Baxter
Baxter, IA · Lifestyle
travelmag.com
travelmag.com
Radio Iowa
KTTC
Midwest Access: Let's Dish! Take and Bake Meals now at Target
unearththevoyage.com
Amest Tribune
Meet the ‘gateway tortoise’ behind an Ames sanctuary
The tortoises seemed determined to make a good first impression. On a sunny October afternoon, several lumbered over to a pile of fresh produce at Big and Small Tortoise Rescue and Sanctuary in Ames, stretching their necks toward the juicy tidbits. "They know when people come, they get treats," founder Kim Vanous said. The rescue, tucked along U.S. Highway 69 south of Ames, is home to roughly 70 to 80 tortoises representing nine species. Some are available for adoption. Others — because of age, illness, permanent disabilities or their previous owner’s inability to care for them — will spend the rest of their lives at the sanctuary. Not just turtles in Ames While many people use the terms interchangeably, tortoises and turtles aren't quite the same. "All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises," Vanous said. Tortoises are terrestrial animals that live on land, while many other turtle species spend much or most of their lives in water. More: Cost of Ames animal shelter rises as construction, add-ons surpass $6M The sanctuary focuses on tortoises and box turtles from the pet trade rather than native wildlife. The rescue cares for animals ranging from smaller Russian and red-footed tortoises
WHO 13
Iowa State Daily
Mary Jane’s: More than a bar
Hidden away on Main Street, a new bar creates a space for friends to meet, musicians to perform and stories to be made. Inside, the bar has the usual mood lighting and drinks, but the people make it different. Mary Jane’s Bar and Stage opened earlier this year and has since been putting on shows and other events most weekends.