Q: In reference to the chaos at the city council meeting in Waterloo where the audience is completely out of control and disrespectful about the human rights director. Does the human rights director have to be African American?
A: No, a human rights director could be any race. Under the Civil Rights Act, it is illegal to refuse to hire someone because of their race. This includes white people.
Q: I understand that this $90 extra we’re getting in Social Security is just a one-time payment in October. Is that true or not? Or are we going to get the $90 every month?
A: You’re right, it is a one-time payment for seniors enrolled in Medicare’s Part B who don’t pay income-related premiums or receive premium assistance from Medicaid. The check comes after President Trump said he wants to lower healthcare costs.
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Q: I live by Janesville and I went to Waverly. Why did they tear up this new highway? They just spent years building a brand new, perfectly good highway and now they tore that all out. Why are they doing this?
A: The Iowa Department of Transportation said the new highway is being built because development and traffic have dramatically increased since the highway was built more than 30 years ago, and a change was needed for safety and operational concerns, especially on Maple Street and 260th Street turning directly onto the highway.
Q: What year did Brandon Libby start at KWWL as a meteorologist?
A: He started in 2019 and left the job earlier this month.
Q: Is there a consignment auction held weekly somewhere here in Cedar Falls or Waterloo where you can take various items you want to sell and then it’s sold there? I have been trying to find one, but I’m not having any luck.
A: We couldn’t find anything weekly like that, but Legacy Auction Company, based in Waverly, seems to have regular consignment auctions. Their website is legacybidder.com and their phone number is (319) 559-2454.
Q: What city department do I call for Waterloo? High Plains Development has an apartment complex on Edgemont. The retaining pond is full, its growing full of trees and stuff. Plus behind the garages, there’s a pile of old tree branches and stuff that’s been there for a year. This is causing flooding.
A: Try calling the code enforcement department at (319) 291-3820.
Q: I was wondering what they’re gonna do with the vacant buildings on the corner of Lafayette and 18th Street on the south side. They’ve been empty for years and falling down. Is there anything planned for them?
A: Noel Anderson, Waterloo’s community planning and development director, said the city is looking at the condition of buildings in that area for potential redevelopment, which the city could acquire or use the 657A process to obtain abandoned buildings.
Q: If the city plans on buying The Courier building for the new City Hall and police department, where are they planning to park all those cars, the squad cars, the employee cars and the City Hall cars?
A: The city has bought the building. The City Council approved a parking study on Monday to look at how to configure parking on Fifth Street and in the U-shaped parking lot in front of the former Courier building.
Q: On Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, did Spencer Tracy wear face prosthetics or just makeup and did he have a stunt double?
A: A Turner Classic Movies article stated Spencer Tracy wore minimal makeup because he wanted to portray Mr. Hyde’s wickedness through facial expressions and body language.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
- COURIER STAFF
It grapples with some of life's most puzzling conundrums.
Q: Can I use my favorite fishing picture for a passport photo?
It strives to plumb the depths of the world's greatest mysteries.
Q: Why is a black eye called a mouse?
It pulls back the veil on the unexplained.
Q: Could an eagle abduct a small animal like a dog or cat?
And it is sometimes exceedingly stupid.
That's right, after a chorus of reader entreaties that never really subsided, The Courier is excited to announce the "Call the Courier" column is back for 2026!
Subscribers can call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with their questions.
We will endeavor to answer as many queries as accurately as we can. We will not bother with questions meant to gratuitously make a particular business or school or person look bad.
The feature at it's best is genuinely informative, and we are happy when it is fun and entertaining as well. We plan to print it weekly, but that could change depending on the amount of questions we receive. So submit your question. And look at page A3 to sample today's inquiries.
- COURIER STAFF
Q: Did Alec Baldwin ever serve in the military? If so, what branch?
A: No, he did not.
Q: Was Fred Grandy of "Love Boat" fame and from Sioux City, Iowa, ever involved in politics?
A: Fred Grandy, who played Burl “Gopher” Smith on "Love Boat," served in Iowa's former 5th and 6th Congressional Districts from 1987 to 1995. He ran against former Gov. Terry Branstad in the Republican primary for governor in 1994.
Q: What are the honorable flags that you can fly on a state flag pole? I grew up learning it was the American flag, the state flag and the Prisoners of War flag. Others are being flown and I find it disrespectful.
A: The U.S. Flag Code states if other flags are flown on the same pole as the American flag, the American flag should be on top and be larger than the other flags. This includes state flags, local flags or society flags, which represent groups, communities or movements.
Q: What organization was responsible for the photo of Trump dressed as the Pope?
A: President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence, or AI, generated photo of himself as the pope on his Truth Social page after the death of Pope Francis in May. The photo also was reposted by official White House pages on other social media sites. AI-generated images are made by computers and are not created by specific people.
Q: I heard more people are killed while they are on the phone rather than drunk driving. Is this true?
A: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,275 fatal crashes in 2023 involved distracted driving. This statistic includes cellphone use, but also things like adjusting a radio or GPS, eating or applying makeup. The same organization said 12,429 people died from drunk driving in 2023.
Q: Does Ted Danson wear a toupee? He seems to have more hair than he did a while ago.
A: Yes. While he uses hairpieces, most of his actual hair is real but thin in certain areas. There was even a scene in “Cheers” where Danson, portraying Sam Malone, took off his hairpiece, revealing his baldness to the other characters and the audience.
Q: Is it true that an “America’s Most Wanted” cameraman was shot and killed?
A: We can’t find any sources confirming this. But something similar happened in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2014 on the scene of "COPS," a show where television crews follow around police officers on calls. An Omaha TV station reported Bryce Dion, a sound technician for the show, went with police to a robbery where police and crew members became separated during the incident. The robbery suspect pulled out a weapon and Omaha officers fired at him, killing both Dion and the suspect.
Q: Who do I talk to to put up bird houses in George Wyth and Big Woods?
A: You can call Black Hawk County Conservation at (319) 433-7275.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
Q: Could you give me any information about the new senior housing development that’s going up near the Highway 20 exit by the Casey’s?
A: A new senior housing complex called San Marnan Heights Senior Living is being built in between Tower Park Drive and Fisher Drive. The complex will have 110 units with 14 of those being memory care units.
Q: I was just wondering who did the sculpture in the Cedar Falls dog park? I just noticed it first a few weeks ago and I haven’t seen anything in the newspaper and was wondering who commissioned it and who did it.
A: The new sculpture in the shape of a fox is part of a three-sculpture series by University of Northern Iowa alum and public artist Beth Nybeth. Amanda Huisman, the Cedar Falls’ communications specialist, said a rabbit sculpture was installed in Pfeiffer Park just before Christmas and the final piece, an otter, will be installed on the trail system by Cedar Falls Utilities, weather permitting. The artist was chosen through a competitive call for art by the Cedar Falls Public Art Committee. The series is named “Ready or Not.” Huisman said a ribbon cutting event with the artist will be held in spring.
Q: Is the actor Miles Teller related to Teller from Penn and Teller?
A: No, they are not related. Just a coincidence of two famous people with the same last name.
Q: Should I cash in my jar of pennies or should I hang onto them?
A: Looks like most pennies will not be worth much, considering there are so many in production. There are a few types of pennies that have always been worth more money such as the 1943 copper Lincoln wheat pennies, which were accidentally made with copper instead of zinc during World War II. Pennies made before 1982 were still made with copper, so if you really want you could trade that in for a couple more cents. Pennies also remain legal tender indefinitely. Sounds like we should either keep them for sentimental reasons or cash them in for a few bucks.
Q: About damn time you brought back Call the Courier. I remember when I worked at the Courier over 40 years ago, it was a very popular human interest type of column. Now, when are you going to bring back “Pet of the Week?” Use them both to replace those god-awful “Sports Edition Extra” pages or the black-and-white comics appearing twice on some days.
A: We are also glad it’s back! We do run “Pet of the Week.” It is a sponsored ad in Saturday’s paper featuring pets from the Cedar Bend Humane Society. As for the “terrible” pages – you seem to be talking about E-edition pages. We try to run as much local content on our print days of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while on the off days we are able to run more pages that are not local on the online paper.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
Q: Does Elizabeth Klinge still work for KWWL?
A: Yes, Elizabeth Klinge is still working for KWWL as a weeknight news anchor.
Q: Is that lady riding a horse on that RX commercial that looks like Loretta Lynn, is that Sissy Spacek?
A: If you are talking about the GoodRx commercial, an actress named Kristin Carey plays “The Savings Wrangler” to help tame prescription costs.
Q: If a walker is crossing an intersection where there is a roundabout, who has the right of way?
A: The pedestrian has the right of way.
Q: I’ve noticed that a lot of the people in your 20 Under 40 series appear to have red hair. Why is that? I don’t believe my device is shifting the color as other pics look correct. Just wondering if there is a preponderance of redheads in the Cedar Valley.
A: Maybe you are looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. It appears that in this year’s 20 Under 40 cohort there are a few women with red undertones in their hair. According to worldpopulationreview.com, about 4% of U.S. residents have red hair. However, U.S. News & World Report says that Iowa has the 10th largest population of Irish descendents at nearly 13% – a group of people who are often associated with red hair. Perhaps it’s the luck of the Irish.
Q: Which is the oldest branch of the military service?
A: The U.S. Army, which celebrated its 250th birthday last year. It was formally founded by the Second Continental Congress in June 1775, soon followed by the U.S. Navy and then the Marines. The forerunners of the modern Coast Guard date to 1789 and 1790. The U.S. Air Force didn’t come into being until the 20th century.
Q: What is the state doing with all the tax money collected on online sales?
A: Sales tax revenue is added to the state’s general fund.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
In case you missed it: Is Jethro’s BBQ still coming to Waterloo? Call the Courier questions answered
Q: What is being built in the Fairview Cemetery in Cedar Falls? It looks like a building with no wall so far and I’m just wondering what it is.
A: The city is installing a columbarium, which holds cremains above ground.
Q: Is Jethro’s BBQ still planning on building a restaurant in the Waterloo area?
A: City officials said they have not heard any updates on Jethro’s, so probably not anytime soon.
Q: Why did they take all those trees down off Ansborough by the levy behind Pawsitive Pet Care?
A: This question was answered last month, but the area is designated as a ponding area for the levee during floods. As part of Waterloo’s agreement with the Corps of Engineers, the city is required to maintain the ponds so it removed the trees to grade the area to provide the appropriate amount of ponding.
Q: I remember from my eighth grade civics class that there were special requirements to run for governor. Last night I looked at the Iowa State Constitution and discovered I was correct in what I remembered. According to the Iowa Constitution, a candidate for governor must reside in the state for two years. Since Zach Lahn resides in Kansas, votes in Kansas and flies back and forth between Iowa and Kansas, how is he able to run for governor here?
A: According to the Des Moines Register, Lahn was registered to vote in the 2024 general election, which just barely meets the two year residency rule. He has a house in Belle Plaine – as well as Kansas – and according to the Register, has been voting in Iowa since 2024.
Q: I understand that there were a lot of arrests at the My Waterloo Days function this week. I think it would be nice if The Courier had an article about that as I got kids, grandkids and great-grandkids and if there’s ruckuses down there, I do not want them there. I think The Courier owes it to their subscribers to put a story out about how many there was. I know we don’t want a lot of negative but we got to have truths.
A: The Courier reported in an online story Tuesday, which was in Thursday’s newspaper, that six people were arrested downtown last weekend and provided details.
Q: Why do people that live in the Cedar Terrace area and surrounding areas have to pay a storm water runoff fee when we don’t even have storm water systems out in this area?
A: Waterloo’s city engineer Jamie Knutson said anything natural or manmade that conveys stormwater – which includes pipes, ditches, swales, creeks and rivers – is considered part of the stormwater drainage system. The Cedar Terrace area has ditches and swales. Also, any developed property is charged a fee.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
Call the Courier: Read a collection of columns answering reader questions
Read a collection of Call the Courier columns answering reader questions.
- COURIER STAFF
It grapples with some of life's most puzzling conundrums.
Q: Can I use my favorite fishing picture for a passport photo?
It strives to plumb the depths of the world's greatest mysteries.
Q: Why is a black eye called a mouse?
It pulls back the veil on the unexplained.
Q: Could an eagle abduct a small animal like a dog or cat?
And it is sometimes exceedingly stupid.
That's right, after a chorus of reader entreaties that never really subsided, The Courier is excited to announce the "Call the Courier" column is back for 2026!
Subscribers can call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with their questions.
We will endeavor to answer as many queries as accurately as we can. We will not bother with questions meant to gratuitously make a particular business or school or person look bad.
The feature at it's best is genuinely informative, and we are happy when it is fun and entertaining as well. We plan to print it weekly, but that could change depending on the amount of questions we receive. So submit your question. And look at page A3 to sample today's inquiries.
- COURIER STAFF
Q: Did Alec Baldwin ever serve in the military? If so, what branch?
A: No, he did not.
Q: Was Fred Grandy of "Love Boat" fame and from Sioux City, Iowa, ever involved in politics?
A: Fred Grandy, who played Burl “Gopher” Smith on "Love Boat," served in Iowa's former 5th and 6th Congressional Districts from 1987 to 1995. He ran against former Gov. Terry Branstad in the Republican primary for governor in 1994.
Q: What are the honorable flags that you can fly on a state flag pole? I grew up learning it was the American flag, the state flag and the Prisoners of War flag. Others are being flown and I find it disrespectful.
A: The U.S. Flag Code states if other flags are flown on the same pole as the American flag, the American flag should be on top and be larger than the other flags. This includes state flags, local flags or society flags, which represent groups, communities or movements.
Q: What organization was responsible for the photo of Trump dressed as the Pope?
A: President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence, or AI, generated photo of himself as the pope on his Truth Social page after the death of Pope Francis in May. The photo also was reposted by official White House pages on other social media sites. AI-generated images are made by computers and are not created by specific people.
Q: I heard more people are killed while they are on the phone rather than drunk driving. Is this true?
A: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,275 fatal crashes in 2023 involved distracted driving. This statistic includes cellphone use, but also things like adjusting a radio or GPS, eating or applying makeup. The same organization said 12,429 people died from drunk driving in 2023.
Q: Does Ted Danson wear a toupee? He seems to have more hair than he did a while ago.
A: Yes. While he uses hairpieces, most of his actual hair is real but thin in certain areas. There was even a scene in “Cheers” where Danson, portraying Sam Malone, took off his hairpiece, revealing his baldness to the other characters and the audience.
Q: Is it true that an “America’s Most Wanted” cameraman was shot and killed?
A: We can’t find any sources confirming this. But something similar happened in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2014 on the scene of "COPS," a show where television crews follow around police officers on calls. An Omaha TV station reported Bryce Dion, a sound technician for the show, went with police to a robbery where police and crew members became separated during the incident. The robbery suspect pulled out a weapon and Omaha officers fired at him, killing both Dion and the suspect.
Q: Who do I talk to to put up bird houses in George Wyth and Big Woods?
A: You can call Black Hawk County Conservation at (319) 433-7275.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
Q: Could you give me any information about the new senior housing development that’s going up near the Highway 20 exit by the Casey’s?
A: A new senior housing complex called San Marnan Heights Senior Living is being built in between Tower Park Drive and Fisher Drive. The complex will have 110 units with 14 of those being memory care units.
Q: I was just wondering who did the sculpture in the Cedar Falls dog park? I just noticed it first a few weeks ago and I haven’t seen anything in the newspaper and was wondering who commissioned it and who did it.
A: The new sculpture in the shape of a fox is part of a three-sculpture series by University of Northern Iowa alum and public artist Beth Nybeth. Amanda Huisman, the Cedar Falls’ communications specialist, said a rabbit sculpture was installed in Pfeiffer Park just before Christmas and the final piece, an otter, will be installed on the trail system by Cedar Falls Utilities, weather permitting. The artist was chosen through a competitive call for art by the Cedar Falls Public Art Committee. The series is named “Ready or Not.” Huisman said a ribbon cutting event with the artist will be held in spring.
Q: Is the actor Miles Teller related to Teller from Penn and Teller?
A: No, they are not related. Just a coincidence of two famous people with the same last name.
Q: Should I cash in my jar of pennies or should I hang onto them?
A: Looks like most pennies will not be worth much, considering there are so many in production. There are a few types of pennies that have always been worth more money such as the 1943 copper Lincoln wheat pennies, which were accidentally made with copper instead of zinc during World War II. Pennies made before 1982 were still made with copper, so if you really want you could trade that in for a couple more cents. Pennies also remain legal tender indefinitely. Sounds like we should either keep them for sentimental reasons or cash them in for a few bucks.
Q: About damn time you brought back Call the Courier. I remember when I worked at the Courier over 40 years ago, it was a very popular human interest type of column. Now, when are you going to bring back “Pet of the Week?” Use them both to replace those god-awful “Sports Edition Extra” pages or the black-and-white comics appearing twice on some days.
A: We are also glad it’s back! We do run “Pet of the Week.” It is a sponsored ad in Saturday’s paper featuring pets from the Cedar Bend Humane Society. As for the “terrible” pages – you seem to be talking about E-edition pages. We try to run as much local content on our print days of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while on the off days we are able to run more pages that are not local on the online paper.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
Q: Does Elizabeth Klinge still work for KWWL?
A: Yes, Elizabeth Klinge is still working for KWWL as a weeknight news anchor.
Q: Is that lady riding a horse on that RX commercial that looks like Loretta Lynn, is that Sissy Spacek?
A: If you are talking about the GoodRx commercial, an actress named Kristin Carey plays “The Savings Wrangler” to help tame prescription costs.
Q: If a walker is crossing an intersection where there is a roundabout, who has the right of way?
A: The pedestrian has the right of way.
Q: I’ve noticed that a lot of the people in your 20 Under 40 series appear to have red hair. Why is that? I don’t believe my device is shifting the color as other pics look correct. Just wondering if there is a preponderance of redheads in the Cedar Valley.
A: Maybe you are looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. It appears that in this year’s 20 Under 40 cohort there are a few women with red undertones in their hair. According to worldpopulationreview.com, about 4% of U.S. residents have red hair. However, U.S. News & World Report says that Iowa has the 10th largest population of Irish descendents at nearly 13% – a group of people who are often associated with red hair. Perhaps it’s the luck of the Irish.
Q: Which is the oldest branch of the military service?
A: The U.S. Army, which celebrated its 250th birthday last year. It was formally founded by the Second Continental Congress in June 1775, soon followed by the U.S. Navy and then the Marines. The forerunners of the modern Coast Guard date to 1789 and 1790. The U.S. Air Force didn’t come into being until the 20th century.
Q: What is the state doing with all the tax money collected on online sales?
A: Sales tax revenue is added to the state’s general fund.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
In case you missed it: Is Jethro’s BBQ still coming to Waterloo? Call the Courier questions answered
Q: What is being built in the Fairview Cemetery in Cedar Falls? It looks like a building with no wall so far and I’m just wondering what it is.
A: The city is installing a columbarium, which holds cremains above ground.
Q: Is Jethro’s BBQ still planning on building a restaurant in the Waterloo area?
A: City officials said they have not heard any updates on Jethro’s, so probably not anytime soon.
Q: Why did they take all those trees down off Ansborough by the levy behind Pawsitive Pet Care?
A: This question was answered last month, but the area is designated as a ponding area for the levee during floods. As part of Waterloo’s agreement with the Corps of Engineers, the city is required to maintain the ponds so it removed the trees to grade the area to provide the appropriate amount of ponding.
Q: I remember from my eighth grade civics class that there were special requirements to run for governor. Last night I looked at the Iowa State Constitution and discovered I was correct in what I remembered. According to the Iowa Constitution, a candidate for governor must reside in the state for two years. Since Zach Lahn resides in Kansas, votes in Kansas and flies back and forth between Iowa and Kansas, how is he able to run for governor here?
A: According to the Des Moines Register, Lahn was registered to vote in the 2024 general election, which just barely meets the two year residency rule. He has a house in Belle Plaine – as well as Kansas – and according to the Register, has been voting in Iowa since 2024.
Q: I understand that there were a lot of arrests at the My Waterloo Days function this week. I think it would be nice if The Courier had an article about that as I got kids, grandkids and great-grandkids and if there’s ruckuses down there, I do not want them there. I think The Courier owes it to their subscribers to put a story out about how many there was. I know we don’t want a lot of negative but we got to have truths.
A: The Courier reported in an online story Tuesday, which was in Thursday’s newspaper, that six people were arrested downtown last weekend and provided details.
Q: Why do people that live in the Cedar Terrace area and surrounding areas have to pay a storm water runoff fee when we don’t even have storm water systems out in this area?
A: Waterloo’s city engineer Jamie Knutson said anything natural or manmade that conveys stormwater – which includes pipes, ditches, swales, creeks and rivers – is considered part of the stormwater drainage system. The Cedar Terrace area has ditches and swales. Also, any developed property is charged a fee.
Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.
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