She Flew 4,700 Miles to Ride the Bench

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Julia Harris crossed an ocean to play soccer. The Ankeny varsity team wanted her. The IGHSAU said no. Now she ties her teammates' cleats and cheers from the sidelines — and her season will be over before she's eligible to play. We've got that story, plus a 7-month ramp closure that starts tonight, 60,000 people descending on Ames this weekend, and construction updates you'll actually need. Let's roll. 🚲

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Enjoy Monday's warmth — it's the last 80° day for a while. Midweek rain moves in Tuesday through Wednesday. Thursday and Saturday look gorgeous. Sunday cools off fast. Classic Iowa whiplash.

Julia Harris loves soccer. It's the most popular sport in her home country of Germany. So when she made the varsity team at Ankeny High School, she was thrilled.

Instead of scoring goals with her teammates, she's stuck on the sidelines.

Here's the thing: Julia's father was born in the U.S., which makes her an American citizen. That citizenship disqualified her from traditional foreign exchange programs. So she came to Ankeny to live with her aunt, Cindy Harris, for a semester — and got classified as a standard transfer student.

Under IGHSAU rules, transfer students are ineligible to compete for 90 school days. By the time that waiting period ends, her season will be over.

"I was sad. Really sad. Because that was part of my experience and I wanted to play," Julia told KCCI.

She still goes to practice. She still warms up with the team. She helps teammates tie their cleats and adjust their uniforms. She cheers from the bench while the Hawkettes compete.

The IGHSAU declined to comment on her specific case but said their eligibility rules "ensure fairness, consistency, and a level playing field for all student-athletes."

Julia didn't come here to go pro. She came to improve her English and experience American high school — like thousands of German students do every year.

"Soccer was part of that experience," she said. "And now I can't really have it."

📺 Source: KCCI, April 12, 2026

Heads up if you use the 36th Street on-ramp by Costco.

What: The northbound I-35 entrance ramp at NE 36th Street (Exit 94) closes at 8:00 PM yesterday, April 13 and won't reopen until mid-November.

Why: Crews are building new northbound lanes on I-35 between Ankeny and Huxley. The ramp is too close to the traffic crossover for safe use during construction.

Detour:

This is part of the massive I-35 widening project (4 lanes → 6 lanes) running through 2026. Plan your routes now.

📍 Source: Iowa DOT, April 9, 2026

Luke Combs brings his "My Kinda Saturday Night Tour" to Jack Trice Stadium this Saturday, April 11 — wait, that was Saturday. Here's the update:

The concert went off as one of the largest events in Ames history. An estimated 60,000+ fans packed Jack Trice Stadium for Combs, Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington, and Thelma & James. Further appealing to the Ames crowd, Combs also brought out former ISU Mens Basketball star and current NBA player Georges Niang on stage with him during the show!

Iowa State softball beat Iowa 9-7 on Wednesday in Iowa City to extend their lead in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series to 16-8.

The game featured five lead changes and a combined 16 runs. Tory Bennett's three-run homer and Mariah Myers' solo shot kept the Hawkeyes in it, but a two-run Cyclone homer in the seventh sealed it.

The teams meet again April 21 in Ames for the series finale.

📍 Source: Hawkeye Sports / Iowa State Athletics, April 8, 2026

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NE Trilein Drive & SE Shurfine Drive — Started YESTERDAY (April 13)

North Ankeny Blvd (US 69) — Lane Closures Start April 15

West First Street Widening — Phase 2 Active Now

📍 Full construction map: ankenyiowa.gov/construction

A new retail strip mall anchored by Izumi Restaurant has been proposed for 1950 NE 36th Street — right in the hot development zone near Costco.

The project includes up to 6 additional retail spaces alongside the restaurant. Plan and Zoning approved the site plan on April 7, subject to a right-turn lane at NE 36th and NE Threshold Drive.

This joins the wave of development in northeast Ankeny — restaurants, housing, and commercial space that's turning the Spectrum Drive area into a regional destination.

📍 Source: Ankeny Plan & Zoning Commission Agenda, April 7, 2026

The Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce offers 3 scholarship programs for local students. Applications close Friday, April 17.

Download applications at: ankeny.org/scholarships

Don't sleep on free money, Ankeny.

🧑‍💼 Mentoring For Women
📅 Tuesday, April 14 | 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 The District Venue, 1350 SW Vintage Pkwy, Ankeny
Meet influential mentors in fast, fun coaching sessions. Registration closed — but watch for the next one!

🚗 AYP After Hours — Shade Tree Auto
📅 Thursday, April 16 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM
📍 1329 Ordnance Rd, Ankeny
Casual networking, drink ticket, and a $25 gift card raffle. No agenda — just good people and good vibes.

📘 ActionCOACH: 6 Steps to Your Business Owner Playbook
📅 Friday, April 17 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 1551 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny
For business owners who want their business to work so they don't have to.

Lace Up For Life 2026 was a huge success last Saturday! Runners, walkers, and families gathered at Ankeny Christian Academy for the annual walk/run/festival benefiting Alpha Women's Center — which provides free services to women facing unexpected pregnancies.

The morning featured a 5K, Chick-fil-A lunch, inflatables, and face painting. If you missed it this year, mark your calendar for next spring.

🔗 awcdesmoines.org

A German teenager flew 4,700 miles to experience American high school — and a rule designed to prevent recruiting is keeping her off the field she earned a spot on. Meanwhile, Ankeny keeps building: new restaurants near Costco, new roads across town, and 60,000 country fans packing a stadium 30 minutes away. This city doesn't slow down. Neither should you.

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The full breakdown of Ankeny's September 8 sales tax vote — what it means for your property taxes, which projects it funds, and why Ankeny is one of only two Iowa cities over 50,000 without one. Plus: Parks & Rec summer registration opens. You'll want to open that one.

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Forward this to a neighbor who uses that 36th Street ramp 🚧 .

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