State officials are nervously reviewing the data on state tax collections. The state tax revenue that’s been collected through the past 11 months is about 100 million dollars BELOW expectations. Jeff Robinson is a senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Services Agency. He says “At the end of May, our net revenue growth was 1.2%.” While that’s a low growth rate, Robinson says it is still “positive.” However, the budget is built on 2.8% growth. The difference amounts to about $100-million.

The state’s current budgeting year ends June 30th. Unless there’s a remarkable turnaround in state tax collections during the next four weeks, Governor Reynolds may have to take extraordinary action to ensure the state budget ends the year in the black. Governors do have the authority to withdraw up to 50 million dollars from the state’s cash reserve to cover any deficit.

“While state revenue is currently showing to be below estimates, the state does have a good balance in its reserve funds,” Robinson says. INCOME tax payments to the state have grown modestly in the past 11 months compared to the previous year, but state SALES tax payments have increased less than half-a-percent.

(Radio Iowa)

This time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is being referred to as the 100 deadliest days of the year to be in a motor vehicle. During the period, the average number of deadly teen driver crashes climbs 15-percent compared to the rest of the year. Rose White, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says traffic picks up during the summer months and so do accidents involving new motorists.

White says, “Drivers ages 16 through 17-years-old are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash.” In the past five years, 16-hundred people were killed nationwide by inexperienced teen drivers. She notes the state figures are also alarming. “Last year, 100% of the teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were not wearing their safety belts,” White says. “Teen drivers represent only 7.2% of all licensed drivers yet they’re involved in 21% of all reported crashes.”

The four largest risk factors for fatal crashes involving teen drivers are: inexperience, distractions, speed and not wearing safety belts. “We still see a very high number of teens not using their seat belts,” White says, “but we do know, proof has shown time and time again, it’s the best thing people can do to protect themselves from serious injuries and death.”

Traffic safety officials urge parents and other adult drivers to set an example for teens by using their seat belts and staying off their phones when in the vehicle with younger drivers.

(Radio Iowa)

A clinical trial is underway in the region to test a drug that shows promise in treating the condition that afflicted actor Robin Williams before his suicide in 2014. Researcher and board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Warren Duffy says as many as one-point-four million Americans have Lewy body dementia. It impacts each person differently but many of the symptoms can be drastic.

“There’s some fluctuating levels of attention and concentration,” Duffy says. “People will have hallucinations. They can also have sleep issues such as acting out their dreams. They can have some violent movements where they can even hurt their partner during sleep or fall out of bed.”

Some sufferers act out their dreams vividly with no memory of doing so. Duffy runs a clinic and sleep lab in Lincoln, Nebraska. Several Iowa patients are taking part in the medical trial and there’s room for more. The drug is called nelotanserin.

“It’s an ongoing study,” Duffy says. “If patients out there have, or they have loved ones who have any signs of memory issues and they have any hallucinations or sleep issues, we wish they would contact us so we can talk to them further about this.”

Once the active phase of the study is complete, Duffy says participants will be provided with the medication for a “significant period of time.” Lewy body dementia can be very difficult to pinpoint. “It often goes unrecognized for quite a while,” Duffy says. “It’s very typical they’ll see three or more clinicians before it even gets diagnosed. Often, family members are at a loss for what to do with their loved ones when they start having memory issues, and then if they start seeing things or having sleep issues, they’re looking and searching for help.”

There are no approved therapies for the treatment of the ailment in the United States. To take part in the study, call 402-470-6060 and choose option 4 or send email to research@alivation.com.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former state Democratic Party chairman says he wants to be governor of Iowa. John Norris said Thursday that he’d filed papers to get on the 2018 primary ballot.

He’s a longtime aide to Tom Vilsack, the former governor and U.S. agriculture secretary. Norris has said he wants to boost the state’s economic growth by leveraging renewable energy, raising wages and expanding high-speed internet.

Norris joins a crowded Democratic field. Former party chairwoman Andy McGuire announced her candidacy in April and state Rep. Todd Prichard is running, too. Polk County Conservation Director Rich Leopold and party activist Jon Neiderbach also say they’re running. Union leader Cathy Glasson announced Wednesday that she’s exploring a bid. Des Moines businessman Fred Hubbell also is considering running, as is Davenport Alderman Mike Matson.