There is a rampant rumor that Fred Thompson is here in Ames! A very-official-looking woman wearing a headset just came up to us and said she swore that she spotted a bald (yet confident), 6′ 4″ tall man in his mid-60s, in Oakley wrap-arounds manning the snow-cone machine.

He is charming the women from Davenport and Sioux City with his Red-White &-Blue frosty special! She SWEARS it’s Thompson–talk about savvy grassroots bonding! No Jeri sightings, however, much to the chagrin of Byron and my producers.