Groups that rescue donkeys in Iowa and Nebraska are working together to find homes for several animals. Stephanie Shehan is one of the directors at Lusco Farms Donkey Rescue in Malvern, Iowa. That organization recently teamed up with Epona Rescue near Crete, Nebraska, to save the creatures.  Shehan says a Nebraska woman called after her father died and she didn’t know what to do with a donkey. Lusco Farms rescued two donkeys, while coordinating with Epona to find homes for a mule, a pony and her colt. Shehan says the animals were in good health and had received great care, in fact, they’d been spoiled a bit too much.

“Only one has hoof issues and other than that, they’re just a little, well not a little overweight, they’re quite overweight,” she says. “The gentleman was feeding them Twinkies.” They’re on diets now, thanks to a vet’s advice. She says it’s fortunate for the animals the groups were able to work together, if nothing more than to save money on feed. Hay prices due to drought have skyrocketed. Shehan says more people are contacting Lusco Farms Rescue and to surrender their donkeys, mules and horses because they can no longer afford to feed them.

“The hay issue has become a very wide problem,” she says. “We’ve had numerous people email. We’re mainly trying to find foster places for these animals.” Learn more at: www.luscofarmsrescue.org

(Radio Iowa)

The Lenox Police Department says no injuries were reported following a single vehicle accident early Tuesday morning.

Photo courtesy the Lenox Police Dept.

The crash took place just before 7-a.m. at the intersection of Brooks and Ohio Streets, when Tuesday a 1997 Chrysler owned by Debra Morehouse of Prescott and driven by 20-year old Jesse Harrison, of Prescott, crashed into a utility pole.  The accident happened as Harrison was northbound on Brooks when he fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle, which hit a utility pole and a sign pole. The damage amounted to $10,000.Harrison was cited for failure to maintain control.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

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Three people have been arrested on unrelated charges in Red Oak, recently. Two men were arrested this (Tuesday) morning, 47-year-old Joseph Larry Martin, of Clarinda, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.  And, Sean Duane Elston, of Red Oak, was arrested on a charge of Domestic Assault and six counts of Child Endangerment. Elston was being held in the jail without bond.

On Monday, 19-year-old Mason Philip Roach, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and,  46-year-old Robert Wayne Clark, of Red Oak, was arrested for 5^th Degree Criminal Mischief. Clark’s bond was set at $300.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says one person was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning, on assault and other charges. 29-year old Christopher Robert Fowler, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 2:25-a.m., following an incident in the 14-hundred block of 210th Street, west of Red Oak.

Officials say Fowler was charged with Simple Domestic Assault, and Interference with Official Acts. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an appearance before a magistrate.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says an Adair County teen was cited for Possession of Alcohol Under the Legal Age, and Speeding, following a traffic stop Monday night. Officials say 19-year old Zachary Chumbley, of Greenfield, was stopped for speeding on Highway 34 at around 10-p.m. An investigation determined Chumbley was allegedly in possession of alcohol.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

A representative of the Iowa Bankers Association says the latest facts and figures show Iowans, in general, are doing better than borrowers in other states. Sharon Presnall is a senior vice president for the Iowa Bankers Association. “Mortgage delinquencies have been and remain consistently lower than the rest of the nation,” she says, “and Iowa consistently has the lowest credit card debt than all of the states.” There has been “steady improvement” in Iowa banks, according to Presnall. “Total deposits in Iowa institutions increased to $57.6 billion year to date, which is an increase of $3.1 million from the third quarter of 2011,” she says.

Iowa banks have more than 42-billion dollars worth of loans on the books, a slight increase of about three billion over the third quarter last year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s third quarter report indicates less than one-point-five percent of loans in Iowa have reached the 90-days-past-due stage. The national delinquency rate is double what it is in Iowa. Presnall is the Iowa Banking Association’s chief statehouse lobbyist. About 18-thousand Iowans are employed at the 340 banking institutions that are part of the Iowa Bankers Association.

(Radio Iowa)

Statehouse leaders say changing the formula that distributes state gas taxes for road and bridge projects is just too risky, politically, and would derail any bid to raise the state gas tax. Cities say they don’t get a big enough share of the money for roads and bridges — and counties say the same thing. Governor Terry Branstad says it’s an urban-versus-rural battle. “Looking at the politics of it, you’re probably going to lose the Farm Bureau if you reduce the money going to counties and rural areas,” Branstad says. The Farm Bureau has been a backer of a plan that would raise the state gas tax. The Iowa Chamber Alliance — representing Iowa’s larger urban areas — has called for increasing the gas tax and sending a greater share of the taxes to cities. House Speaker Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha, the top Republican in the legislature, says changing the distribution formula would “kill” any bid to raise the gas tax.

“Too complicated, too controversial — we’ve already been through that debate,” Paulsen says. “I don’t see us going back down that road.” Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix raises melons and pumpkins on a farm near Shell Rock and he says agrees shifting the formula to send more money to cities would kill any bid to raise the gas tax.  “Iowa is a diverse and agricultural state and in order to move those farm commodities to market, to added-value markets that have been such a big part of the growing Iowa economy, we need to make sure that we’re maintaining those rural infrastructures as well,” Dix says. “Talking about changing that formula to favor urban areas moves that debate backwards as opposed to forward.” Dix sees “growing support” in the legislature for a hike in the gas tax, but only if lawmakers reduce other taxes, like commercial property taxes.

“Myself personally and I think Senate Republicans generally came here, though, primarily focused on reducing the overall tax burden on Iowans and creating more growth,” Dix says. “That needs to be our number one priority and needs to happen first.” Just over a year ago a task force appointed by the governor called for a 10-cent-per-gallon increase in the state gas tax, to boost the flagging budget for road and bridge construction. Governor Terry Branstad would sign a gas tax increase into law, but he’s not asking legislators to pass one.

“I don’t intend to make a recommendation,” Branstad says. “I have indicated that I’m open to considering things, but my focus is on reducing taxes — and specifically the property tax — and I think anything that’s done has got to be a net tax reduction for the citizens of Iowa.” Earlier this month a representative of the state’s road builders publicly urged Branstad to become a more ardent advocate for boosting the gas tax. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs agrees Branstad’s public backing is key if the gas tax increase has a chance in the legislature.

I think, pretty obviously, as the leader of the Republican Party of Iowa, for his own members it probably takes a little more encouraging words than he’s given it so far,” Gronstal says. Paulsen — the House speaker — says he doesn’t know whether the gas tax increase could get 51 votes in the House. “It came up in a pretty significant fashion in three different legislative races in the state,” Paulsen says. “Two out of the three people who were advocating for a gas tax or user fee increase lost, so I don’t think anybody knows.” Kevin McCarthy of Des Moines, the House Democratic Leader, last week said if lawmakers raise the gas tax, they need to lower other vehicle fees which were raised a few years ago to try to fill part of the 215-million dollar hole in the state’s road construction fund.

(Radio Iowa)