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.

A reminder from the Iowa Department of Transportation, that a meeting will be held this Thursday (Sept. 18th) in Council Bluffs, with regard to the Iowa Park and Ride System plan. The meeting is one of  seven planned for around the state, the DOT will use to develop its plan to identify ideal locations for park and ride facilities to serve commuters in the state. The public input meeting Sept. 18th in Council Bluffs  takes place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus, Salvation Army Building ( 715 N. 16th St).