Q: What, if any, are the benefits available to a veteran who dies of a non-service cause for funeral and burial expenses?
A: There are a number of benefits under different scenarios; it’s best to check with the Veterans Administration for the details. Go to www.va.gov or call (800) 273-8255.
Q: Do identical twins have the same fingerprints as each other?
A: No. Their fingerprints evidently are very similar, but not identical. After a fertilized egg splits in the womb to form identical twins, their fingerprints develop small differences.
Q: How did the town of Waterloo get its name?
A: It was originally called Prairie Rapids or Prairie Rapids Crossing before 1851, according to “From Ackley to Zwingle: the Origins of Iowa Place Names.” But when a post office was established, Charles Mullan suggested it be renamed Waterloo after thumbing through a U.S. Post Office Guide of the time. There were Waterloos in other states, in reference to the Battle of Waterloo, in Belgium, where Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated.
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The reference desk at the Waterloo Public Library contributes another story: “The Hanna family has been one of the outstanding families in the history of this place, Phil Hanna being the latest to close a distinguished career. Squire Hanna, in partnership with Charles Mullan, laid out the village of Waterloo in 1854, and sold Mill Square for $1 to a Mr. Eggers in return for his building a dam and saw mill. Mr. Hanna said they named it Waterloo because they expected a great victory in the county seat fight with Cedar Falls, which they saw was inevitable.”
Q: Why does one girl on a volleyball team wear a different color uniform than the rest of the team? I noticed this while watching the high school volleyball finals.
A: That player, known as the libero, is a specialized defensive player. It’s a fairly new position in volleyball, first integrated into international play in 1998, followed by college and then high school volleyball. There are special rules regarding what liberos can and can’t do.
Q: What did Ted Kennedy die from and in what year?
A: Kennedy died in 2009 from a malignant brain tumor.
Q: Who was president in 1935 and 1936?
A: It was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Q: My neighbor on the corner always blows or rakes all of her leaves into the street. Is that legal or is there someone I should call?
A: It is not legal in Waterloo to rake leaves into the street. Report violations to code enforcement officers at 291-3820.
Q: How many swinging bridges were across the Cedar River in Charles City?
A: The historic suspension bridge that was destroyed in the 2008 flood was more than 100 years old; it had been built in 1906. A replacement bridge opened in 2010. It doesn’t appear there was one there before 1906.
Q: When did they move Thanksgiving to the last Thursday of the month?
A: They didn’t. Under a federal law enacted in 1941, Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of the month. This year, since Nov. 1 fell on a Friday, the holiday is a little later than it often is.
PHOTOS: Cedar Falls parents protest school mask mandate
Several dozens protesters showed up Monday morning outside the Cedar Falls Community Schools administration building to denounce the district's temporary mask mandate.
Protesters pose Monday with their signs during a rally outside of the Cedar Falls Community Schools administration building calling for the end of a temporary mask mandate in elementary schools.
