At least a couple of events were held in Iowa over the weekend to raise awareness about a troubling trend among military members. U.S Army veteran John Lame and Iowa National Guardsman Chad Madison organized a 25-mile long “Road March” between Newton and Altoona that took place on Saturday. Lame says the effort is based on a program in Minnesota called “The Next Objective” held each October 23rd.

“The 23 represents the 23 veterans each day last year who committed suicide,” Lame says. There were several 23-mile walks held across the country to raise awareness about the matter. Lame is hoping to make the walk from Newton to Altoona an annual event. He says they increased the walk from 23 to 25 miles to make it a bit closer to a marathon, which is just over 26 miles.

“The 25 also represents a 25 mile road march, which I had to do when I was in the service,” Lame said. While making the march on Saturday, Lame and the other participants collected donations for programs addressing suicide in the military. A similar event called the 23-mile Ruck Up for Life, involving more than 200 participants, was also held on Saturday between Council Bluffs and Omaha.

(Radio Iowa)

The attorney for an Atlantic woman accused of faking her daughter’s cancer has filed a motion for a change of venue in her trial. Online court documents show Jay Mez, attorney for 30-year old Leatha K. Slauson, filed the motion with the court, on Friday. He asserts her Nov. 12th trial should be moved due to extensive media coverage, gossip, rumors and speculation by residents in Cass County that would make selecting a fair and impartial jury impossible.

Leatha Kaye Slauson (Cass Co. Sheriff’s Office photo)

In presenting his motion, he entered into exhibit stories that aired from various media outlets, press releases that were distributed, and trial information alleging that Slauson obtained donations and other services by deception, from the community.

Earlier this month, Mez said Slauson was competent to stand trial, but unable to tell right from wrong. Online court records show Mez indicated on Oct. 1st his defense of 30-year old Leatha K. Slauson would be one of “Diminished Responsibility.”

Authorities say Slauson lied about her daughter having cancer, inserted a feeding tube into the 5-year-old girl and gave her drugs and cannabis oils. Slauson has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts, including assault, child endangerment and theft by deception. Her trial is set for next month.

A Fremont County man was arrested last week in Cass County on a sex abuse charge. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says 21-year old Michael Monroe Welch, of Sidney, was arrested Thursday on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree. Welch was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later the following day on $10,000 bond.

And on Sunday, deputies in Cass County arrested 27-year old Jerry Thomas Chapman, of Atlantic, on a charge of Public Intoxication. Chapman was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled guilty and was released later that day.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop early Saturday morning resulted in one person being taken into custody on drug charges. 20-year old Andy Brandon Clark, of Carroll, was arrested at around 2:30-a.m. on a Possession of Marijuana charge, after the vehicle he was in was stopped on Highway 71, in Audubon. Clark was subsequently released on a Recognizance Bond, and is scheduled to appear before a magistrate on Thursday.

And, 24-year old Scott Nathaniel Belew, of Audubon, was arrested Thursday evening on an outstanding warrant for Probation Violation. Belew later posted bond and was released.

Residents of Atlantic awoke Sunday morning to a smell that wafted throughout the town and rural areas of Cass County as winds began to pick up from the southeast at 15-to 30-miles per hour, prompted dozens of people to complain on social media sites and ask “What is awful smell?” The odor was compared to sewage backups, cat litter boxes and even decaying bodies.  Others thought the odor came from manure being spread on farms south of town. Many were under the mistaken impression it was coming all the way from Southwest Iowa Egg, near Massena.

Rich Hall, General Manager of Southwest Iowa Egg Cooperative near Massena, told KJAN News, today (Monday), the odor definitely didn’t come from their facility. He says he lives half-way between southwest Iowa Egg and Atlantic, and there was “Absolutely no odor,” at his house. He said he was in Atlantic Sunday afternoon and also smelled the offensive odor, but stated clearly that “It had nothing to do with Southwest Iowa Egg.”

Hall says he’s not the only one who can verify the odor did not come from Southwest Iowa Egg. He says “I can line up a lot of people that would there was no odor between Massena and Atlantic. I have no idea what it was. I don’t know what it could have been.”

The operation has approximately 850,000 laying hens producing over 16 million dozen eggs annually. A byproduct of the business is chicken litter which provides nutrients for about 4,000 acres of farm land. Hall says “It dumbfounds me that we would be associated with the odor in Atlantic, because we aren’t anywhere close to Atlantic with any of our equipment or any of our facilities.”

Officials with the Shelby County Emergency Agency said today (Monday, Oct. 27th) the Fire Danger rating continues to be LOW through this Thursday, meaning the danger from runaway fire is minimal at this time.

When the rating is in the LOW or green category on the sign, you are asked to call in and report your burning projects to dispatch at 755-2124 and notify your local fire chief. The next update will be  Thursday morning, October 30th.

DuPont Pioneer is awarding grants to Iowa communities for the purchase of grain bin rescue equipment. Among the fire departments receiving grants this year to purchase grain bin rescue equipment for use in their communities, is Audubon, Avoca, and Exira. The grants are being made available through the Pioneer community betterment program, and additional grants are still available. The 2014 donations are in addition to more than $70,000 worth of safety and rescue equipment grants donated in Iowa in 2013.

Photo: Tim Wahlert, Exira fire department; Mike Bintner, Exira fire chief; Jerry Riesgaard, Pioneer sales rep; Mike Davis, Exira fire department. (Photo provided)

Bart Baudler, business director for DuPont Pioneer in Iowa, said “Safety is one of the DuPont Core Values, and we’re pleased to continue our work with local fire departments across Iowa to provide this important, and sometimes life-saving, equipment.Grain bins pose a significant safety risk on the farm. We hope this equipment provides a functional use and increases awareness of these risks and leads people to think before entering.”

Iowa community fire departments and emergency medical teams are eligible to apply for the grants through their local Pioneer sales representatives. In 2013, grants for the purchase of grain bin rescue equipment were also awarded (locally) to Hamburg, Harlan, Lewis, and Malvern.

As the philanthropic arm of DuPont Pioneer, the DuPont Pioneer Giving Program makes contributions to community-based organizations on behalf of the business and employees. Consideration for Community Outreach grants is given to communities where Pioneer representatives, employees and customers live and work and that support quality-of-life initiatives to create an improved, sustainable lifestyle for people worldwide.

DuPont Pioneer is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a central Iowa man was arrested Friday night at the Union County Jail. 39-year old Terry Lynn Phelps Jr., of Boone, was arrested at 10:30 PM at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for failure to appear. Phelps was being held in the Ringgold County Jail for Union County on $2000 bond.

The Page County Sheriff’s Department says one person was hospitalized Sunday morning following a car-versus-deer accident, just east of Clarinda. At around 10:25-a.m., a 1997 Chevy Blazer driven by 36-year old Robert Joseph Fletcher, of Diagonal,  was east bound on 185th Street, when Fletcher swerved to avoid hitting a deer. The SUV entered a deep Ravine on the north side of the roadway and came to rest on its top. Fletcher, who was the only person in the vehicle, was transported to the Creston Hospital with unknown injuries. The SUV is considered totaled.

That same day, Page County Deputies responded to a dog bite in College Springs. Officials say a Juvenile female was riding her bicycle on Iowa Street, when a dog, owned by Mandi Smiley of College Springs, ran into the street and bit the juvenile female on the leg. The bite didn’t break the skin. The owner of the dog was attempting to catch the dog when this happened. The juvenile female’s parents were aware of the incident and were advised, along with Smiley, on what to do.

Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Saturday of 18-year old Andrew Hunt,  of Malvern. Hunt was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1000.