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Kinze Manufacturing announces layoffs as Iowa ag industry downturn continues

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Kinze Manufacturing announces layoffs as Iowa ag industry downturn continues


Another round of layoffs is hitting Iowa’s faltering agricultural industry sector as Kinze Manufacturing of Williamsburg announced it would idle 193 employees, effective Thursday.

“We deeply regret the necessity of this action. This decision was not made lightly and it is a direct response to current ag market realities,” Kinze President Susanne Veatch said in a prepared statement.

“No other reductions are planned at this time,” Veatch added.

The Williamsburg-based manufacturer, founded 59 years ago, produces planters and grain carts worldwide and is notable for its “yard art” along Interstate 80 west of Iowa City, including a progressively smaller stack of nine of its grain wagons topped by a 1/16th-scale cart replica.

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Posted on Iowa’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, site, the Kinze layoffs are the latest manifestation of a sluggish farm economy that has seen John Deere pare more than 2,000 jobs since the first of the year in Iowa and Illinois.

More: With thousands of Iowa jobs already cut, how deep will the farm downturn go?

In statements, Deere has projected large farm equipment sales this year would fall 20% to 25% below a year ago, a result of lower commodity prices, higher interest rates and market volatility.

Des Moines’ Bridgestone-Firestone tractor tire plant and other ag equipment makers also have had layoffs.

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Kinze employs 815 workers at its Williamsburg headquarters and manufacturing facilities, which span more than 30 acres under one roof, according to the company’s website.

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.



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Arrests made in SD in Iowa courthouse incident

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Arrests made in SD in Iowa courthouse incident


SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Two suspects in the incident at the Lyon County, Iowa, courthouse were arrested in Spearfish, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post earlier Saturday.

The sheriff’s office identified two suspects as Brandon Lyle High Pipe, 39, and Luciano Eliseo Sanchez, 18, in a social media post on Thursday. Nationwide warrants were issued for the two suspects.

The sheriff’s office said on Tuesday the courthouse had burglarized overnight. The damage inside includes writing on walls, broken glass, tipped-over Christmas trees and other items tossed around.

The incident caused the courthouse to be closed for at least one day.

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The sheriff’s office said on Saturday morning that more information should be released later.



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Iowa City West sweeps City High in a pair of close contests

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Iowa City West sweeps City High in a pair of close contests


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Grace Fincham led the West High girls to a second-half comeback in a 60-51 win over City High, giving the Trojans a win on their rival’s home floor.

The Trojans improve to 6-2 with the win. The Little Hawks drop to 6-2.

In the boys’ nightcap, the Little Hawks’ comeback attempt fell short, as the Trojans held on for a 53-51 win.

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Iowa football dissects LeVar Woods succession plan

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Iowa football dissects LeVar Woods succession plan


The loss of LeVar Woods, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ long-time, elite special teams coordinator, cannot be dismissed. The Hawkeyes have consistently been among the nation’s best special teams units, from punting to kicking to owning the return and field position battle.

With LeVar Woods departing Iowa for Big Ten foe, the Michigan State Spartans, the Hawkeyes have a big hole to fill, and head coach Kirk Ferentz spoke to the media this week on what that succession plan may look like.

“Yeah, it’s not a light decision. The trick will be to find the next LeVar Woods. He’s done a fantastic job. He didn’t have the profile necessarily maybe at that point to predict what he was going to do, but he’s done all the work. It’s like a good player; players do the work. LeVar has done a great job immersing himself and learning every aspect and then growing with each and every turn. So I guess I’m describing what we’re looking for, a guy who’s a good coach, who’s eager to take a challenge on, and immerse themselves in that world.

“Special teams is a unique niche, if you will. I’m sure we’ll have good candidates. It’s not pressing right now in my mind. What is pressing is the next two weeks getting ready for the game, and then after that we’ll have eight plus weeks or eight plus months actually to get it right. I don’t plan on waiting until August to fill it, but we’ll figure that out when we get in the new year,” Ferentz said about LeVar Woods.

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The past few seasons, Iowa has been elite on special teams with kicker Drew Stevens being incredibly consistent, the punting game flipping fields, and the run of returners consisting of Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Charlie Jones, Cooper DeJean, and Kaden Wetjen.

The Hawkeyes have won more than their fair share of games relying on this unit, and to continue that success, Ferentz needs to hit on this hire.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7





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