☕📰 Go to the Fair, We'll Hold Down Ankeny

Good morning Ankeny! Yesterday was National Lazy Day, which landed on a Monday this year. The nerve. That was the one time to take it as permission to do the bare minimum.

In today’s digest:

Lets get started.

— Chase & Chance

The Iowa State Fair opens Thursday, August 13, and runs through the 23rd. Eleven days, humidity, and way too much fried food. This year's got an extra layer to it: the country turns 250, and the fair's built a few things around it worth hearing about. Every night after the Grandstand show wraps, there's a fireworks finale followed by a drone show over the fairgrounds, plus a new display tracing 250 years of the American flag and a veterans memorial walkway. Get out of town and catch it!

The Grandstand lineup includes HARDY on Thursday, Friday brings Rod Stewart with Richard Marx opening, Saturday's The Red Clay Strays, and Sunday closes the weekend with Lainey Wilson. All shows start at 8 p.m., and if you're heading out Saturday, the Fairgrounds Queen Coronation is also that night at 7 p.m. Eat something fried on a stick, listen to some music, and enjoy the show!

Ankeny schools have five school resource officers, one stationed at each high school and middle school. Until now, if one of them got sick or had to testify in court, the department had to pull someone from a totally different unit to cover the gap. The Ankeny Police Department just fixed that. A new sergeant position, funded by the department and filled by Sgt. Tony Christoph, exists solely to oversee the SRO program and jump into any building that's short an officer that day.

"We have a built-in substitute now instead of trying to pull from another section of the department to fill in when an officer is sick or needs to go to court," said Jon Davis, the district's safety and security specialist. It's a quiet fix, the kind of staffing move nobody notices until it's missing, and it lands right as the district wraps a busy summer of prep: 342 fire, severe weather, intruder, and bus evacuation drills before the first bell even rings. (more)

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In case you’ve missed it. The Ankeny Regional Airport is getting $2.5 million in federal funding to extend its primary runway from 5,500 to 6,000 feet. This will be enough to accommodate larger corporate jets that can't currently use the facility. Corporate traffic already accounts for about 40 percent of the airport's operations, and with over 90 people on the waiting list for hangar space, demand isn't slowing down. The Iowa National Guard is building a hangar there, Casey's opened a new one last year, and the Iowa State Patrol already stores planes on site. Not bad for an airport that opened in 1994 when Ankeny had 21,000 people in it. (more)

D&D Pottery Painting Night @ Glazed Expressions - Calling all adventurers! A D&D-themed pottery painting night where you're the Dungeon Master of your own creative quest. No experience needed, just show up and let your imagination roll. 6–9pm (info)  

American Classics @ WineStyles - Taste your way through the best of California, Oregon, and Washington in this guided tasting exploring the history, regions, and wines behind America's most iconic West Coast bottles. $35/person, RSVP required. 6-8pm (info)

Felines & Fibers @ Kids Create - 3-day fiber arts camp! 4th through 8th graders will learn 2D fiber painting and 3D needle felting, plus enjoy funny cat clips, music, snacks, and playtime with adoptable kittens! 9am-12pm (info)  

Summer Nights @ Karl Customs - Bring your ride and bring the family to experience all that Karl Kustoms has to offer. We’ll have the front pad closed off with an ice cream truck, apparel and some of our latest projects. Food truck and Danger & Lindsey from Nash FM will be there as well! 5pm

Puzzle League @ Uptown Garage - Grab a team of up to 4, race to finish the same puzzle in 2 hours.Going to the top three teams at the end of the league! 6-8pm

Karaoke Night @ Cabaret - Come sing your heart out and enjoy food and drink specials all night long. Hosted by The Voice Karaoke & Entertainment. 8pm

Carfest Light Show @ Hawkeye Park - The annual Carfest kicks off Friday night with a light show. Top 5 awards up for grabs, $10 entry, and a preview of the bigger show happening Saturday. Come early, get your spot, and see what rolls in. 8-10pm (info)  

🎸Dick Danger Band @ The Soggy Frog - 6pm

🎸RDR @ Goodtimes - 8pm 

Farmers Market @ Market & Pavilion - Fresh produce, local meats and eggs, homemade food goods, and handmade crafts! 8am-12pm 

Carfest @ Hawkeye Park - Annual car, truck and bike fest dedicated to Epilepsy Awareness. $20 per vehicle to enter and compete for awards, and spectators get in free! 4-8pm (info)  

Touch a Truck @ Fleet Farm Ankeny - Kids can get up close and personal with police cars, fire trucks, school buses, garbage trucks, and more. A perfect free Saturday morning activity for the little ones. 9am-12pm

Yoga in the Park @ Wagner Park - Roll out your mat and enjoy a free hour of yoga with certified instructors, all ages and skill levels welcome! 

🎸Gladys Lite @ The Soggy Frog - 7pm

Thanks for reading today’s Digest. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who doesn’t need an unofficial holiday to skip chores. National Lazy Day is their status quo, and they feel no shame.

Stay classy, Ankeny.