DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 85 percent of Iowa’s corn crop and 40 percent of the state’s soybean crop has been planted. The estimates released Tuesday by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service show the corn crop is far behind the five-year-average of 98 percent for this time of year. The soybean crop’s five-year average is 83 percent planted by this time.

Although planting is behind the average due to a cold spring and recent persistent rain, farmers were able to make a lot of progress during a dry stretch last week. The rain also has improved pasture and range conditions, with 89 percent now seen as in fair, good or excellent conditions, though some land along streams has flooded.

A construction company is out nearly $34,000, after some of its equipment was stolen sometime over the past week. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says an employee of Cedar Falls Construction, out of Waterloo, called Tuesday (today) to report the theft of a skid loader, brush attachment and trailer. The items, which were being used for a road construction project, were located in at Rapp Park parking lot when not in use. Authorities are asking the public to be on the lookout for a yellow, Gehl 4840-E skid loader, 20-foot long PJ Trailer that the skid loader was parked on, and a Sweepstar 21072 pavement broom, that was attached to the skid loader.

The items were taken sometime between 5-p.m. May 23rd, and 8:45-a.m. May 28th.  Anyone with information about the theft should contact the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Monday of 37-year old Kevin Allen Long, of College Springs. Long was arrested at around 4:40-p.m., after deputies responded to a reported assault involving a 14-year old and an adult. Long was subsequently charged with Simple Assault. He was being held in the Page County Jail pending an appearance before the magistrate.

The Stuart Police Department says charges were filed today (Tuesday) in Guthrie County Court, with regard to the May 20th robbery of First State Bank in Stuart. Wayne Eugene Palmer and Hannah Elizabeth Reisinger, both of Carlisle, PA have been charged with robbery in the 1st degree in connection to the case. The filing of charges was delayed due to the Memorial Day holiday. Palmer and Reisinger remain in custody at the Los Angeles Metro Jail in Los Angeles, CA. They were arrested on May 24th on material witness warrants related to the May 20th bank robbery. Palmer was also arrested on a parole violation warrant from Pennsylvania.

Arrangements are being made to have both Palmer and Reisinger extradited to the Guthrie County Jail from Los Angeles.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement special agent has been charged with falsifying the signature of a Polk County judge on a search warrant document. Jonathan Borg turned himself in to the Polk County jail on Tuesday for processing. He is free after posting a $5,000 bond. On Friday, the Iowa Attorney General’s office charged the 39-year-old agent with felonious misconduct in office.

Court documents allege that Borg falsified the signature of Polk County District Court Judge Christopher McDonald on a returned search warrant in February in connection with a narcotics investigation in Des Moines. Borg’s attorney, F. Montgomery Brown says Borg is cooperating with the investigation, denies the allegations, and has entered a not guilty plea. A trial has been scheduled for Aug. 12.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad will sign a compromise education policy bill into law next week. Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht says the signing will be held at North High School in Des Moines on Monday. Branstad has made education investment a key priority for his administration. Lawmakers last week approved a compromise deal on education before adjourning the 2013 session.

The plan would provide more basic school funding for the next academic year, as well as offer dollars to districts that adopt a program to raise minimum teacher pay and offer leadership incentives. In addition, a task force would review teacher evaluations and some restrictions on homeschooling would be lifted.

SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) – A public defender is seeking another change of venue for a man charged with murder and kidnapping, arguing the move is needed because of the abduction of two girls near Dayton.The Sioux City Journal reports public defender Charles Kenville filed a motion Friday seeking to move the trial for Kirk Levin. The 21-year-old Early man is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother and third-degree kidnapping in the abduction of a woman who later escaped.

Levin’s trail had been moved from Sac County to Webster County, but Kenville says another move is needed because of the abduction of two girls last week near Dayton, which is in Webster County. Kenville says that case would influence Webster County jurors. Levin’s trail is scheduled for June 3.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County are investigating a burglary that occurred sometime over the past few days. Authorities say sometime between last Friday and today (Tuesday), someone entered the Anderson Conservation Building at 2059 190th Street. The perpetrator of the crime left with a computer from the office area. The loss was estimated at $1,645. The building itself was not damaged. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputies in Cass County arrested a Massena man Saturday. Authorities say40-year old Todd Edward Kimpson, faces a felony charge of Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon and an Aggravated Domestic Assault charge. Kimpson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released Monday on $10,000 cash bond.

(Noon news)

Harlan Municipal Utility customers will see slight increases in water and gas rates starting in July. In a regular board meeting last Thursday, the HMU board of trustees approved the rate increases. The water rates will increase 8% and Chief Executive Officer of HMU Darrell Wenzel says this increase is a follow up to the rate increase last year for the water treatment plant as they are needing to hit certain revenue targets to pay for the 7 million dollar plant. A family of 2 will see about a $1.50 increase on the average while a larger family will be closer to the $2.50 range.

As far as the gas rate increase, he says HMU saw a negative margin of about $25,000 last year and through January 2013 the increase is around $47,000. Wenzel says it has been twelve years since the last gas increase and back then it was a 65 percent increase. The board wanted a much smaller increase this time around to get the margins back to the positive side.

For a couple residential examples, they are looking at a 91 cent increase, 2.5%. If you have a bigger family, you are looking at a $1.40. But it all depends on how much gas you use. The Harlan Municipal Utilities water and gas rate increase will take effect on July 1st, 2013.

In other news, Wenzel said the Water Treatment Plant is about 89% completed in a monetary stand point and customers could see the plant itself being fired up in mid-July however the plant will not go online until all the tests are complete. Wenzel said the plant should be pumping water into the wells by fall.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)