Prowler - you pretty much nailed the situation. Apparently, Jamis was giving dealers 20% off normal pricing to get rid of 2019 bikes so inventories were pretty low. A local shop was able to order one and passed on the 20% off to me (maybe Jamis was giving them more than 20%!) - a day later the bike was here.
Before ordering I tried out a different level 54cm Renegade they had in the shop and the standover height was a bit too high for me, so I went with a 51cm. Only had time for a short ride when I picked it up. Having nothing to shift with my left hand and only one shift lever (the Sram system) took a bit of getting used to! But, so far I like the 1x drivetrain - the gaps aren't all that wide and the shifting is very quick.
This weekend I'll put some 32mm Schwalbe road tires on (the 40MM Donnellys that come with it look great for actual gravel but are huuuge!) and do a 50 mile semi-loaded ride to my daughter's house to try it out.