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Ames Voice

Mid-Iowa Community News

Ames Voice

Iowa State University

Beardshear Hall at Iowa State University on July 8, 2025.

Regents approves new majors, hears strategic initiatives

by Kyle Werner, Reporter
Published September 22, 2025
The Iowa Board of Regents heard updates from Iowa State University on Thursday, including the introduction of two new majors, implementation of initiatives for university efficiency and university appropriations for the upcoming 2027 fiscal year.
Ames voters will be asked to approve a $10.5 million bond issue to build a new fire station to replace the station on Welch Avenue in November.

$10.5 million Ames fire station bond issue on November ballot

by Bill Monroe, Reporter
Published September 17, 2025
Ames residents will vote in November on spending up to $10.5 million to build a new fire station for the city’s west side. The city wants to replace Fire Station No. 2 with a bigger station on land at 601 State Ave. that Iowa State University will let the city use for free. The Ames City Council voted to place the matter on the November ballot during a special meeting on Tuesday.
Parks Library is shown on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Celebrating 100 years of the ISU campus library

by Kyle Werner, Reporter
Published September 16, 2025
Iowa State University’s Parks Library was “the finest piece of architecture in the state,” said Raymond A. Pearson, the university’s president, when the cornerstone of the library was laid in October 1923. Today, the library is much larger than its original 176 by 130 foot, or 35,000 square feet, blueprint. It’s now 325,488 square feet and home to more than 2 million books. A centennial celebration event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 24,
The student section cheers on the Cyclones during their 2025 win over Iowa at Jack Trice Stadium. This fall's enrollment numbers show it was another year of overall growth, aided by a large class of new students and strong retainment from last year's new students.

ISU fall enrollment grows by nearly 700 students

by Anthony Capps, Editor
Published September 15, 2025
Iowa State University has recorded its largest fall enrollment in five years and its third year of consecutive growth. Enrollment numbers for this fall semester, announced Thursday, increased by 673 students from last fall for a total of 31,105, about a 2.2% rise.
This year, ISU PD issued a total of 39 citations, five more than 2023 — when the game was last in Ames.

Game-day blotter: 5 more citations than the last time Cy-Hawk football was in Ames

by Amber Mohmand, News Editor
Published September 9, 2025
The Iowa-Iowa State football game is the most anticipated game across the state — fueling a decades-long rivalry between the two universities. It’s hosted in Ames every other year, which brings a wave of excited fans across the state who are ready to watch and celebrate the Cy-Hawk game. This year, many Cyclones fans celebrated the team’s 16-13 victory over the Hawks on Saturday.
Iowa State engineers, left to right, Connor Thorpe and Shan Jiang helped invent the "Flow Guiding Barrel," which improves gene gun performance for the genetic modification of plants. Jiang is holding a Flow Guiding Barrel. A gene gun is on the left.

ISU research project in plant genome editing leads to a promising new startup

by Jack McClellan, Reporter
Published August 27, 2025
The new Ames start-up Hermes Biomaterials is offering a product with the potential to make new waves in the world of editing plant genetics. It sprouted from a research project at Iowa State University looking into ways to improve the delivery of genetic code into plant cells and is now offering products that promise to significantly boost the delivery and efficiency of genetic information into plants.
Curtiss Hall at Iowa State University on July 8, 2025.

ISU 2026 budget approved by Regents

by Kyle Werner, Reporter
Published August 8, 2025
The Iowa Board of Regents have approved a $766.9 million budget for Iowa State University’s 2026 fiscal year. It includes a $41.4 million increase in revenue, allocations of state funds for rural development and a breakdown of the athletic department’s deficit and cost-saving efforts.
Art that had been available to rent through the Memorial Union's art rental program. The art is now for sale. (Photo courtesy Memorial Union)

MU rental art now for sale

by Kyle Werner, Reporter
Published August 5, 2025
After 50 years of service, the Memorial Union’s art rental program is coming to an end at Iowa State University. The art once part of the program's collection would be available for purchase by the public at a sale on Wednesday.