Southeast Iowa men seek to soup up electric engine

Two southeast Iowa men are tweaking an invention they believe could change the auto industry. Richard Kelly of New Sharon and Rick Talbert of Montezuma have spent the past three years building an electric motor with things they’ve found at the junkyard and other parts they’ve made by hand. Kelly says folks who stop by to see the invention are surprised when they turn the crank and it runs. A representative from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office will stop in their shop next week to discuss securing a patent for the motor. Both men have created several other gadgets, including something called “the fishing jigger” that was just patented yesterday.