The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The blue sky and silos on Iowa’s license plates may be giving way to a new design. Andrea Henry of the Iowa Department of Transportation says the agency is exploring some new options. She admits there are always lots of opinions what to put on the plates to best represent the state. “Obviously it’s difficult to encompass all that’s great about Iowa into one simple license plate design. What we do is, we are having our designers work on a variety of different designs and present those to the governor,” Henry says. “And if she is okay with that, then we plan to take that out to the public and have them vote on the ultimate final design.”

The state now has several different specialty plates that let you show your support for your favorite college team, or let everyone know you are a teacher or firefighter. But most Iowans still use the standard state plate. “We have four-point-four million license plates in the state of Iowa on all types of vehicles, and about four-point-two million of those are the standard issue plates,” according to Henry.

The current design for the plates was first used 20 years ago. There was a change in the order of the letters on the plates back in 2011. “That was an issue of having enough combination of numbers. And we also changed the color — that was a production issue — and it also makes it more visible from law enforcement to be able to ready those plates,” Henry says.

The letters went from a blue to a black color. Henry says they are hoping to finish the process this fall. She says they will meet soon with the governor to discuss some draft designs and then would have some finalized designs out for the public to vote on in mid August.

Henry says they’ll announce how the voting process works once they have the final design choices selected. New license plates are made by the prisoners at the Anamosa State Penitentiary.

(Radio Iowa)

The governor’s budget chief confirms the state has a budget dilemma for the fiscal year that ended last Friday, June 30th. Iowa Department of Management director Dave Roderer’s calculations indicate the state’s “cash receipts” for the past 12 months fell 76 million dollars BELOW projections. The state’s budget was based on those projections. The “books” on Fiscal Year 2017 won’t be officially closed until September, so some taxes that were due before by last Friday may be paid, plus some state agencies may have unspent funds. “So there’s still a lot of checking that needs to be done before we will know for certain how the fiscal year has ended,” Roederer says.

A Legislative Services Agency report released Monday indicated “total net receipts” over the past 12 months were 104 MILLION dollars below expectations. Roederer says his analysis is based on “cash receipts” and — for example — does not include estimates of any outstanding tax refunds the state must pay. Governor Kim Reynolds has the authority to withdraw 50 MILLION dollars from the state’s “Economic Emergency Fund” to help balance the state budget.

Roederer says Reynolds “could very well” be able to manage the problem on her own. HOWEVER, If the budget deficit winds up being LARGER than 50-million, she’ll have to call the legislature back into special session to withdraw more money from state savings. Democrats in the legislature say the situation shows Republican budget policy is “out of whack” because of too many tax “give-aways.”

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s Deputies in Adams County arrested a man early this (Tuesday) morning, on an OWI charge. 23-year old Dustin Dean Sleep, of Corning, was pulled over at around 2:15-a.m. for having an expired vehicle registration, and dark (tinted) windows. Upon further investigation, Sleep was placed under arrest for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

Two juvenile males were arrested early this (Tuesday) morning in Red Oak, for Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree. Red Oak Police say they were taken into custody at around 12:30-a.m. in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street and cited into juvenile court for Minor In Possession of fireworks, and reckless use of fireworks per city code. The boys were then released to their parents.

Authorities did not release the names of the juveniles.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A four-week-old baby and her mother suffered burns and serious injuries when fireworks exploded on them during an illegal Iowa display. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says 36-year-old Margaret Limkemann and her baby were injured when fireworks launched sideways instead of upward at a party in Swisher.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa motorists will start getting new license plates next year. The Des Moines Register reports that the new design will replace the current white, blue and gray plates that were introduced in 1997. A spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Transportation says officials already have a variety of draft designs with city and country themes and ones that use the Iowa flag. Department officials plan to focus on three to five designs as finalists before seeking input from the public

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a motorcyclist was killed in a late-night crash in downtown Iowa City. Police say the unidentified motorcyclist was found dead around 11:30 p.m. Sunday after crashing into a utility pole. Traffic near the intersection was rerouted until shortly after 5 a.m. Monday. Police say they’re still investigating what caused the crash.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Newly released emails show Iowa State University officials worked with utilities lobbyists for weeks to draft a law uprooting the state’s premiere renewable energy research center. Iowa State lobbyist Kristin Failor noted in emails that the school’s cooperation to give up management of the Iowa Energy Center would help gas and electric utilities avoid allegations of a “power grab.” Lawmakers in April approved a bill transferring the center to the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

A new report on the state’s finances seems to indicate Governor Kim Reynolds not only will be forced to dip into savings, but she may have to call legislators back this fall to balance the state budget. The last state fiscal year ended Friday, June 30th. A Legislative Services Agency report indicates state tax collections during the past 12 months were BELOW expectations — by more than 104 million dollars. The state budget was based on the higher projections, so steps must be taken to ensure the budget winds up in the black this fall when the books are formally closed on fiscal year 2017.

Jeff Robinson, a senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Services Agency, says the state DID collect more in taxes in June. “But it wasn’t as positive as needed to keep up with the estimate,” Robinson says. Iowa governors have the authority to transfer up to 50-million dollars from the state’s “Economic Emergency Fund” to cover a deficit. SOME payments due the state during the just-concluded fiscal year have not been made, though, and there’s the possibility some agencies have unspent funds that will boost the bottom line as well. However, if the deficit is larger than 50-million when all calculations are completed in September, the governor will be forced to call the legislature back into special session to withdraw more money from reserve accounts to put the budget in the black.

The state constitution requires a balanced state budget. State tax projections were way off because sales tax payments were significantly lower than expected. Robinson says the state did see growth in corporate income taxes as well as personal income tax payments to the state. “But sales tax was essentially flat year-over-year,” Robinson says. “We got $1.7 million worth of sales tax growth over those 12 months, so that was a surprise and that caused the shortfall this year.” Democrats in the legislature say the Branstad Administration intentionally under-estimated a new sales tax break for manufacturers and that’s what has caused the problem. A spokesperson for Governor Reynolds was not immediately available for comment.

(Radio Iowa)

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place Saturday morning. 34-year old Nicki Renee Jones, of Creston, was arrested at around 1-a.m. at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for theft 2nd degree.  Jones was later released from the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And, a little 3-a.m. Saturday, 25-year old Diego Ricardo Manzanarez, of Greenfield, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center for OWI 1st offense.  Manzanarez was later released from the Union County Jail on $1,000.00 bond.

Police in Council Bluffs, Monday, identified the three persons who were injured in a semi-tractor trailer rollover accident Sunday morning. Authorities say the driver, 38-year old Anatoliy Zvozdetskiy, and his passengers, 31-year old Caren Sargent and 49-year old Demitry Leontey, all of Portland, OR., suffered non-life threatening injuries and were transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, for treatment.

The accident happened at around 7:44-a.m. Sunday, on the west bound I-80 off ramp to the South Expressway. Police and fire crews worked to block the roadway and extract the victims from the wreckage. The west bound exit from I-80 to South Expressway was was closed for several hours until the debris could be cleared.The accident remains under investigation.

(Photos by Council Bluffs Police on their Facebook page)

KJAN will have patriotic music to enjoy on July 4^th from 8:00pm-Midnight. As you’re out enjoying your Independence Day celebrations and area fireworks displays tune in to KJAN for some accompanying patriotic music.