Coralville Courier

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Two suspects have been arrested for their involvement in the June 21, 2019 death of Randal Joseph Campbell, DOB/04-30-1975, who was 44 years old at the time of his death. 

On June 21, 2019 at 9:08 p.m., police officers were dispatched to 1834 Hamilton Street SW for a reported suicide.  Upon officers’ arrival, they found Randal Campbell deceased with an air rifle positioned on his lap and torso.  An ongoing investigation by the Police Department determined that the crime scene had been staged to appear to be a suicide.

Investigators determined that Joshua Kennieth Conklin, DOB/12-19-1992, age 28, actually shot Campbell at close range with the air rifle.  The pellet from the air rifle went through the victim’s right eye and entered the victim’s brain.  During the autopsy by Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, the pellet was recovered from the victim’s right lobe of his cerebellum.  The Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the victim’s head.

Investigators learned that Conklin had been living in the detached garage at 1834 Hamilton Street SW and had a recent conflict with the owner of the residence, Campbell’s mother.  Conklin was captured on video surveillance near the detached garage leaving the crime scene with his girlfriend, Felisha Ann Marie Campbell, DOB/03-16-1994, age 26. 

Investigators determined that Conklin was previously in possession of the air rifle, assumed responsibility for owning the air rifle, and admitted that he knew the capacity of the air rifle to kill animals.  Conklin’s fingerprints were found on the air rifle as well.

In addition, Conklin is accused of knowingly altering or disguising physical evidence which would have been admissible in the trial and/or furnished false information with the intent it be used in the trial for the prosecution of the homicide of Randal Campbell.

Conklin was incarcerated at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility on unrelated charges when the Cedar Rapids Police Department submitted a warrant request to the Linn County Attorney’s Office on July 27, 2020.  The Linn County Attorney’s Office filed charges for Murder-2^nd Degree and Obstructing Prosecution.  A hold was placed on Conklin and he was transferred to the Linn County Jail this afternoon to face prosecution on the murder and obstruction charges in this case.

Warrants were also issued for Felisha Campbell for her involvement in the shooting.  Felisha Campbell was arrested on warrants for Conspiracy to Commit a Forcible Felony and Accessory after the Fact on December 21, 2020.  She was arrested following a police pursuit in which she attempted to elude officers in a stolen vehicle.  An officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop at 1:24 a.m. near 3^rd Avenue and Park Court SE but the suspect refused to stop.  Officers were able to disable the suspect vehicle with stop sticks and apprehend Campbell near the Menards parking lot off of Highway 100 in Marion.  The suspect was charged with Theft-2^nd Degree, Driving While Barred, Felony Eluding, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana, Carrying Weapons, Speeding, Disobedience to Traffic Control Device, along with the outstanding warrants.  Felisha Campbell remains incarcerated at the Linn County Jail.

With regards to the June 21, 2019 shooting for which warrants were issued, Felisha Campbell is accused of conspiring with Conklin to obstruct the investigation.  Felisha Campbell was present when Conklin shot her uncle, Randal Campbell, with an air rifle that resulted in Randal Campbell’s death.  Felisha Campbell admitted to investigators that she suggested to Conklin that the shooting scene be staged to look like a suicide.  Felisha initially lied to investigators about her and Conklin’s involvement until she ultimately reported that Conklin shot Randal Campbell with an air rifle and returned to the scene to leave the air rifle behind and staging the crime as a suicide. 

Disclaimer:  Any arrest information included above is based on the legal conclusion that, as with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The Repair & Upcycle Series (late January through mid-March) is going virtual this year, and will offer digital resources on a wide variety of do it yourself (DIY) and at-home topics. All are welcome to join the waste reduction fun, and there is no cost to participate. 

Each week’s topics will be centered around a theme, like metal, glass, and many more. Tuesdays will feature upcycling topics, while Thursdays will focus on repair topics. 

The purpose of this series is to educate residents on the importance of waste reduction, and to offer resources on ways to reduce waste through reuse, repair, and upcycling. Waste reduction supports Iowa City's climate action goals, and it reduces our environmental impact by finding creative ways to continue using the "stuff" we already have.  

Series Timeline and Topics 

• Week 1: Fabric
  • January 26: Make T-shirt Yarn
  • January 28: Sew on a Button 

• Week 2: Fabric
  • February 2: Weave T-shirt Yarn into Rag Rug
  • February 4: Repair a Torn Seam

• Week 3: Metal 
  • February 9: Turn Bottle Caps into Refrigerator Magnets 
  • February 11: Clean a Scorched Pan 

• Week 4: Plastic
  • February 16: Make a Bird Feeder from a Plastic Bottle 
  • February 18: Repair a Shoe Sole Hole 

• Week 5: Glass
  • February 23: Use Cracked Ceramics to Better Your Garden 
  • February 25: Remove Scratches from Glass

• Week 6: Paper/Wood
  • March 2: Beautify Non-Recyclable Boxes for Another Use
  • March 4: Repair Wood Furniture 

• Week 7: Food
  • March 9: Use Banana Peels for Beauty, Cleaning, Gardening, & First Aid 
  • March 11: Revive Wilted Vegetables 

Event information is available at www.icgov.org/reduce, and weekly updates will be posted at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Facebook page. 

For questions, please contact Jane Wilch, the Recycling Coordinator, at 319-887-6110, or jane-wilch@iowa-city.org. 

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Today's weather forecast and a four day outlook.  Check this page for the latest weather reports in the corridor area.  Up-to-date weather conditions for the Iowa City area are observed at the Iowa City, Iowa City Municipal Airport, IA.  For weather conditions specific to other cities outside the corridor area, just type in your zip code below.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The City of Cedar Rapids is working to establish an independent Citizen Review Board (CRB) to further community relations and police accountability. An ordinance outlining the formation and duties of the CRB has been completed and the will be presented to Cedar Rapids City Council for consideration on January 26, 2021.

The ordinance is the culmination of months of work and collaboration, including resident focus groups, community surveys and feedback opportunities, and direct work with the local Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) group.

“I am extremely pleased with the cooperation and open discussion that occurred as we all worked towards our shared goal of creating a strong and effective CRB that fits our community’s specific needs,” said Jennifer Pratt, Cedar Rapids Community Development Director. “This is a better ordinance because of the participation of members of Advocates for Social Justice.”

The City and ASJ also worked with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) to develop the final Cedar Rapids ordinance draft.

“The work of developing civilian oversight of law enforcement is difficult but essential when establishing mechanisms that seek to make their local law enforcement agencies more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the communities they serve,” said Cameron McEllhiney, NACOLE Director of Training & Education. “NACOLE has had the pleasure of working with the City and Advocates for Social Justice as they developed the ordinance to establish civilian oversight in the City of Cedar Rapids.  The discourse, commitment, and collaboration that we have seen between these two entities throughout the process is an example for other cities to follow.”  

“Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) applauds the months-long collaboration with Jennifer Pratt and Bill Micheel, from the City of Cedar Rapids, and representatives of NACOLE,” said ASJ Board Member Anne Harris Carter. “While we feel we have developed the strongest CRB in the state, we know much work remains. Hopefully this process will serve as a roadmap for future negotiations.”

The Cedar Rapids Police Department has expressed support and appreciation throughout the process to develop a CRB for Cedar Rapids.

“The Citizen Review Board will promote transparency and increase the level of trust between the police department and our community,” said Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman.  “The CRPD is committed to providing outstanding service and this process will illuminate the outstanding work the men and women do.”  

Cedar Rapids City Council passed a resolution on June 19, 2020 officially declaring their support and commitment to addressing priorities brought to the City through the local Black Lives Matter Movement and Advocates for Social Justice. At the meeting, City Council approved and agreed to move forward on all seven priorities, with establishment of a Citizen Review Board being agreed upon by both groups as the highest priority to implement quickly.

“On behalf of the entire Cedar Rapids City Council, I want to thank the community, members of ASJ, our Police Department and City Staff for their tireless efforts to develop a Citizen Review Board structure that will meet the needs of Cedar Rapids residents –and specifically those typically underrepresented,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart. “City Council is committed to addressing social justice issues within our community. We will continue to listen, work together, and develop solutions to ensure equity for everyone.”

“I want to express my appreciation to our City Council for their leadership moving this forward,” said City Manager Jeff Pomeranz. “By providing clear vision and policy direction, City staff was able to confidently facilitate the drafting of this ordinance, which is a great collaboration and positive step for our community.”

Residents are invited to view the proposed ordinance at cedar-rapids.org/CRB.

This is a Joint Meeting of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, City of Iowa City, City of Coralville, City of North Liberty, City of Tiffin, City of Hills,...… Read on

IOWA CITY -- Weather permitting, on Friday, January 22, 2021, Mott Street will be closed to traffic between Bloomington Street and Rochester Avenue to accommodate removal of a tree in the area.  It is anticipated normal traffic will resume by the end of the day.

Motorists are to take note of this work and seek an alternate route during this time period.  As always, caution should be exercised when driving through all construction areas.

For updated information on road construction in Iowa City, visit www.icgov.org/travelalerts. 

Join Coralville Public Library online for A Book and a Craft. Free craft materials available for pick up.… Read on

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Effective Friday, January 22, 2021, 2^nd Avenue SE will be closed to eastbound traffic between 1^st Street W and 2^nd Street E for crane operations.  The westbound lane will be open; eastbound traffic to seek an alternate route. Work is expected to take one (1) day.

Mayor Bruce Teague has extended an order that was originally put into place July 21, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The extended order requires that every person in the City of Iowa City must wear a face covering when in a public place. 

The order, extended on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, states that a face covering that covers the nose and mouth must be worn in all public spaces until May 31, 2021.

The extension comes as COVID-19 cases continue to surge nationwide. With the Iowa City area in influenza season, and people spending more time indoors due to lower temperatures, there is also an inherent increase in the risk of spreading the virus within our community.

The order in its entirety can be read online.

Public spaces covered by the mandate include, but are not limited to:

• Grocery stores
• Pharmacies
• Hardware stores
• Retail stores
• Outside if keeping six feet away from others is not possible
• Public transportation or private car service (including taxis, ride share, or car pooling)

No business open to the public may provide service to a customer or allow a customer to enter without the customer wearing a face covering. Businesses must post signs at the entrance of their business to instruct customers of the legal obligation to wear a face covering.

Masks will also be mandated outside when social distance (six feet of distance) is not possible with others. 

Those wishing to report any violations to the order can call the routine police business phone number at 319-356-6800. Anyone with questions about the order itself can call the City Attorney's Office at 319-356-5030. 

Those wishing to file a complaint about a restaurant, bar, or event where alcohol is involved when it comes to not enforcing the above order can fill out an online form from the State of Iowa's Alcoholic Beverages Division. 

Places and times where people are exempt from a face covering include:

• When alone or in presence of only household members
• Traveling in personal vehicle alone or with household members
• When jogging or biking outside
• While at a restaurant in the process of eating or drinking
• While obtaining a service that requires temporary removal of a face covering, such as a dentist or doctor visit
• When federal or state law prohibits a face covering

Exceptions to the mask mandate include:

• Anyone two-years-old or younger
• Anyone with trouble breathing, on oxygen or ventilator
• Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or others unable to remove a face covering without assistance
• Anyone who has been told by a medical, legal, or behavioral  health professional not to wear a face covering
• Anyone actively engaged in a public safety role, including but not limited to law enforcement, firefighters, or emergency response personnel 

For the latest COVID-19 news from the City, visit icgov.org/Coronavirus.