57 Ankeny Athletes Go Collegiate

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Fifty-seven Ankeny student-athletes just signed to play at the next level — and the guest speaker at Centennial's ceremony was a 2015 Jaguar who went on to become the Big East Player of the Year. Jaali Winters came back to tell the next generation what's ahead.

Meanwhile, a new barbershop just opened on S. Ankeny Blvd, the airport is rebuilding its runway, your tree branches have a free drop-off next weekend, and construction season is reshaping every interstate you drive. Let's roll. 🚲

Both Ankeny High School and Ankeny Centennial held their annual College Signing and Athletic Awards Night last week — and the numbers speak for themselves:

This is what Ankeny does. It builds athletes — and then sends them out into the world with the tools to compete.

📍 Sources: Centennial Jaguars AD

The Polk County Aviation Authority met last Thursday and moved forward on major airport upgrades:

Ankeny's airport is a quiet economic engine. These investments don't make headlines, but they keep businesses landing here — literally.

📍 Source: Polk County Aviation Authority Agenda, May 7, 2026

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Got branches piling up? Ankeny Free Tree Branch Recycling Drop-off is next weekend:

Reminder: Ankeny property owners are responsible for trimming trees and bushes. Branches must be at least 15 feet above the street and 8 feet above sidewalks.

⚠️ Ankeny Spring Cleanup Days is also happening next weekend — but that drop-off location is Ankeny Sanitation, 7002 SE Delaware Ave. Don't mix them up.

📍 Event details & drop-off specs | Source: City of Ankeny on Facebook

As more e-bikes and e-scooters show up on Ankeny streets and trails, the city and Ankeny Police are launching the Ride Safe 'n Smart campaign — a metro-wide education push before enforcement becomes necessary.

The City updated Chapter 76 on April 20. Here's what every rider (and parent) needs to know:

Six basics the campaign focuses on:

Sergeant Trevor McGraw told WHO13: "We're going to start with the educational piece... But right now, we want parents to help teach their kids these rules."

Nine metro cities are in this together: Ankeny, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Norwalk, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines.

Talk to your kids before summer hits. Violations are enforceable as a simple misdemeanor.

📍 Sources: City of Ankeny – Ride Safe | Ankeny Police on Facebook | WHO13, April 24, 2026

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Construction season is in full swing. Here's the full Iowa DOT metro construction picture:

🚧 I-80 (NE Mixmaster to US 65) — New eastbound lanes where old ones were. 3 lanes each direction maintained. Year 2 of 3.

🚧 I-35/80 (Douglas to University) — New pavement and bridges in the median. Traffic shifted to outside lanes, 3 lanes maintained. Year 2 of 3.

🚧 I-35 (Ankeny to Huxley) — New northbound lanes being built. Traffic shifted west, 2 lanes each direction. Final year of 3-year project.

🚧 US 69/Ankeny Blvd — Last year's project north of First Street wrapping up in June. New project south of First Street reconstructing intersections at 3rd and Peterson. One lane each direction for the duration. Year 1 of 2.

🚧 Southwest Mixmaster (I-35/80/235) — New flyover bridges coming. Contract awarded July 2026. No traffic impact until 2027. Construction through fall 2029.

🚧 IA 28 & US 69 rehab — Short-term summer lane impacts, at least one lane each direction maintained.

📍 Source: DSM Interstates / Iowa DOT | DSM Interstates on Facebook

The Ankeny Community School District's School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) met yesterday, Monday, May 11 at 5:00 PM at the District Office (406 SW School Street, Hickory Conference Rooms).

Agenda included:

If you've been wondering where those bond dollars are going — this is where you find out.

📍 Source: ACSD SIAC Agenda, May 11, 2026

Warm start, storms Thursday, then a beautiful weekend for the Arts Festival.

Tuesday through Thursday will be the warmest stretch we've had all spring — mid-80s. Enjoy it before Friday's storms knock temps back. Saturday and Sunday look perfect for the Ankeny Art Center Arts Festival and Spring Cleanup.

📍 Sources: AccuWeather, May 11, 2026; Weather.com

🏦 Business After Hours — Community Choice Credit Union
📅 Thursday, May 14 | 4:00–5:30 PM
📍 2710 S Ankeny Blvd (Ankeny UNbanking Center)
Snap a photo with the iconic Toast Car. No registration required.
🔗 Event details

🎬 STEMCinema: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs — B&B Theatres
📅 Friday, May 15 @ 4 PM | Saturday & Sunday, May 16–17 @ 1 PM
📍 1580 SW Market St, Ankeny
$5/person. Interactive weather science preshow. Great for families.
🔗 Event details

🎨 Ankeny Art Center Arts Festival
📅 Saturday, May 16 | 10 AM–4 PM
📍 601 SW 3rd St (Historic Uptown)
Artists, live demos, music, hands-on activities. Free, family-friendly.

🐾 Pedal for Paws — Animal Rescue League
📅 Saturday, May 16 | 11 AM–5:15 PM
📍 Starts at Captain Roy's (1900 Saylor Rd, Des Moines)
~19-mile party bike ride benefiting homeless pets. It's Cat-urday — wear your best cat outfit. Raffle prizes, drink specials, ARL Cuddle Lounge.
🔗 Event details

💈 Blessed Cutz
📅 Tuesday, May 12 | 4:30–5:00 PM
📍 314 S Ankeny Blvd
🔗 web.ankeny.org/atlas/events/8876/details

🏦 Community State Bank — Headquarters
📅 Monday, May 18 | 4:30–5:00 PM
📍 2750 NE 36th St, Ankeny
The new 71,000-sq-ft, four-story HQ near Costco is officially open. 535 tons of steel, 120 miles of wire, community meeting spaces, and the only bank chartered in Ankeny since 1902.
🔗 web.ankeny.org/atlas/events/8811/details | bankcsb.com/hq

Fifty-seven student-athletes just committed to compete beyond Ankeny — and a woman who did the same thing in 2015 came back to show them what that commitment looks like a decade later. The airport is rebuilding its runway. A 71,000-square-foot bank headquarters is cutting its ribbon. The DOT is reshaping every interstate in the metro. This city is building in every direction — up, out, and forward.

The decisions that shape your daily life don't announce themselves. They happen in a conference room at the airport, a school board meeting on a Monday night, or a ribbon cutting you drove past on the way home.

Now you've seen them.

Know a local deal, event, or story we missed? Reply to this email.

Forward this to a neighbor whose kid just signed. They deserve the spotlight. 🎓

Rolling with Ankeny — Local news, local deals, no fluff. 🚲