What Kind of News Does The Ames Tribune Cover?
Updated
The Ames Tribune (amestrib.com) is a local news outlet serving Ames, Iowa, and the surrounding area. Its coverage centers on community-level reporting across several standing sections: local news, politics, sports, entertainment, opinion, and obituaries. If you live in or follow Ames, it's structured to be a single source for both daily breaking stories and ongoing local issues.
Main sections and what they cover
| Section | What you'll typically find |
|---|---|
| News | Local and regional headlines, community developments, institutional news |
| Politics | Iowa political figures, campaigns, and state-level issues |
| Sports | High school athletics and Iowa State University (ISU) teams |
| Entertainment | Local arts and cultural events |
| Opinion | Commentary and columns from local and guest writers |
| Obituaries | Death notices for the community |
News
The news section carries a mix of daily stories and longer-running local topics. Examples visible on the site include coverage of the Ames indoor aquatic center, resignations from a Center for Intellectual Freedom council, and ISU's special $2M funding request tied to AI-ready workforce training. The scope leans toward Ames institutions — the city government, Iowa State University, and local organizations — rather than national wire coverage.
Politics
Political coverage focuses on Iowa. The site has featured content on Iowa's two-party political system and interviews with candidates, such as governor candidate Rob Sand discussing water policy. This makes it useful if you're tracking state and local races rather than national politics.
Sports
Sports is one of the site's heavier sections and splits into two clear tracks:
- High school sports — game coverage and player features, such as Colo-NESCO volleyball and photos from Colo-Nesco vs. GMG matchups.
- Iowa State University athletics — analysis and reporting on ISU teams, including football takeaways ahead of Iowa State vs. Utah, player updates (e.g., Jaheim Singletary), and news like NCAA penalties for the ISU men's wrestling program.
If your interest is Ames-area prep or Cyclone athletics, this section is likely the most relevant to you.
Entertainment
Entertainment coverage highlights local arts and culture. A representative example is reporting on the Octagon Center for the Arts and its 60-year history in Ames, including video and retrospective coverage. This section is oriented toward community events rather than national entertainment news.
Opinion
The opinion section publishes columns and commentary from named local and guest authors — for instance, pieces by Walter Suza, Joe Monahan, and Linda Serra Hagedorn on topics ranging from history to tax policy and data centers. It's a place for argument and perspective rather than straight reporting.
Obituaries
Obituaries are listed as a standing category, serving the standard local function of publishing death notices for the community.
How to decide if it fits your needs
- Choose it if you want Ames-specific news, ISU and high school sports, local politics, or community arts coverage in one place.
- Look elsewhere if you need national or international news as your primary source — that content appears mainly as syndicated or partner material (for example, USA TODAY items on horoscopes, crossword clues, and shopping).
- Note on access: the site references subscriptions, so some content may sit behind a subscription or registration. The available information doesn't specify which articles are free, so check individual pages if access matters to you.