Bank holding company Ames National Corp. reported net income for the quarter ended Sept. 30 of $3.9 million, or 42 cents per share, compared with $3.8 million, or 41 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. The increase in earnings was due in large part to an increase in loan interest income and a decline in the provision for loan losses, according to a release. Average net loans were $41 million higher for the quarter compared with a year earlier, with most of the increase occurring in the Ames and the Des Moines metro markets. For the first nine months of the year, Ames National reported net income of $11 million, or $1.18 per share, compared with $11.7 million, or $1.26 per share, for the year-ago period. The decline was primarily the result of an increased provision for loan losses and higher deposit interest expense.