Blairs Ferry billboard displays Cedar Rapids’ most wanted

Cedar Rapids' most wanted criminals can no longer hide their faces around town. Now, motorists on Blairsferry Rd. NE, can spot them from blocks away.

That's thanks to a towering electronic billboard that police see as a new tool for crime-solving.

Les Mars Signs donated a slot on the billboard in hopes that it would lead to more speedy identifications of wanted criminals. And on Friday, its first day of use, police arrested the man who was pictured on it – Daniel Ray Nicholson, 33, of Cedar Rapids, who allegedly committed a string of bank robberies.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said the sign didn't directly lead to that arrest, but it will likely prove useful when the police department seeks the next name on its wanted list.

“What a great community service,” she said.