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🧌 A 22-foot wooden troll just "immigrated" to Iowa — built from reclaimed lumber by a Danish artist who calls himself a "garbage artist." His name is Fjord Færdemand, and he's sitting in a 30-foot longboat on the prairie near Elk Horn, about 90 minutes west of your couch.
Meanwhile, back in Ankeny: Chambers Parkway closed YESTERDAY, your e-bike now has official rules, the school district just committed millions to new facilities, and block party season is here. Let's roll. 🚲
🚧 CHAMBERS PARKWAY CLOSED YESTERDAY
If you drive NE Chambers Parkway — heads up. Starting yesterday (Monday, April 27), a segment of northbound and southbound NE Chambers Parkway closes from 200 feet south of NE Williamsburg Drive to halfway through the NE Chambers/NW Williamsburg intersection.
The detour: NE 16th Street → NE 102nd Avenue → NE Frisk Drive. Signage will be posted.
This is Stage 1 of a five-stage reconstruction project expected to wrap up this fall. Plan your commute now — especially if you live in the northeast corridor.
📍 Source: City of Ankeny, April 24, 2026 — ankenyiowa.gov/construction
🛴 NEW E-BIKE & SCOOTER RULES ARE NOW OFFICIAL
The Ankeny City Council approved updates to Chapter 76 of the City Code, modernizing regulations for e-bikes, e-scooters, and other electric mobility devices. Here's what you need to know:
• Electric scooters and low-speed e-bikes CAN ride on residential sidewalks — but must be walked in business districts like Uptown and The District
• E-motos and electric motorcycles are PROHIBITED on sidewalks, bike paths, and city parks
• In city parks, e-scooters and low-speed e-bikes must stay on paved surfaces
• Speed limit on sidewalks and multi-use trails: 20 mph (slower when safety requires it)
Ankeny is also teaming up with Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Norwalk, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines for a metro-wide "Ride Safe 'n Smart" campaign focused on trail safety and etiquette.
📍 Source: Ankeny Police
🏗️ ANKENY SCHOOLS: BIG BUILDS MOVING FORWARD
The Ankeny School Board met April 6 and formalized major construction contracts:
📐 THE INNOVATION HUB — Multiple contracts approved:
• Grading & sewer (Elder Corporation, $189,100)
• Concrete (Allstar Concrete, $2.5M)
• Earthwork & site utilities (Elder Corporation, $3.8M)
• Carpentry & specialties (Lansink Construction, $2.5M)
🏟️ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS & MUSIC ADDITIONS — Estes Construction selected as construction manager. Additions at both AHS and Centennial. Design through early 2027; construction June 2027–May 2029.
🅿️ NORTHVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL — Parking lot improvements approved ($584,679). A public hearing for the auditorium renovation was set for April 21.
📍 Source: ACSD School Board Minutes, April 6, 2026
🏠 ZONING BOARD: YOUR GARAGE VS. THE CODE
Want to build a bigger garage? The Ankeny Zoning Board of Adjustment has a message: "wanting more space" isn't a hardship.
On April 7, the ZBOA denied a variance for a 1,008 sq. ft. detached garage at 613 SE 2nd Street — about 127 sq. ft. over the 10% lot area limit. The board voted 4-0 (Chair Ott abstaining due to a business relationship with the contractor). No exceptional property conditions were found.
Meanwhile, a variance at 701 NE Cambridge Court — for a covered deck with a 30-foot rear setback instead of the required 35 — received staff recommendation to APPROVE. Why the difference? The corner lot geometry created a genuine physical constraint. The city is also working on zoning updates that would make covered decks easier to build without a variance.
The contrast matters if you're a homeowner: property-specific hardship gets a yes. A wish list gets a no.
🗿 A 22-FOOT TROLL ON THE IOWA PRAIRIE
Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo just unveiled Fjord Færdemand — a 22-foot wooden troll sitting in a 30-foot longboat — at the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn. Dambo built the sculpture from reclaimed "garbage wood" with help from 70+ volunteers. It's one of 176 trolls he's installed worldwide, and this one depicts the Danish migration to the Midwestern prairies in the 1880s.
"Our world is drowning in trash," Dambo told KCCI. "Don't turn our resources into trash we are drowning in."
The half-million-dollar project came together in six weeks. Museum admission: $10 adults, $3 kids. Elk Horn is about 90 minutes west of Ankeny. Road trip worthy.
📍 Sources: KCCI, April 23, 2026; Western Iowa Today, April 23, 2026; Museum of Danish America (danishmuseum.org)
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🎉 BLOCK PARTY SEASON IS HERE
Did you know you can apply for a permit to close your street for a block party? The City of Ankeny makes it easy — and you might even get educational visits from Ankeny Police or Public Works with heavy equipment for the kids.
Summer's coming. Plan one for your neighborhood now.
📍 Apply: ankenyiowa.gov/214/Block-Party
🌤️ THIS WEEK'S WEATHER
Storms today, then a cool-down for the rest of the week.
Day | High / Low | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
Tue 4/28 | 58° / 41° | Partly to mostly cloudy, slight shower chance |
Wed 4/29 | 60° / 40° | Mostly sunny |
Thu 4/30 | 54° / 44° | Slight rain |
Fri 5/1 | 58° / 41° | Overcast |
Sat 5/2 | 62° / 40° | Overcast, dry |
Sun 5/3 | 71° / 45° | Warming up |
📍 Source: KCCI Storm Team 8, April 27, 2026; Des Moines Register, April 27, 2026; NWS Des Moines
🏡 ANKENY REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT
Home for Sale at 2517 NW 40th Street in Ankeny
💰 $539,900 | 🛏️ 5 Beds | 🛁 3 Baths | 📐 3,158 SQFT
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✂️ RIBBON CUTTINGS THIS WEEK
🍫 Chocolaterie Stam Ankeny
📅 Thursday, April 30 | 4:30–5:00 PM
📍 2405 SW White Birch Dr, Ste 107, Ankeny
🔗 web.ankeny.org/atlas/events/8828/details
🧒 Rise Pediatric Therapy
📅 Friday, May 1 | 12:00–12:30 PM
📍 215 NW 18th St, Suite 105, Ankeny
🔗 web.ankeny.org/atlas/events/8817/details
📅 CHAMBER & COMMUNITY EVENTS
☕ Lattes & Leads
📅 Tuesday, April 28 | 7:30–9:00 AM
📍 Independence Village Senior Living, 1275 SW State St, Ankeny
Coffee, treats, gift bags with summer essentials, and a chance to win a $50 gift card. No registration required — just show up.
🔗 web.ankeny.org/atlas/events/8709/details
🐾 Craft for Paws: Pet Themed Pottery | Animal Rescue League
📅 Wednesday, April 29 | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Five Monkeys Pottery Studio, 131 Fifth St, West Des Moines
Paint a pet bowl, mug, or paw tile. Complimentary Pink Poodle cocktail (21+). Snuggle adoptable kittens. Benefits the ARL.
🔗 web.ankeny.org/atlas/events/8809/details
Fun facts
Ankeny was founded on April 22, 1875, by John Fletcher Ankeny and Sarah “Sally” Ankeny, and it started as a farming community.
The city later grew through coal mining and then suburban development, which is a big part of why it looks and feels so different today.
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⚡ KEY TAKEAWAY
Chambers Parkway closes yesterday. E-bike rules are official. The school district just committed millions to facilities that'll reshape how Ankeny kids learn and compete for the next decade. And if you want to build something on your own property, the zoning board just showed you exactly where the line is: a real hardship gets a yes; a wish list gets a no. Know the difference before you apply.
This city runs on decisions most people never see. Now you've seen them.
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