☕📰It's Election Day

Good morning Ankeny! It’s finally here. Election Day! By tomorrow, your mailbox goes back to coupons and your phone goes back to texts from people you actually know. Whatever’s on your ballot, get out there and cast it. Let’s get started.

In today’s digest:

Lets get started.

— Chase & Chance

What a weekend in Fort Dodge! Centennial’s girls finished second at the Class 4A state meet, the best finish in program history. Their 101 points set a school record and just five points behind champion Cedar Falls. Natalie Cogdill (10th), Rebecca Flick (13th), and Ellie Blevins (14th) all reached the podium, and the Jags were the only team with three runners in the top 15. The Jaguar boys brought home fourth, and they did it by one point. Senior Noah Schneden inched past a Waukee runner at the finish to seal the spot, while Jax Alvarez medaled in ninth. more on the girls / more on the boys

The Hawks sent three runners to state, and the future looks bright. Sophomore Gus Brown came out swinging in his state debut, running in medal position for two miles before finishing 31st out of 131. Freshman Mia Heim placed 39th in 19:18, and senior Vanessa Wise wrapped up a great Hawks career on the sport’s biggest stage. Keep an eye out for the Hawks in the coming years. more on Brown / more on Heim and Wise

Credit to Dan Holm at Ankeny Fanatic for the incredible coverage on Ankeny sports (per usual)!!

The Hawks move on! No. 4 Ankeny held off No. 13 Waukee 43-37 Friday night in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. Devan Goode ran for a season best 146 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Mason Machan threw three touchdown passes, all to DJ Tate. Ankeny led 43-17 late in the third quarter before Waukee made things interesting with a 99 yard kickoff return and a recovered onside kick. Jamello Cooper finally put it away by recovering Waukee’s last onside attempt with 3:02 left. Nolan Bennett and Logan Wirtz each added an interception, rounding out the total team effort in this gritty win. (more)

The Hawks (8-2) host No. 12 Iowa City Liberty (7-3) in the quarterfinals this Friday at 7 p.m. Pack the stands!

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Talon Takes Top Honors Again

The Talon, Ankeny High School’s student-run news team, has been named an All-Iowa News Team by the Iowa High School Press Association for the second year in a row. The honor recognizes excellence in student journalism, storytelling, design, and reporting across the state. The Talon has been growing fast. It launched its first print magazine in 2024 with help from the Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce. Two years running is no fluke. Congrats to the students keeping the community informed. (more)

Iowa Fastener Doubles Down

Iowa Fastener, a subsidiary of Birmingham Fastener, plans to invest $10 to $12 million in a new 82,000-square-foot distribution center on SE Creekview Drive. The building will sit on about 5.5 acres next to the company’s current 35,000-square-foot leased warehouse and will be owned rather than leased. The company opened in Ankeny in 2019 with roughly 10,000 square feet and one customer. It now serves hundreds and has expanded three times. City Council approved an incentive package on October 19th, and the company will add three jobs while keeping its existing 17. Completion is expected in July or August 2027. Not bad for a company that started out in a space smaller than the one it’s about to build next door. (more)

What’s on the Ballot in Iowa

Happy final day of campaign ads Ankeny! It’s about dang time. The General election is today, and Iowa’s ballot is crowded. Gov. Kim Reynolds opted out of a third bid, so the governor’s seat is open. Democrat Rob Sand will face Republican Zach Lahn for the office, while Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek faces Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson for the U.S. Senate seat (the first open Senate contest in Iowa since 2014, given Joni Ernst’s retirement). Iowa has seven statewide races on the ballot in all.

In Ankeny’s congressional district (the 3rd), Republican Rep. Zach Nunn is seeking re-election against Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott and Libertarian Marco Battaglia. The district has been decided by fewer than four points in each of the last two elections.

Closer to home, all 100 seats in the Iowa House and half of the 50 Iowa Senate seats are up. The Secretary of State’s candidate list includes two state Senate races with candidates who live in or near Ankeny. District 21 is Republican John Hollinrake against Democrat Heather Matson. District 23 is Republican Mike Bousselot against Democrat Tony Thompson. Regardless of what you believe in, make sure to get out there and make your voice heard. Find your polling location here!

Golden Ridge Lighting hangs Christmas lights for Ankeny homeowners who would rather not spend a Saturday on the roof. They handle the design and the installation [and take everything down after the holidays], so all you do is flip the switch. Install dates go quickly once Thanksgiving gets close, so it pays to book this month. Get your quote here.

DJ Trivia @ Yankee Clipper - Put your knowledge to the test at DJ Trivia. Great music, fun questions, and prizes up for grabs for the team that brings their A game! 8-9:30pm

Bingo Night @ Uptown Garage - A fun evening of bingo, cold craft beers, and good company! 6-8pm

Bingo Night @ Firetrucker Brewery- A fun night of bingo and cold craft beers with good company and great pints guaranteed! 7pm

Trivia Night @ Uptown Garage - Grab your crew, order a round, and see who really knows their stuff! 6-8pm

Truckin’ Trivia @ Firetrucker Brewery - Grab a pint, gather your crew, and see who really knows their stuff! 7pm

Disney Themed Trivia @ Uptown Garage - Dust off your Magic Kingdom knowledge and see if your crew can out-trivia the competition! 6pm

Santa’s North Pole Village Craft Sale @ Prairie Trail Sports Complex - The Ankeny Art Center’s 45th annual craft sale rolls back into town with about 200 booths of local makers — $10 at the door, and kids 12 and under get in free! 9am-3pm

Thanks for reading today’s Digest. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who you want to book an AirBnb with.

Stay classy, Ankeny.