JONES COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – One person died, and another person was injured, in a crash on Highway 151 in Jones County on Wednesday morning. The Iowa State Patrol said it happened at around 8:45 a.m. The driver of a Ford Ranger was heading westbound on Highway 151 East just west of Basham Lane when the driver lost control and crossed the median, hitting an oncoming Chevy Impala head-on. The Ford Ranger went into the ditch, and the Impala came to a stop in the outside lane of Highway 151 southbound. The names of the people involved in the crash have not been released.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids man who used his girlfriend to illegally buy guns for himself and other people was sentenced to over 21 years in federal prison. According to the Department of Justice, 22-year-old Levi Doolin pleaded guilty to three counts of aiding and abetting false statement during the purchase of a gun. It says he helped his girlfriend make fake statements while buying a gun. She was able to successfully buy guns on behalf of other people, including Doolin. He later used one of those guns in a robbery and two different shots fired incidents. The judge that sentenced him said Doolin was “out of control.” He’ll be in prison for over 21 years, then serve three years of supervised release.
MIDDLETOWN, Iowa (KCRG) – Officials with the Joint Munitions Command say an investigation is underway after an explosion at an Iowa ammunition plant on Wednesday morning. It happened at around 9:30 a.m. in the ammunition production area at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown, Iowa. That’s in southeastern Iowa, near Burlington. No injuries were reported. Officials credited safety standards in place at the plant for preventing danger to workers. “Producing ammunition is a dangerous business,” Justine Barati the Chief of Public and Congressional Affairs with Joint Munitions Command said. ”Many safety protocols are put in place to ensure operators are exposed to as little danger as possible. Today’s incident shows the effectiveness of those protocols.” The plant produces medium and large caliber munitions for the Joint Warfighter. No details were released regarding how the explosion happened.
GRINNELL, Iowa (KCRG) – Jeld-Wen, a window and door manufacturing company, is closing its Grinnell plant with 298 people set to lose their jobs. The company announced Monday the closure will take effect March 21. The company says, “We value the contributions of our employees and have provided those affected with a competitive separation package and outplacement services to help provide a smooth transition. While decisions that impact people are never easy, we make them only after careful consideration and with the understanding that our actions today are necessary to position JELD-WEN for long-term success.” The company also laid off more than 150 workers at the same plant in October 2024. Jeld-Wen officials went on to say, “While these decisions are difficult, we are taking steps to simplify and strengthen the company, and meet future demand against current labor force, which includes optimizing our operations network to better compete in the market we serve.”
