DAVIS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Farmers and ranchers in southern Iowa’s Davis County who’ve suffered losses and damages from recent drought may now be eligible for federal emergency loans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Davis County has been designated as a primary natural disaster area. Producers in the contiguous counties also are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Vice President Mike Pence returned to Iowa Wednesday to promote Trump administration policies. Pence told a crowd of about 250 in Des Moines, “America is back and we’re just getting started…it’s been a year and a half of action and it’s been a year of promises made and promises kept.”

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are looking for a man who robbed a house after the victim’s girlfriend let it happen. The victim left his house, and his girlfriend, who was at the house, contacted 23-year-old Kody Brinkley. When Brinkley came to the house, the girlfriend told him he could “steal whatever he wanted.” She then left. Brinkley allegedly stole several firearms.

FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – A Fairfield woman fired for insulting Mexicans at work cannot collect unemployment benefits. The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa Employment Appeals Board said Angela Diers’ statements clearly met the definition of misconduct, and disqualifies her from collecting unemployment. Diers lost her job at Dexter Laundry, a manufacturer of washers and dryers. She says she shouldn’t be singled out for termination because since President Trump’s election, it’s common for workers at the plant to talk of hating African Americans and foreigners.

MAQUOKETA, IA (IRN) – Maquoketa is in need of 300 new homes in the next 10 years, according to KCRG-TV. The city plans to begin solving the housing shortage by building a “pocket neighborhood.” The neighborhood will have 10 to 12 homes, each about 1,000 square feet and costing around $150,000. The small homes will have porches that all face each other and will be built around a community green space with gardens and a gazebo.