CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz announced plans to ask the City Council for consent to appoint David L. Dostal as the new Cedar Rapids Police Chief at their next meeting. The position has been vacant for the last ten months since former Chief Wayne Jerman officially retired. The Chief of Police is the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in the city, responsible for managing and leading the Police Department while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Dostal was born and raised on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids and attended LaSalle High School. He graduated from Cornell College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Dostal was hired by the Cedar Rapids Police in 1991 and has a 32-year career with the department. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2006, Lieutenant in 2016, and Captain in July 2023. The city received 17 applications for the position. Dostal was among the final four candidates that met with the public last week. The other candidates included Lieutenant Jennifer Birkhofer, who works at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Omaha Nebraska; Captain Jeff Coday who is now with the Las Vegas Police Department’s Traffic Bureau; and El Paso County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tom Whitten. The city council will meet at Noon at City Hall on Tuesday. The appointment of Dostal as Police Chief has been added to the agenda for that meeting.
SHELLSBURG, Iowa (KCRG) – Two people were airlifted to the hospital after a fire destroyed a home in Shellsburg over the weekend. It happened on Saturday. Multiple fire departments responded to the fire. The Palo Fire Department shared images after the fire had been extinguished, saying crews responded to assist the Canton-Benton-Shellsburg Volunteer Fire Department. Few additional details have been released regarding this fire. Officials have not said what caused the fire.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Above-normal temperatures have led to the cancellation of Dubuque’s 2024 Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival. The event, which was originally scheduled for February 7th-11th, was postponed to February 15th-18th in the hopes that the weather would change. Unfortunately, the temperatures have not cooperated, so organizers announced on Monday that the snow sculpting competition and all associated events and activities would be canceled this year. Organizers say the public is still invited to attend the museum’s opening weekend of ‘Picturing America’s Pastime: A Snapshot of the Photograph Collection at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’ as well as the K-8 Student Exhibition, which “showcases student work from every neighborhood in our community as curated by high school art students.”
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa House subcommittee advanced a proposed bill to make it easier for school staff members to carry a firearm at school during a hearing on Monday. It comes during funnel week at the Iowa Capitol. During funnel week, lawmakers have until Friday to get bills through committee. HSB 675 is called the “Students First Safety Act,” and it would require larger districts in the state to hire either a private school security officer or a school resource officer. It also gives funding for districts to hire them, and requires training on the law and handling of firearms. The Iowa Firearms Coalition says armed staffers would reduce response times in the event of an active shooter at schools.
