City of Bettendorf, IA
03/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 08:08
City of Bettendorf Ready to Replace Stolen “Skipper” Statue
City of Bettendorf Ready to Replace Stolen "Skipper" Statue
March 17, 2026 - The City of Bettendorf is excited to announce that it will be replicating and replacing a beloved statue titled "Skipper" that was stolen early last year.
On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Bettendorf City Council voted to hire an artist to replicate and replace the "Skipper" statue at Leach Park (100 12th Street).
On February 3, 2025, the Bettendorf Police Department (BPD) was notified that "Skipper" was missing. After reviewing security camera footage, BPD determined that "Skipper" was stolen on the night of January 8, 2025. On February 7, 2025, BPD's Criminal Investigations Division received information from Midwest Recyclers in Davenport that three individuals had scrapped part of the statue. After reviewing security camera footage at Midwest Recyclers and conducting several interviews, detectives identified Romeo F. Radcliff, age 33, of Davenport as the suspect. On February 27, 2025, arrest warrants were requested for Theft in the Second Degree (possession of stolen property valued at more than $1,500 but less than $10,000. On March 3, 2025, Romeo was arrested by the Davenport Police Department on the Bettendorf warrant and transported to the Scott County Jail. He has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Over the last several months, the City of Bettendorf has reconnected with the original creator of "Skipper," Ted McElhiney who is now in his early 90s. Since his father no longer creates art, his son Mark Mclhiney offered to help City Staff explore other artists who could replicate the sculpture within the available budget. After the City completed an insurance claim and received $25,000 to create and install a new sculpture, City Staff and Mark McElhiney solicited and received four quotes. The lowest quote came from an artist in Omaha, Nebraska for $21,900 to recreate the original work of art in the next six months.
"'Skipper' became a Bettendorf icon because of its location in a key space in our city and its relatable design of a child skipping a rock," said John Byrnes, Parks & Recreation Director. "We are so excited that we were able to find an artist who can preserve that history and keep it as part of Bettendorf's future. Sculptures like 'Skipper' are important to the City's broader goal of enhancing 'place making' throughout key areas of the city."
Share this page
On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Bettendorf City Council voted to hire an artist to replicate and replace the "Skipper" statue at Leach Park (100 12th Street).
On February 3, 2025, the Bettendorf Police Department (BPD) was notified that "Skipper" was missing. After reviewing security camera footage, BPD determined that "Skipper" was stolen on the night of January 8, 2025. On February 7, 2025, BPD's Criminal Investigations Division received information from Midwest Recyclers in Davenport that three individuals had scrapped part of the statue. After reviewing security camera footage at Midwest Recyclers and conducting several interviews, detectives identified Romeo F. Radcliff, age 33, of Davenport as the suspect. On February 27, 2025, arrest warrants were requested for Theft in the Second Degree (possession of stolen property valued at more than $1,500 but less than $10,000. On March 3, 2025, Romeo was arrested by the Davenport Police Department on the Bettendorf warrant and transported to the Scott County Jail. He has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Over the last several months, the City of Bettendorf has reconnected with the original creator of "Skipper," Ted McElhiney who is now in his early 90s. Since his father no longer creates art, his son Mark Mclhiney offered to help City Staff explore other artists who could replicate the sculpture within the available budget. After the City completed an insurance claim and received $25,000 to create and install a new sculpture, City Staff and Mark McElhiney solicited and received four quotes. The lowest quote came from an artist in Omaha, Nebraska for $21,900 to recreate the original work of art in the next six months.
"'Skipper' became a Bettendorf icon because of its location in a key space in our city and its relatable design of a child skipping a rock," said John Byrnes, Parks & Recreation Director. "We are so excited that we were able to find an artist who can preserve that history and keep it as part of Bettendorf's future. Sculptures like 'Skipper' are important to the City's broader goal of enhancing 'place making' throughout key areas of the city."
Share this page
×Copy and paste this code into your website.
Your Link Name
City of Bettendorf, IA published this content on March 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 18, 2026 at 14:08 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]