Gazette Daily News Podcast: Friday, February 2, 2024

– Cedar Rapids will welcome four candidates for police chief interviews next week

– Thaw from Iowa's winter storms brings latest scourge: potholes

– Iowa City chef wins Pork Producers award

Episode Transcript

You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Friday,, February 2. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Coming up, one of these four candidates will become the new Cedar Rapids police chief.

And later, an Iowa City chef is bringing home the bacon

Up first, Four out of 17 applicants for Cedar Rapids police chief are moving on to the next stage. Each of the candidates will be interviewed by five panels of city and community leaders on February 7. You can meet the candidates at a public meet-and-greet that evening. The event will take place at the Cedar Rapids DoubleTree Convention Center, 350 First Ave NE, from 5 to 7pm.

Let’s take a look at the candidates:

Jennifer Birkhofer is an Iowa native and the deputy sheriff at Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Omaha, Nebraska. She started her law enforcement career in 2004 as a corrections officer and has worked in Douglas County since 2005. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s in public administration and is a graduate from the FBI National Academy.

Jeff Coday currently leads the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Traffic Bureau. Coday has spent 23 of his 27 years in law enforcement with the department. Coday holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, master’s degree in crisis and emergency management and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy.

Tom Whitten is the chief deputy for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. He has previously worked as chief of police in three police departments including Harlingen, Texas, Carlsbad, New Mexico and Dewitt, Iowa. Additionally, Whitten served in the U.S. Air Force. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration and two Master’s degrees in criminal justice administration and public administration. He has a Master Peace Officer certification from Texas and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

David Dostal is a captain in the Administrative Operations Division of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. He has been with CRPD since 1991 after graduating from Cornell College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. In his current role, Dostal works with the joint communications agency, the records division, animal care and control, buildings and grounds and training, including working with the Cedar Rapids Regional Academy.

You can find the full biographies submitted by each candidate at The Gazette dot com. This story is linked in this episode’s description.

Next, potholes have popped up after winter storms. As of Wednesday morning, there were over 40 active potholes shown on the Cedar Rapids reporting tool. Why? It has to do with moisture infiltrating the pavement during freeze-and-thaw periods. This causes asphalt or concrete to shift, buckle or break. Now Iowa DOT maintenance forces and city and county crews are working to patch things back up with cold-mix asphalt. This will fix the areas until a permanent patch can be put down during warmer weather.

How can you report a pothole? It depends on the road. Find that information within the story by Marissa Payne. That story is linked in this episode’s description.

Next, an Iowa City chef has won an award from the Iowa Pork Producer Association’s annual Pork Congress.

Paul McDermott is a chef at Wildwood BBQ & Saloon in Iowa City. McDermott won the Media’s Choice Award, which is chosen by media professionals invited to the event. McDermott secured the win with a boneless pork loin dish. This year was the first time the cut of meat was used in the competition. Pork Congress is a Pork Checkoff-funded cooking competition that aims to inspire innovative ways to feature pork in restaurants.

As always, you can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in this episode’s description or at the gazette dot com.

Finally, let’s take a look at today’s weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be mostly sunny with highs reaching 39 degrees. Expect lows to drop to 30 degrees tonight. Saturday will be sunny and temperatures will climb to 44 degrees. Lows that night will mirror today, expect a low of 30 degrees.

Next week the Iowa Ideas In-Depth Week on Homelessness kicks off on February 12th. Participate in daily virtual sessions over the lunch hour on homelessness, resources and long-term solutions in Iowa. Register for free at Iowa Ideas dot com.

Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. Stay up to date with the latest news from Eastern Iowa at the gazette dot com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com