🌱 Patch AM: Would your smoke alarms save you like this Ankeny homeowner’s did?

Hi Ankeny! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Would your smoke alarms save you like this Ankeny homeowner’s did?
• How a Syria attack is reopening old wounds for Iowa Guardsmen
• How did stolen cooking oil end up in an Ankeny warehouse?

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Ankeny? Post it to Ankeny photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Freezing fog in the morning, with a high of 39 and low of 25 degrees.
• Wednesday: Freezing fog in the morning, temps: high: 41, low: 34.
• Thursday: Winds becoming strong; colder, with a high of 39 and low of 10 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!

📰 News we're reading

• Fire crews rescue two cats from Ankeny house fire, officials credit smoke alarms for no injuries (weareiowa.com) — An Ankeny homeowner safely escaped a house fire on SW Ash Drive Monday morning thanks to a working smoke alarm, and firefighters rescued two cats while knocking down flames within minutes. Ankeny fire officials are using the close call to stress smoke alarms, safe holiday decorating, careful cooking, and space-heater precautions so other residents can avoid similar emergencies this season.
   

• Retired Iowa National Guard sergeant says Syria attack brings back memories of Afghanistan ambush (kcci.com) — Ankeny readers are hearing from a retired Iowa National Guard sergeant major reflecting from Ankeny on a deadly insider attack in Syria that killed two Iowa soldiers. He compares it to a 2011 ambush in Afghanistan that wounded him and killed two comrades, underscoring the ongoing risks Guard members face and the emotional toll such news takes on Iowa military families.
   

• Iowa At Center Of National Cooking Oil Conspiracy (97x.com) — A multistate scheme to steal and resell used cooking oil included trucking loads to a warehouse in Ankeny, tying the city into a federal racketeering and money-laundering case. Thirteen people are charged, including four Iowans, after authorities say oil was stolen from restaurant collection tanks and sold for biodiesel profits. Specific affected restaurants have not been identified.
   

📸 Around Ankeny

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📣 Ankeny Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday December 16

• Outreach - Tiger Tots
  Madrid Public Library , 100 West 3rd Street , Madrid
  8:30 am
• Pages for Early Ages Storytime @ the library
  Madrid Library , 100 West 3rd St. , Madrid
  10:00 am
• Public Art Committee
  Urbandale, IA Calendar , 3600 86th Street , Urbandale
  4:00 pm
• Girls Basketball: Des Moines East vs Des Moines Lincoln (JV1)
  East High School Des Moines, IA 50316
  4:45 pm
• Boys Basketball: Des Moines North vs Des Moines Roosevelt (JV1)
  Roosevelt High School Des Moines, IA 50312
  4:45 pm
• Girls Basketball: Des Moines North vs Des Moines Roosevelt (JV1)
  Roosevelt High School Des Moines, IA 50312
  4:45 pm
• Boys Basketball: Des Moines East vs Des Moines Lincoln (JV1)
  East High School Des Moines, IA 50316
  4:45 pm
• Library Board of Trustees
  Grimes, IA Calendar
  5:00 pm
• City Council Meeting
  Grimes, IA Calendar
  5:30 pm
• Winterset Boys Freshman Basketball @ North Polk
  North Polk High School , 13930 NE 6th St , Alleman
  5:45 pm
• Belle Plaine Girls Varsity Basketball @ Colfax-Mingo
  Colfax-Mingo High School , 204 N League Rd , Colfax
  6:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Hello neighbors, my little black cat is missing!!
  She is about 7 months old. We just rescued her from ARL about a month or two ago. Please help me get her home. Thank you. (Nextdoor Rock Creek)
• Hello!
  This winter and spring if you need dog walking shoot me a text at 515-250-4757 I’m a hardworking teen in the Ankeny area who loves pups of all sizes. (Nextdoor Northeast)

• ABM Industries posted a job opening for PT Cleaner in Ankeny. Apply here.
• Home Depot (Retail) posted a job opening for Freight/Receiving in Ankeny. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Ankeny here.

🗞 Nearby News

Johnston

• Iowa youth lead the way in National 4-H AI in Agriculture Challenge (hpj.com)
• University of Iowa Center for Intellectual Freedom Director: ‘It's not a political enterprise' (siouxcityjournal.com)

Polk City

• Hawkeyes Win 11 Titles at Jimmy Grant Invite (hawkeyesports.com)
• Shipley: lawmakers face property tax reform challenge in '26 session (kmaland.com)

Altoona

Ok Ankeny! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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