Arraignment is set for Monday, Sept. 22nd, in the case of an Atlantic woman facing a multitude of charges in connection with scheme to make her 5-year old daughter appear to be sick with cancer, and solicit money for treatment never rendered.

30-year old Leatha Kaye Slauson is charged with: one count of drug distribution to a person under 18, two counts of child endangerment causing bodily injury, two counts of administering harmful substances, two counts of assault while committing a felony, two counts of domestic abuse and 10 counts of unlawful possession of prescription drugs, and one count of Theft in the 1st degree. Online records say the alleged offenses date back to September 2013.

In an arraignment hearing, the defendant hears the formal charges against them, and enters a plea in response. Slauson’s Pre-Trial Conference is still set for October 13th, while her trial is slated to begin November 12th, unless she pleads guilty to the charges, in which case a sentencing date would be set.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Even though Iowa’s economy is improving, the state’s birth rate isn’t keeping pace. Iowa Department of Public Health figures show the state’s birth rate for 2013 is up less than 1 percent over 2012, The Des Moines Register reported. The 2013 numbers are still nearly 5 percent lower than the birth rate in 2007, before the economy slumped. There were 39,013 babies born in 2013, compared with 38,686 in 2012 and 40,835 in 2007.

Similar numbers are being reported elsewhere in the country, which experts say is typical during recessions. People apparently have fewer babies because they’re less confident they can support growing families.

Birth rates tend to rebound eventually, but how long it will take is tough to pinpoint, said Gretchen Livingston of the Pew Research Center. The nation’s fertility rate, the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, was at an all-time low in 2013, though it was a bit higher in Iowa than the nation as a whole.

The decline in Iowa births includes a decrease in the number of babies born to teen mothers, which state public health officials say is a victory.  University of Iowa economics professor Alice Schoonbroodt suspects the birth rate will increase more soon, but she’s less confident than she was a year or two ago.  “The longer we go with no change, the more we’re led to believe it’s something permanent,” she said.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa students should be learning how to make informed financial choices as part of their education, Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday, as he accepted a series of recommendations from a group charged with reviewing financial literacy teaching in the state.

Iowa school districts are expected to teach certain financial lessons to K-12 students. The group was formed by the state Department of Education to assess the current offerings and provide recommendations for improvement.  Those recommendations include revising the current standards to provide more clarity to districts and establishing ways to measure if school districts are meeting the goals.

“Financial skills are essential. Which is why they are included in Iowa’s academic standards,” Branstad said. “We know our children need to be financially literate in order to have a bright and successful future.”

Department of Education Director Brad Buck said school districts will continue to have flexibility over how they meet these standards. The department has assigned a staff member to oversee the issue of financial literacy and will try to provide resources for teachers and administrators, he said.

As harvest season approaches, the Cass County Health System Foundation would like to remind area farmers that they can choose to donate a portion of their stored or harvested crops to benefit our friends and neighbors by enhancing healthcare services and receive a tax deduction at the same time.

There are a number of advantages to donating crops instead of cash. Not only is the value of the grain excluded from income, which results in lower taxation in federal, state and self-employment taxes, but the grain production costs are deductible as well.

The Cass County Health System Foundation is the development arm for Cass County Health System. All monies raised are used for equipment, education and services for Cass County Health System. The Cass County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a qualified 501(C)3 organization, which means gifts to the organization are tax deductible.

Contact Dawn Marnin, CCHS Foundation Director at 712.243.7409, or email her at mardd@casshealth.org, for more information.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Pacific Junction man was arrested Friday on drug charges. 42-year old Daniel Dustin Sampson was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was taken into custody at around 7:30-p.m. and held in the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.

On Saturday, Mills County deputies arrested 48-year old Annie Christine Gardner, of Glenwood. Gardner was charged with OWI/1st offense after being stopped near the intersection of Highway 34 and Interstate 29 at around 11:10-p.m.

Her bond was also set at $1,000.