful toys, page-turners, and ultra-huggable plush. Ideal for last-minute birthday runs or a quick treat-yourself stop when screen time isn’t cutting it, this neighborhood favorite makes rainy days feel easy.

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

📆 Free events worth checking out

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🖼 Tech Meets Tradition: Preserving Campus Art with Materials Engineering @ Christian Petersen Art Museum | Tuesday (3/10) at 5:30 PM – Whether you nerd out on materials engineering or just hate seeing campus art lose the battle with Iowa freeze-thaw, this guided tour and live 3D scanning demo shows how tech rescues terra cotta. No PhD required, just curiosity. Free, at the Christian Petersen Art Museum.

☕ March Coffee Mingle @ Hilton Garden Inn Ames | Thursday (3/12) at 7:30 AM – Whether you’ve run a shop here since dial-up or just met the Alliance last week, this Coffee Mingle is your low-stakes excuse to sip, chat, and swap cards with actual humans. Free, come and go, no registration, just caffeine, community, and locally sourced small talk.

🎲 Daisy’s Back Alley Bingo @ Daisy’s Dog House | Friday (3/13) at 8:00 PM – Dust off that slightly bent moral compass and shuffle into Daisy’s for Back Alley Bingo hosted by Vanessa Taylor. It’s free to play, they’ve got the cards, dabbers, and questionable commentary, and you’ll leave with stories that make Monday coffee interesting. Ames-approved mischief.

👶 Tiny Tots Open Gym @ Sacred Heart School Gym (Boone) | Saturday (3/14) at 9:00 AM – Got a mini tornado at home this winter? Tiny Tots Open Gym at Sacred Heart School in Boone is a free, sanity saver with slides, teeter-totters, and new friends, open to all pre-schoolers. Second Saturdays, November through March, and yes, you have to stick around.

🐐 The Billy Goats Gruff @ Ames Public Library | Saturday (3/14) at 3:00 PM – Bring the kids, grandkids, or your inner kid to a free library show where The Billy Goats Gruff gets the opera treatment. Classic tale, anti-bullying message, and Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti to back it up, so you can boo the troll and feel cultured.

☘ St. Patrick’s Day 90’s Music Bingo @ Whiskey River Ames | Sunday (3/15) at 4:00 PM – Warm up for St. Patrick’s Day at Whiskey River with 90’s Music Bingo, free to play with drink prizes. Wear green, sing along to the hooks you swore you’d forgotten, and flex those mixtape-era reflexes while the youngsters Google lyrics.

🍿 Movie Matinee @ Ericson Public Library (Boone) | Tuesday (3/17) at 2:00 PM – Take a breather from Spring Break chaos and duck into the library for a movie matinee with popcorn and refreshments, while supplies last. A dystopian thriller based on Lois Lowry’s 1993 award winner, so call the library or check the calendar for the title.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 Ames report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 64°F – Low: 35°F – Precip: 6%

Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind 6 to 12 mph. Later: A chance of rain showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy. Low around 35, with temperatures rising to around 38 overnight. North northeast wind 12 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

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Tomorrow – High: 48°F – Low: 27°F – Precip: 30%

A chance of rain showers before 7am, then a slight chance of rain between 7am and 1pm. Partly sunny. High near 48, with temperatures falling to around 45 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Later: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. West northwest wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance? 🚗

Premiums have been climbing across Iowa but most folks won’t notice until they’re hit with a higher bill when it’s time to renew.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, it was out of sight and out of mind. Turns out I was blindly paying way more than everyone else I knew.

If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too – here’s the comparison tool I used.

This house is wild

This 2,500 sq ft 4-bed brick ranch rests on a wooded half-acre in central Ames, blending privacy and convenience. Sun-filled south-facing windows, warm wood floors, and a deck highlight the main level with an updated primary suite. A finished walkout basement adds a solarium, family room with fireplace, and new wet bar, plus a garage stair to the workshop.

Take a peek inside →