Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — A California man accused of posing as an actor from the “Twilight” movie series has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual abuse. Thirty-three-year-old David LaVera entered the plea against several charges including third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. LaVera is accused of using his smartphone to record a 12-year-old taking a shower and using the bathroom. He is also accused of recording a 14-year-old using the bathroom.

ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) — Court documents say a western Iowa woman accused of lying about her daughter’s cancer diagnosis inserted a feeding tube into the girl’s nose and stomach. Thirty-year-old Leatha Slauson, of Atlantic, did not have medical training to properly insert the medical equipment. Police say Slauson told her community that her 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. An investigation found the child is not suffering from any disease.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa farm trade groups have formed an organization called the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance to push farmers harder on the implementation of farm practices designed to clean Iowa’s water. The group’s goal is to get more farmers to participate in the state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a voluntary program initiated Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of Iowa employers will pay less in unemployment taxes next year. Governor Terry Branstad says the average tax rate will drop to 1.2 percent from 1.6 percent. A state senate panel meets this week to review the management of the state’s workforce agency.

A man on a motorcycle was injured Sunday in Pottawattamie County, when the cycle crashed into a ditch. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office says at around 6:30-p.m., deputies were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident involving a motorcycle on Highway 92 near the 13 mile marker.

The investigation determined 32-year old Jesse Sorensen was driving a 2001 Harley Davidson westbound on Highway 92 near the 13 mile marker, when he lost control of the motorcycle, which then entered the north ditch.

Sorensen was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. A report on his condition was not available Monday evening. Sorensen was cited for failure to maintain control.

Authorities in Page County say one person was arrested Monday afternoon after the Page County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an abandoned cellular 911 call in the area of Q Ave near the Montgomery-Page County line. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says during the investigation of the 911, call a female subject was located who appeared to be having a medical condition. While negotiating with the female she fled into an adjacent corn field with a handgun. A perimeter was set up around the field by area law enforcement.

At approximately 4:00 p.m. the unidentified woman was taken into custody and transported to Clarinda Regional Health Center by Clarinda EMS. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by personnel from the Clarinda Police Department, Shenandoah Police Department, Red Oak Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Clarinda EMS, Villisca Rescue and the Iowa State Patrol.

A recent incident of vandalism at a park in Atlantic has the City’s Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring, asking for the public to be vigilant in reporting any suspicious activity. Herring said there was graffitti on the nearly year-old playground equipment at the Pellett Park. The incident was observed by a kindergartener who didn’t realized what she was seeing. He said the girl spoke with a friendly man in his early 20’s who was doing the damage.

The girl told her mom about a man “drawing pictures” on the playground equipment, but no other description was available.” The family who reported the incident the next day, was visiting the area and were not from Atlantic. Herring said the spray painting was not the typical, vulgar work of vandalism you might expect to see.

He says “It’s not just junk…it’s not profanity…” He said “It’s art work that has some significance” to the person who did it. The same image was placed on a lot of pieces of equipment on the playground. The man indicated to the girl he learned how to “tag” — as graffiti is called – in jail.

Parks and Rec staff will try and remove the images. In the mean time, he asked the public to report any incidents of vandalism to the Police Department.

ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) — Court documents say a western Iowa woman accused of lying about her daughter’s cancer diagnosis inserted a feeding tube into the girl’s nose and stomach. The Daily Nonpareil reports 30-year-old Leatha Slauson, of Atlantic, did not have medical training to properly insert the medical equipment. Police later confiscated it.

Police say Slauson told her community that her 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. An investigation found the child is not suffering from any disease. Slauson is accused of soliciting donations for her daughter. She is also accused of giving the girl cannabis oil.

Slauson was arrested Thursday on charges of child endangerment and drug distribution. She is scheduled to be in court on Sept. 2.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports Omaha, Nebraska contractor Ram Hingorani pled guilty last Friday to Major Program Fraud. In addition, one of Hingorani’s companies, Midwest Paving, Inc. (MPI), pled guilty to Money Laundering in furtherance of the scheme. MPI is a U.S. General Services Administration, Department of Defense, and Department of Veteran Affairs contractor. The admissions of guilt by Hingorani follow guilty pleas entered by Midwest Contracting, Inc. (MCI), on August 15, 2014, to Major Program Fraud and Wire Fraud.

On May 22, 2013, a Federal grand jury in the Southern District of Iowa issued a 32-count Indictment charging Hingorani, business partner Ronald Waugh, MCI and MPI, in connection with an approximate $23.5 million Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) fraud scheme. The charges included multiple counts of major fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. Additionally, agents seized approximately $3.9 million from 14 separate financial accounts.

Beginning in May of 2007 and continuing through August of 2010, MCI unlawfully received 45 set-aside and/or sole-source SDVOSB contracts from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), to include contracts involving American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The investigation revealed MCI was a pass-through and/or front company for Hingorani’s other businesses and that Waugh was simply a figurehead or “rent-a-vet,” who was being used for his SDV status. Evidence demonstrated that the non-veteran Hingorani controlled MCI and certified MCI’s SDVOSB status through the General Service Administration’s Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) databases.

As a result of falsely certifying MCI’s status as a SDVOSB, MCI received 45 federal contracts that would have otherwise been awarded to legitimate Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Concerns.
The United States has agreed to dismiss all charges against Ronald Waugh, the service disabled veteran utilized by Hingorani to perpetrate the fraud scheme.

As a result of his plea agreement, Hingorani faces a prison term of up to 24 months and forfeiture of the profits obtained as a result of the fraud scheme. The amount of forfeiture will be determined by the District Court following a sentencing hearing which will be scheduled at a later date. In addition, Hingorani, MCI and MPI are currently suspended and face administrative debarment from obtaining future government contracts.

MILFORD, Iowa (AP) — Officials say they think a nearly $1-million electronic fish barrier has succeeded in stopping invasive Asian carp from the Iowa Great Lakes. The Sioux City Journal reports the fish first swam into the lakes during flooding in 2011. They had previously been kept out by dams on the Little Sioux River in Harrison County and near Linn Grove.

The Asian carp species are thought to be a major threat to native aquatic species throughout the Midwest. One species, the silver carp, poses a safety hazard because they leap from the water when startled.

The 21-foot-long fish barrier was built in 2012, and officials believe it’s working. There have been few reports of Asian carp being netted or sighted