Iowa — First responders were called to a rollover crash in southeast Iowa The accident happened just before 2:30 p.m The Ottumwa Police Department and Ottumwa Regional Ambulance responded to the crash at 34th Infantry Division Highway in Ottumwa Authorities said the rollover crash involved only one vehicle No word on the condition of those involved Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website When you have experienced the loss of a loved one you can trust us to guide you through the arrangements necessary to create a meaningful ceremony that celebrates the unique life being honored Our staff is committed to providing your family with the highest quality care and service in your time of need and we take pride in our responsibility to lighten your burden as you take the first steps toward healing.  Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now. Your browser is ancient! Upgrade to a different browser or install Google Chrome Frame to experience this site Press Contact: Drake Custer Phone: (402) 217-1271 Email: dcuster@iowalabor.com Iowa) — More than 100 Teamsters are on strike at Keurig Dr Pepper in Ottumwa The members of Teamsters Local 238 took to the picket line after the company failed to negotiate a fair contract The beverage workers are demanding fair treatment and to be treated with basic dignity and respect “Teamsters at this company are exhausted from trying to make ends meet while corporate profits soar,” said Jesse Case Secretary-Treasurer of Local 238. “When workers feel like they don’t have economic security then their employer is going to have to pay the price.” The company’s latest contract offer was rejected by an overwhelming majority who saw it as a failure to recognize their contributions and sacrifices “Our members have worked hard to make this company successful and they aren’t asking for anything that’s unreasonable,” said Drake Custer Business Agent and lead negotiator for Local 238. “Keurig Dr Pepper has plenty of money they can afford to treat their workforce right Workers began picketing outside the Ottumwa facility Wednesday morning and say they will remain on strike until the company comes to the table with a serious offer Teamsters Local 238 represents a wide range of workers They are affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters which represents 1.3 million workers across the U.S. Iowa — A southeast Iowa man is charged with almost five dozen sex crimes involving children was arrested this week by the Ottumwa Police Department Lapoint is charged with 56 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor Lapoint used a messaging app on his cellular device to send 65 files containing visual depictions of apparent minors engaged in sexual acts 56 different apparent minors were observed engaging in sex acts His preliminary hearing is set for March 31 Lapoint is being held in the Wapello County jail on $50,000 cash-only bond Iowa — A viral video posted on social media has sparked widespread attention mobilizing Ottumwa residents to advocate for better patient care Joe Bainbridge shared a video on Facebook of his best friend who was being treated at Ottumwa Regional Health Center for congenital heart disease a nurse is seen flossing her teeth while standing over the patient Despite Cross’s attempts to get her attention KTVO reached out to Bainbridge for an interview He did not want to go on camera but told us that he posted the video to raise awareness of Cross's care and push for his transfer to another facility The hospital issued a statement to KTVO saying “Ottumwa Regional Health Center has a zero-tolerance policy for actions that don’t align with our core values As soon as this unacceptable behavior was flagged for us early last week immediately suspending and then terminating the employment of the staff member involved This one incident is not a reflection of the dedication of our team or the great care we provide our community each day We encourage anyone who sees something like this to speak up and report it so we can resolve it as quickly as possible ensuring the health and safety of our patients and learning from it.” While the staff member’s employment has ended He was released from MercyOne in Des Moines on January 6 There is also legal action for what happened being considered but no formal steps have been taken at this time KTVO has reached out to the Iowa Board of Nursing to see if the incident has been reported and if the nurse involved could face any consequences Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released a statement mentioning Ottumwa Regional Health Center as part of a bipartisan staff report on how private equity investment in health care has impacted patients and providers “The Ottumwa community has personally felt the impact of private equity on its health care system wait times at Ottumwa Regional Health Center have gone up as patient experience has gone down service availability and care capacity at the hospital is forcing Ottumwa residents to travel significant distances in order to receive appropriate treatment A dependable health care system is essential to the vitality of a community This report is a step toward ensuring accountability so that hospitals’ financial structures can best serve patients’ medical needs.” Iowa — A southeast Iowa man is headed to federal prison for more than 10 years on a weapons charge behind bars for possessing a firearm as a felon Investigators said Rork was on probation in the State of Iowa in early 2024 Rork removed his electronic ankle monitor to prevent authorities from knowing his whereabouts Law enforcement located the defendant two months later which contained two loaded firearms and more than 60 grams of methamphetamine The case was investigated by the Wapello County Sheriff's Office and the Ottumwa Police Department John Deere has announced it will suspend production at its plant in Ottumwa for a month in the wake of reduced customer demand for its products The Ottumwa facility will shut down from the early December to early January The plant manufactures hay and forage equipment Deere had announced earlier it was moving mower production from Ottumwa to Mexico resulting in the company offering early retirement packages to 103 employees The Ottumwa Works employs “less than 400” employees who will receive close to their normal pay while the plant is idled Deere said each of its factories balances its work schedule with the projected demand for its products with what the company calls “an inventory adjustment shutdown.” Ottumwa works had a similar three-week shutdown in August A sluggish farm economy and weak demand for farm machinery has resulted in Deere cutting its workforce throughout the year Deere has laid off nearly 2,600 operations workers across its network of plants in Ankeny Waterloo and the Quad Cities’ Davenport and East Moline as well as white-collar workers at its Urbandale research center and in Moline and at other offices in Johnston and Dubuque Deere’s most recent layoffs occurred in October when the company announced 287 job reductions in the Quad Cities Deere emphasized the reductions were not the result of moving production to other facilities but rather from slow demand in the wake of low crop prices and high borrowing costs Deere had previously announced it will shift some lines of production from its Waterloo and Ottumwa plants to Mexico prompting President-elect Donald Trump to threaten the company with a 200% tariff on its imports to the United States Deere said it continues to be committed to U.S manufacturing and that its economic impact on hometown communities is valued at $27 billion The company, headquartered in the Quad Cities' Moline, Illinois, employs about 30,000 people in the U.S at more than 60 facilities across 16 states with its dealership network accounting for over 50,000 additional employees Another large ag equipment manufacturer, CNH Industrial, the maker of Case IH and New Holland tractors, combines and backhoes, has said it is considering closing its Burlington plant in mid-2026 potentially leaving about 350 southeast Iowa workers without jobs Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com Iowa — Residents and business owners in Ottumwa met Monday night to better understand the recent rise in their Alliant Energy electric bills executive director of Iowa Business for Clean Energy shared his insights on potential causes behind the increase "The basic challenge is that our utility rate structure is based on a system that was put in place in the 1920s," Rafferty said "One hundred years ago and that hasn't changed and that structure focuses and incentivizes the utilities to build more capital assets Their profits are based on how many capital assets they own not on how efficient the energy system runs." Rafferty highlighted that Ottumwa residents face electric rates 50 to 60% higher than those served by MidAmerican Energy in other areas He also shared his thoughts on the steps needed to reform how utilities are assessed "First and foremost is the importance of having what's called integrated resource planning," Rafferty added "It's basically requiring a process of planning that ensures the stakeholders are involved in determining what are the future investments that utilities will make that ratepayers are going to be on the hook for Because right now the stakeholders don't have a seat at the table So the decisions aren't being made in the best interest of ratepayers but in the utilities and so that's the first step to start this process of reform." We reached out to Alliant Energy to address concerns from customers in the area specifically regarding potential rate increases "New rates for Alliant Energy customers were implemented in October 2024 following approval by the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) Customers were informed of these changes when the new rates went into effect Information about how the new rates impact customer bills is available here electric base rates are not expected to increase for at least five years." Iowa — Emergency crews in Ottumwa responded to an afternoon house fire Saturday.The call came in just before 4 p.m for the fire in the 700 block of Camille Street.Firefighters arrived to find flames coming out of the front and side of the home A second and third alarm was called for additional responders.The occupants of the home were able to get out but one was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor burns.There were also two dogs in the home at the time of the fire but only one managed to escape.The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time.