DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans in the Iowa Senate have passed a bill that could send a person to prison for life if they cause death of a fetus, even if it’s an accident and in cases where someone didn’t know the mother was pregnant.

Sen. Jake Chapman amended the bill Tuesday on the floor of the Senate to make causing the death of a fetus a life-in-prison crime, the same as someone convicted of murder. Language equates such deaths to “killing an unborn person.”

Chapman, a staunch anti-abortion lawmaker, denied the bill has anything to do with abortion. He argued the bill recognizes the fetus “is a person in the womb and it should have rights.”

Sen. Janet Petersen says the amendment makes the bill a personhood bill and is unconstitutional. She says it could prompt criminal investigations of women who lose babies through miscarriage or stillbirth.

The bill passed on a vote of 31-18 and goes to the House.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday, that 40-year old Troy Joseph Sterba, of Omaha, was arrested late Sunday morning, for Criminal Trespass and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $600.

And, at around 5:50-a.m. Saturday, Mills County Deputies arrested 50-year old Julie Marie Bockert, of Riverton, for Domestic Abuse Assault, and Possession of Contraband. She was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County said Tuesday (today), a Creston resident had reported Monday morning, that sometime between Friday and Saturday, someone entered a building on his property at took a Northern tools tool box and tools, battery operated Dewalt grease gun, and an Echo 18” chainsaw.  The loss was estimated at $375.

And, a woman from Afton, reported Monday afternoon, that sometime this month, someone entered her farm residence and took camera’s, Nintendo DS, toy dump truck, bicycle, and several pieces of costume jewelry.  The loss was estimated $365.

Shelby County Emergency Management Agency Operations Director Jason Wickizer reports that at 12:28-p.m. today (Tuesday), Westphalia, Kirkman, Harlan, and Defiance Fire Departments responded to several 911 calls regarding a barn fire in the 1500 Block of Highway 59.

Westphalia Fire Department arrived on scene to a fully involved barn.  Westphalia Fire Department was able to take defensive measures protecting an adjacent residential structure.

As mutual aid departments arrived they were able to assist in extinguishing barn fire.  Fire Departments were assisted on scene by Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County EMA, Mid America Energy, and Medivac Ambulance.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around Noon today (Tuesday), of 39-year old Meri Ellen Kling, of Red Oak. Kling was arrested on an Iowa District Court warrant for Driving While Barred. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $3,000 cash bond.

The Kiwanis Club of Atlantic, today (Tuesday), announced that Kiwanis International has awarded the organization $5,000 to assist in the flood cleanup efforts in Hamburg. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world: one community and one child at a time. With the assistance of the Red Oak and Clarinda chapters, the Kiwanians are providing 2,000 sack lunches on Saturday, March 30th to feed the residents and cleanup crews in Hamburg. 2 tons of bottled water will also be shipped to the town. In addition, every small child will receive a teddy bear.

The lunches will be assembled Friday at the First Church of Christ in Atlantic, beginning at 3 PM. On Saturday morning, the caravan of food will arrive in Hamburg by 10 AM. Volunteers will dispense the lunches throughout the town. Undistributed sacks will supplement the emergency shelters in Hamburg. Lloyd Munson, the Atlantic Kiwanis President said “This is one way that our Kiwanis Club can provide encouragement and show that we want to make a difference at a most critical time in their lives.”

(Radio Iowa) — While the U-S House passed a resolution to make public the final report investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the effort was blocked by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The blockade of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report is perturbing to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who says everyone should be entitled to read the final report.  “We’re spending millions and millions and now those millions have added up, I guess, to 41-million,” Grassley says. “The public ought to know what they get for their money, so that’s why I think it ought to be made public.”

The report found no evidence of collusion and President Donald Trump has called for the report to be made public, but U-S Attorney General William Barr intends to keep it under wraps, though Barr did release a summary. Grassley says if the full report is published, a few things should be redacted to protect the privacy of certain people. “If somebody was investigated by Mueller and he didn’t do anything wrong and his name shows up in the report,” Grassley says, “he could have his reputation ruined if it comes out that Mueller was questioning a particular person.”

Grassley says grand jury testimony should also be excluded, should the full report come out. Still, even with those items removed, Grassley says the many hundreds of remaining pages of the report should be released. “I’m for transparency, not only in this case, but generally,” Grassley says. “You hear me use the word transparency because the public’s business ought to be public and $41-million was paid for this. Public officials did it and transparency brings accountability.”

President Trump says the Mueller report brought him “complete and total exoneration” as it did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired with Russians during the election. According to Barr’s summary, quoting Mueller, while the report “does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A woman accused of stealing prescription drugs turned in to the Mason City Police Department has been given a year of probation. Cerro Gordo County court records say 44-year-old Melinda Severs, of Dumont, entered a written plea of guilty Monday to unlawful possession of a prescription drug. Prosecutors dropped a second count in exchange.
Severs also was granted a deferred judgment, which means her conviction can to be removed from court records if she fulfills her probation terms.

Authorities say Severs was working as an administrative assistant for the department when she took the medications. The department building is a collection site for unused and unwanted medicines. Severs no longer works for the police.

Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, arrested a man for Failure to Appear/Contempt of Court. 46-year old Brad J. Woodruff, of Shambaugh,  was taken into custody on the Black Hawk County warrant and transported to the Page County Jail, where he was being held on a $500 cash-only bond, pending transportation to Black Hawk County.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), reports 28-year old Joshua Tyler Herron appeared at the Sheriff’s Office late Monday morning, to turn himself-in. Herron was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was transported to the Pott. County Jail and turned over to Jail staff. And, Sheriff’s Deputies responded Monday night to a residence where the rear door had been kicked-in.

The resident told deputies there was damage to the door, and identified the possible suspect as 31-year old Myles Dustin Longcor, of Henderson. The damage to the door was documented and the victim was provided with a case number. A search for Longcor was unsuccessful. And, two men wanted on warrants were transported by deputies Monday from the Monona County Jail to the Pott. County Jail, to address their warrants for Escape from Custody and Violation of Probation, respectively.