Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Ames police probe frightening vehicle submersion that drew dive team

Be sure to catch World Ballet Company: Swan Lake on the Ames Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Wednesday October 7th Patch AM
Wednesday October 7th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Greetings Ames! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Ames police probe frightening vehicle submersion that drew dive team
  • How a former ADM star is transforming Iowa State's offense
  • Remember when Ames had its own Skateland and bowling center?

Also on today's calendar: Witches Walk Sale and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a paper airplane that can't fly? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
Today's Ames Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile - America's Best Mobile Network, according to Ookla Speedtest. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 1H 2026. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's Ames Patch AM possible.
Find a T-Mobile store near Ames. Advertisement

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 78 and low of 45 degrees.
  • Thursday: Increasing cloudiness, temps: high: 70, low: 52.
  • Friday: Partly sunny, a stray t-storm, with a high of 76 and low of 59 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. State News Ames Vehicle Incident, Carlisle Water Crisis, Casey's Expanding (westerniowatoday.com) — Ames police are investigating after a truck with a person inside became fully submerged in water Sunday afternoon, drawing a response from the Story County dive team, Ames Fire, and Mary Greeley Medical Center. The same statewide roundup notes Carlisle's ongoing water outage and Casey's plans to add new stores, though none are slated for Ames yet.
   

2. Vince Benetti shining in new role for the Cyclones (who13.com) — A walk-on turned tight end, junior Vince Benetti is emerging as a key red-zone target for Iowa State in Ames, already hauling in three touchdowns through five games. He and former ADM teammate Aiden Flora recently reconnected for a score, highlighting how local high school standouts are impacting the Cyclones' offense this season.
   

3. Skateland was a popular downtown roller skating tradition for decades (gazette.com) — A nostalgic look back at Colorado Springs' Skateland also traces the Penkhus family's roller rink roots to Ames, where they once ran a Skateland, bowling alley and miniature golf course along Highway 69. Ames history journals recall repeated flooding that eventually destroyed those businesses, linking a beloved Colorado Springs hangout to a long-lost piece of Ames recreation history.
   

4. Special Report: Researchers say AI can help protect the grid from AI-driven attacks (eurekalert.org) — Researchers based in Ames at Iowa State University are helping lead an international push to use artificial intelligence to defend the power grid from increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven cyberattacks. Their work, highlighted in a special issue of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine, outlines AI-enabled security operations centers and new strategies to keep critical infrastructure resilient and reliable.
   

📸 Around Ames

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Ames

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Ames Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • We're gearing up for a great night of trick-or-treating!
    We're spook-ified and ready to go, and we've got non-food treats too. #TreatMap (Nextdoor 18th Street)
  • The Public Works Department is seeking public input on priorities for the South Dayton Avenue corridor from the U.
    S. Highway 30 interchange north to SE 5th St., just south of East Lincoln Way. Residents, property owners, business owners, and corridor users are… (Nextdoor )
  • Mortensen Group - Planet Fitness posted a job opening for Overnight - Cleaner 10:00pm - 5:00am in Ames. Apply here.
  • TIBCO Software, Inc. posted a job opening for Inventory Technician - 2nd shift in Ames. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Ames here.

Ok Ames! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What do you call a paper airplane that can't fly?" — Stationary (Thank you David H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Ames