(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.

Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education will meet in a special session 8-a.m. Wednesday in the CAM High School Media Center. During the brief session, the Board will present the CAM District’s opening offer to CAMEA (the CAM Education Assoc.). During their meeting last week, CAMEA presented its initial 2019-2020 Master Contract proposal, which included a 4% increase on salary, with a one year contract.  The initial proposal also included a request to keep the employee handbook language the same as it is currently.