There is no way that the economy of Ames, Iowa is 4.24 billion dollars (with a b). I thought I read somewhere in the Des Moines Register that the largest retailer in Ames was Goodwill and the Salvation Army went out of business there. Plus, with all of the flooding, I'm sure 2 billion of that alleged 4.24 billion is lost due to mold, hepatitis, tetanus and bubonic plague. I question the validity of these numbers.