Davenport woman accused of theft from school nutrition group

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - A Davenport woman accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the School Nutrition Association of Iowa has pleaded not guilty to first-degree theft.

The Quad-City Times reports that 74-year-old Norma Jean Adams was also charged Wednesday with commission of a specified unlawful activity.

Prosecutors say Adams was using the name Norma LaMantia while serving as the executive director of the association, an Iowa nonprofit that promotes healthy, affordable school meals.

Prosecutors intend to try Adams as a habitual offender. Court records show she has felony convictions in Scott County from July 1987 and Rock Island County in Illinois from March 2003.

Her trial is set for Sept. 5.

Adams resigned last year, and a state audit found that she had misused at least $169,000 over a five-year period.

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Information from: Quad-City Times, http://www.qctimes.com