Johnston Woman's 'Offensive' Hawkeye License Plates Can Stay: 2012 Year in Review

Editor's Note: As the year winds down, Johnston Patch is looking back at some of the stories that made you talk, cry, laugh or just scratch your head. This story first ran July 24, 2012.

After 23 years, one offended person threatened to take away a Johnston woman's personalized Iowa Hawkeye license plate.

Last week, Julie Boyles received a certified letter from the Iowa Department of Transportation telling her to turn in her 'GIVMHEL' license plates or lose her title and license, WHOTV-13 reported.

After first complying with the letter, which said another driver filed a complaint against the plates, Boyles decided to appeal to the DOT.

On Friday, Boyles went a step farther and riled up sports fans everywhere when she talked to the "The Murph and Andy Show" on KXNO radio.

Keith Murphy posted a photo of the plates and its story on his Facebook soliciting about 700 responses, WHO-TV reported.

"You HAVE to be kidding me!!!!!! Fight the good fight Julie Boyles," Mallory Gaul posted.

"Not offended at all. Someone has too much tie on their hands," Scott Klinefelter posted.

But it didn't stop at social media, fans also showed support on Boyles' car.

On Sunday, Murphy posted a photo on his Twitter and Facebook page of a note left on Boyles' car while parked at the mall.

"Keep your plates. Go Hawks!" it read.

When Murphy mentioned it on Sunday's "SoundOFF' show DOT's director Mark Lowe heard the story.

Lowe told WHO-TV that someone had been too hasty with the decision.

“It’s not being used as a swear word,” he reasoned to WHO-TV. "It’s not being used as a pejorative, I don’t see it as intended to be offensive, and I just felt that we were drawing the line too narrowly, and so we agreed that we should change our position on that.”

After a short email exchange between Lowe and Boyles the plates are back on her car.