WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa couple chose an unusual venue for their wedding, tying the knot in front of the JC Penney store at a West Des Moines mall where they met for the first time a year earlier. The Des Moines Register reports Bob Jackson and 68-year old Rita Dennis found one another through an online dating site. He’d lost his wife to a terminal illness and was struggling with depression. She’d lost her job, her only distraction in the years after a divorce.

Their first in-person meeting was Sept. 11, 2013. He suggested outside JC Penney at the Valley West Mall because she noted on her profile that she loves to shop and he needed slacks and shoes anyway. Soon they were inseparable. In February, Dennis moved into Jackson’s house in Anita. He cooks. She cleans. “At our age it’s amazing and wonderful,” said Dennis. “I am much more mature and know who I am and what I like and what makes me happy.”

Judge Odell McGhee, who married the couple Friday, which was Jackson’s 70th birthday, wasn’t fazed by the couple’s choice of a wedding venue. Mall managers don’t remember any other weddings there. “You know people,” he said. “They do all sorts of crazy places.”

Dennis wore a dark blue gown and Jackson a gray suit. After the brief ceremony, they ate with their wedding party at a local steakhouse. Next week they’ll leave for a honeymoon cruise to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

A Missouri Valley man has died from injuries he suffered in a motorcycle crash Friday night, three-miles west of Woodbine. Rescue personnel responded shortly before 7-pm and treated 45 year old Blake Shipman, of Missouri Valley, for serious head injuries before he was flown byLife Net Helicopter transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he later died.The man was not wearing a helmet.

Authorities say the motorcycle Shipman was driving was traveling west on Easton Trail and rounding a curve when it went out of control.

(KNOD/Harlan)

A judge has denied a request for bond reduction and pre-trial release for an Atlantic woman involved in a scheme to make her 5-year old daughter appear to be sick with cancer, and solicit money for treatment never rendered.

Leatha Kay Slauson enters the courtroom accompanied by Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren. (Ric Hanson/photo)

In denying the request by 30-year old Leatha Kaye Slauson and her attorney Jay Mez, 4th District Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Larson today (Monday) said Slauson continues to pose a risk to the community. The judge said was not concerned about her being a flight risk, though. Even so, her bond remains at $35,000, and Slauson will continue to be held in the Cass County Jail. A No contact order remains in place for Slauson, who is not allowed to have any contact with her children.

Slauson appeared in court dressed in a Cass County Corrections orange and white-striped uniform, her long blonde hair in a ponytail, which featured reddish-pink highlights. Attorney Jay Mez had proposed Slauson be released and reside with her mother in Hampton, IA., but the judge rejected that request because the “Charges are very serious in nature and assaultive in nature.” Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner, requested bond continue.

Slauson, who entered a written plea of Not Guilty to the charges, faces 20 counts, including 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.

Slauson had claimed her 5-year-old daughter Riley was dying from colorectal cancer. Authorities learned the girl wasn’t sick, when officials with the Atlantic Community School District looked for medical records showing how to best deal with her condition after she registered to attend school. Courts documents say Slauson inserted a feeding tube through the nose and into the stomach of her daughter to administer cannabis oil, and injected a drug called Neupogen without any medical advice. Neupogen helps the body produce white blood cells, and is used during chemotherapy. It can cause muscle and joint pain, cramping, stiffness and bodily injury.

The Theft charge filed against Leatha Slauson is with regard to the thousands of dollars raised by the community of Atlantic and others, to help pay for the girls’ medical expenses and send the family on a trip to Disney World.

Slauson’s Pre-Trial Conference is still set for October 13th, while her trial is slated to begin November 12th.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s department reports deputies attempted to stop a vehicle being driven by 34 year old Tabitha Rose Ann Holste of Yorktown earlier this morning. A pursuit of the vehicle ensued as Holste accelerated away from authorities. Holste was driving south on ‘S’ Avenue when she went off the ‘T’ intersection at 240th Street into the south ditch causing the vehicle Holste was driving to rollover. Holste was then taken into custody without further incident. Holste was cited for driving while revoked; failure to yield to an emergency vehicle; failure to maintain control; no proof of insurance accident related; and failure to carry registration card. Holste was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on 1-thousand dollar bond. Assisting the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department included the Red Oak Police Department; Villisca Fire and Rescue; and Red Oak Fire and Rescue.

The Creston Police Department reports three arrests over the weekend.

Jeremy Culbertson, 33, of Perry was arrested and charged by Creston Police Friday evening with two counts of child endangerment and interference with official acts. Culbertson was arrested at the corner of Cherry Street and Townline Road and was released on 2-thousand dollar bond.

Chad Cozad, 24, of Creston was arrested by Creston Police Saturday morning at his residence for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Cozad was released on 2-thousand dollar bond.

Jeremy Seddon, 33, of Creston was arrested by Creston Police Saturday afternoon at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on 3rd Degree Burglary Charges and was released on 5-thousand dollar bond.

Southwestern Community College in Creston also reported to Creston Police an individual stole a Gateway Laptop, Electrical Meters, and a GoPro Camera and accessories. Estimated loss listed at 950-dollars.

The long-time chairs of the AtlanticFest Car Show announced their retirement at the recent wrap-up meeting. Rob and Sonya Clausen have dedicated countless hours and resources to the car show over the last eight years, The Clausens have also graciously gave the committee their ‘car show bible’ to insure future successful car shows and offered their best wishes for success. AtlanticFest committee chair Liz Denney also announced her retirement. The AtlanticFest committee is now looking for three volunteers to fill these positions for 2015. If you are interested in helping with the 2015 AtlanticFest Car Show or AtlanticFest itself please contact the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha organizers say they fell far short of setting a record for the world’s largest spaghetti feed. Sunday’s event was organized by an Omaha nonprofit, We Are the Power of O.NE. Its goal was to serve 20,000 spaghetti dinners in four hours at the Omaha Public Schools’ seven high schools and several other spots in the area, including across the Missouri River at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The group said serving 17,000 would break a world record. But Sunday’s volunteers served only around 5,100 dinners. The group also took 1,400 dinners to homeless shelters. Organizer Lin Leahy says the event was held to raise awareness of hunger in the Omaha area. The dinners were free, although donations for the Food Bank for the Heartland were encouraged.

The average tuition rate for a credit hour at one of the 15 community colleges was around 145 dollars, which is up three-point-two percent last year. Department of Education Community Colleges Bureau Chief, Kent Farver, says that increase isn’t far from what the students have been seeing. “The 2014-2015 average rate stayed kind of within what the traditional increase was per year — averaging anywhere from two to four percent,” Farver says. He says mandatory fees are the key issue he watch in compiling this year’s report.

“In the 2014-2015 school year, the mandatory fee went up, what they are paying per credit hour,” Farver says. “We’re continuing to monitor that. And it’s part of the total cost of enrollment picture that we are trying to put together with that.” The mandatory fees went up 12-dollars, 42 cents or a seven-point-four percent increase. That puts the total cost of enrollment at 157-dollars-78 cents for each credit hour, or an overall increase of two-point-nine percent. Farver says enrollment is part of the formula driving community college costs, and after hitting a peak in 2010, an improving economy has seen less students going that route.

“When the country is going through a recession, community college enrollment actually goes up. And when times are good, community college enrollment traditionally goes down,” Farver says. He says as the enrollment starts to come back down, the schools are having to deal with fewer students. The state has appropriated more money for community colleges, which Farver says has helped some.

“The legislature has made additions to state general state aid the last couple of years, but historically that is getting colleges back to where they were prior to the recession,” according to Farver. “So they are still very reliant on tuition and fees. Anytime you take a lower number of enrollments coming into the community colleges, that has an impact of what their enrollment will be, which ultimately impacts their budget.” Community Colleges face another possible hurdle to bringing in students as a new formula for distributing state revenue to the three state universities emphasizes in-state enrollment. Farver can’t say how that might impact community colleges.

“We don’t have the data to be able to really answer that question yet, but that’s definitely something that we will be looking at,” Farver says. “It is hard to imagine that an increased focus on in-state enrollment at the regents will not have an impact on community colleges at some point — because they are drawing form the same population.”

“Time will tell, and we will definitely be monitoring that,” he says. Farver’s report finds the average semester hour cost of a credit hour at a public university is 267-dollars, 87 cents, compared to 156-dollars, 23 cents at a community college.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in the high school Media Center Monday evening, for a scheduled work session. The meeting begins at 7:30.

During the session, the Board will act on approving the 2014-2015 District Special Education District Delivery Plan. They’re also set to discuss an evaluation of the Counseling Program, and graduation requirements.

The Atlantic School Board will then move into a closed session to discuss their Collective Bargaining strategy. Afterward, they’ll look at “Graduating All Students Innovation Ready.”