Highway Dedicated to Fallen Officers – Joel Campora & Cody Carpenter

BY MELANIE BUCK –

Two signs have been placed along Highway 71 North near Y City to honor two officers that perished in the May 31, 2013 floods. Wildlife Officer Joel Campora and Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter both lost their lives in route to save others from rapidly rising and swift floodwaters. Both were beloved by their communities.

In the years since, both men have been honored on many levels by their local communities and statewide. The signs that now bear their names will serve as a reminder to all of the ultimate sacrifice they made in the line of duty.

The signs say, “Sheriff Cody Carpenter Memorial Highway” and “Wildlife Officer Joel Campora Memorial Highway” and were dedicated in a ceremony on Saturday, December 17^th at Chant Pentecostal Church in Y City. The event was attended by former Polk County Sheriff Mike Godfrey and Sheriff-Elect Scott Sawyer, who both assisted in the three-day search for Campora.

Sawyer said, “It was very touching to watch our community come together to honor these two heroes. Cody and Joel dedicated their lives to serving others. They made the ultimate sacrifice to save two people they didn’t really know. Renaming that stretch of highway is a great way to honor these men.”

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

See author's posts