(Radio Iowa) — Managers representing Governor Kim Reynolds are negotiating new contracts with four unions that represent state employees. The Republican governor’s administration has just offered the union representing about 24-hundred social workers and scientists in state government a one percent raise in each of the next two years. Reynolds isn’t sending any public signals about the negotiations.

“We’re grateful for our state employees. They’re the boots on the ground. They’re the ones that’s carrying out the mission every single day. They do a great job,” Reynolds told reporters Monday. “I am so proud of our state workers and, you know, it’s no different than what a business does when they’re putting a budget together, so we’re going to do the best that we can with the resources that we have.”

All the unions representing state workers are asking for raises for all employees covered by union contacts. Administrators representing Reynolds will make more counter offers to other unions before the end of the year. Reynolds says “a lot of preliminary work” has been done on her proposed state spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1st. A missing piece of the puzzle was revealed last week. A panel of financial experts set the official estimate of state tax revenue growth during the period at one-point-eight percent.

“We really can’t start to finalize stuff until we get the numbers, which we have those now,” Reynolds says, “and so we’ll sit down and get those kind of hammered out over the next week or two.”

Reynolds will deliver her policy agenda and proposed state budget to legislators on Tuesday, January 15th. Reynolds will be inaugurated to a full, four-year term on Friday, January 18th.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reviewing water testing done for nitrates in 43 public water supplies after discovering some results which didn’t look right. D-N-R environmental specialist, Kathy Lee, says the problem happened with samples tested by Mangold Environmental Testing in Storm Lake. “We noticed some irregular sample results and we investigated with Mangold and we determined that after they put a new piece of equipment in place, some incorrect sample results were calculated,” Lee says.  Lee says they asked Mangold to stop doing samples and have been working with them to try and determine what went wrong. “At this time we don’t have any information to suggest that there is any problem with any of the drinking water supplies that utilized Mangold environmental testing,” according to Lee.”However, we are reviewing all of the data — particularly to see if any of the results can be recalculated — so we can replace those values in our database.”

She says they haven’t determined that any of the samples tested had high levels of nitrates. Lee says the water supplies are periodically tested to be sure the nitrate levels meet acceptable federal standards. “High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be harmful to infants less than six months old — causing what’s commonly called ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’,” Lee explains. “So we want to prevent any exposure to that.” Lee says Mangold has been cooperating with them as they try to figure out the issue. She says the D-N-R does requires notification within 15 days when new equipment is placed into service at testing facilities and Mangold didn’t let them know for a couple of months. Lee doesn’t know yet if the company will face a penalty for the late reporting.”Our investigation is ongoing and…any decision regarding enforcement action has not been made at this time,” Lee says.

The D-N-R and Mangold each sent letters to the operators of the water supplies to notify them of the issue. The 43 entities impacted include (locally): Breda Water Supply; Early Municipal Water Supply; E-Stop (Council Bluffs); Hamburg Water Supply; Lewis And Clark Monument; Mapleton Municipal Water Plant; Oakland Municipal Water Utility; Schuler Manufacturing; Shenandoah Water Dept ; Sidney Water Supply; Southern Iowa Rural Water Association – Corning/Brooks ; Southern Iowa Rural Water Association #2 (Creston); The Learning Journey ( Council Bluffs); West Central RWA; Woodbine Water Department.

Other public water supplies impacted include: Akron Water Supply; Battle Creek Water Supply;Danbury Water Supply;Dow City Water Works; Evangelical Covenant Church; George Water Supply ; Gilmore City Waterworks; Grand Jct Municipal Water Dept;  Holstein; Humboldt Country Club; Ida Grove Water Utility; Iowa Cage Free; Kingsley Water Supply; Lake View Water Supply; Linn Grove Water Works; Livermore Water Supply; Mallard Water Supply; Marathon Light & Water Department; Pierson Water Supply; Quimby Water Supply; Rembrandt Enterprises Inc (Rembrandt); Rock Valley Rural Water District; Schaller Water Supply; Sioux Rapids Water Department; Smithland Water Supply; Tobey Jacks Mineola Steak House; Twin Lakes Utilities; and Ute Water Supply.

(Radio Iowa) — A big chunk of change is discovered in a Salvation Army kettle in central Iowa. Salvation Army officials report they were sorting through bills from a red kettle that was hanging at a Hy-Vee in Urbandale this weekend when they were surprised to find a valuable piece of metal wrapped inside a five-dollar bill.

Canadian gold coin in red kettle

Someone donated a one ounce Canadian gold coin. The Salvation Army reports it’s worth over $1,200.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reported a little after 3-a.m. today (Tuesday), two male students had walked away from the Clarinda Academy. One is a white male, the second is a Native American. Authorities are searching for the students at this time. No additional information is available at present. If you see persons matching the description given, contact Clarinda Police at 712-542-2194, or call 9-1-1.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa man has pleaded not guilty in the death of his grandmother. The Sioux City Journal reports 21-year-old Eliot Stowe pleaded not guilty Monday in Monona County District Court. He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 66-year-old Cheryl Stowe, whose body was found June 27 wrapped in a rug in an area near her home in the tiny community of Castana.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An independent review found that Rep. Rod Blum likely violated a host of ethics rules in his private business dealings. The Office of Congressional Ethics opened the review into Blum, a Republican from Iowa, following an investigation by The Associated Press earlier this year. Its report found “substantial reason to believe” that Blum failed to disclose his ownership of Tin Moon Corp., used House resources to promote the business, and allowed the company to use deceptive marketing practices.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Civil Rights Commission is seeking to enforce a $14,700 judgment against a businessman accused of making racial slurs to belittle black employees. Bruce Smith of West Des Moines and his company, AAA Allied Building Services, have been ordered to pay lost wages and damages to an employee who says he quit after enduring the harassment. The commission has filed a case against Smith in district court seeking to collect the damages, a rare enforcement action for the agency.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A jury in southeast Iowa has found a man not guilty of vehicular homicide in the death of his wife, whose body was found next to a burning car in a harvested cornfield. The Hawk Eye reports a Des Moines County jury Monday found 58-year-old Bradley Wischmeier not guilty of vehicular homicide while intoxicated, a charged that could have resulted in up to 25 years in prison. The jury found him guilty of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The charges followed the death of Lisa Wischmeier.