The Lighthouse Inn, a century-old supper club and Cedar Rapids landmark, was destroyed by a fire on Wednesday morning. According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after 5 a.m., a 911 caller reported seeing “smoke and flame coming from the roof” of the Lighthouse. Deputies along with Cedar Rapids firefighters were dispatched to the […]
Linn County Sheriff’s Office
Posted inEastern Iowa
Judge: Sheriff’s secretary violated citizens’ privacy for her own entertainment
A secretary for the Linn County Sheriff’s Department violated the privacy of “innumerable” citizens while searching for entertainment in the trauma of others, an Iowa judge has ruled. The decision comes in the unemployment-benefits case of Shelby Burns, who was fired from the sheriff’s department last fall for using a law enforcement database to satisfy […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Election 2022: Public Measure 1 would eliminate ‘current and future common-sense gun laws’
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks was blunt in his assessment of Public Measure 1, which would amend the Iowa Constitution in a way that would stop most attempts to regulate guns in the state. “This amendment is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Maybanks said at a news conference on Tuesday at the Cedar Rapids Public […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Drop off old or unwanted prescription drugs as part of Take Back Day on Saturday
Law enforcement agencies in Johnson and Linn counties are again partnering with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for this year’s nationwide Take Back Day. Individuals with expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs can use the agency’s online search tool to locate a collection site near them. All sites will be open from 10 a.m. to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Amid protests and change, Iowa police training on implicit bias varies
By Danielle Gehr, IowaWatch In 2015, the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy lacked training on implicit bias. As a cadet there then, Natasha Greene sought discussions on her own about some of the mistaken beliefs officers might hold of others, such as expecting a black person to be dangerous or more crime prone from stereotypes, ideas […]
Posted inCommunity/News
COVID-19: Another 667 cases in Iowa as public health experts call for statewide mask mandate
During the 24-hour period that ended at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported another 667 confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing to the total number of Iowans who have tested positive for the virus to 41,627. The new cases were confirmed as IDPH reported the results of 6,005 tests, giving the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
First inmate at Linn County jail tests positive for COVID-19 (Updated)
A person being held in the Linn County Correctional Center has tested positive for COVID-19, the Sheriff’s Department announced on Thursday. The individual has been in custody at the jail since July 15 on a hold order from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department, the individual […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘How we treat the formerly incarcerated doesn’t rank very high in the minds of most folks’: With COVID-19, the fight against recidivism in Iowa is even more urgent
Eddie Walker was released from prison last June after being incarcerated for 18 years for a robbery charge. Now living in Iowa City, Walker recalled the arduous process of finding an apartment after his release; in one instance, he was told by a rental company that he was an ideal potential renter, but they wouldn’t […]
Posted inCommunity/News, COVID-19
‘I need him alive’: Eastern Iowa advocates, families call for the release of men detained by ICE in Linn County jail over concerns of COVID-19
Immigrant rights advocates in eastern Iowa are calling for the release of three Guatemalan men who were detained by immigration officials on March 4 in Cedar Rapids and Marion. During a press conference in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday afternoon, members of the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) and the Iowa City Catholic Worker […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Deputy sheriff assigned to Linn County jail has tested positive for COVID-19
A deputy sheriff assigned to the Linn County Correctional Center has tested positive for COVID-19. The deputy sheriff last worked the evening shift on Thursday, April 16, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office learned of the positive test on Sunday, April 19. The deputy arrived to work on Thursday without a fever but left with […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Linn County Sheriff’s Office collected 42 pounds of prescription drugs during Take Back Day
This past Saturday, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office collected 42 pounds of prescription drugs as part of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Take Back Day. The sheriff’s office had three collection sites where people could anonymously drop off expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. People were also able to drop off e-cigarettes and vaping devices.
Posted inCommunity/News
Investigation finds deputy was harassed by coworkers at the Linn County Jail over parental leave
Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner announced on Wednesday he is taking disciplinary actions against a group of sheriff’s office employees for harassing a deputy. The actions are the result of a two-month-long investigation into behavior at the Linn County Correctional Center.
