Why did Waterloo Water Works switch to monthly billing? Your Call the Courier questions

Q: What is colitis? Is it a medical condition?

A: Colitis is inflammation of the colon. There are many ways you can get colitis, common causes are from Salmonella, E. coli, C. diff and inflammatory bowel diseases. 

Q: RAGBRAI is driving by my house later in July. Do I have any restrictions on offering them alcohol if they happen to stop? 

A: We can’t find anything on if handing out free beer is prohibited. We doubt anyone would mind, but bicyclists should not drink and ride. 

Q: Whose bonehead idea was it for Waterloo Water Works to go to monthly pay instead of quarterly pay? They should have given the customers the option to go quarterly or once a month. I have to write three checks now instead of one.

A: The Water Works’ Board of Trustees has been working on this switch for a number of years, according to Chad Coon, the utility’s general manager. He said if someone wants to pay less often, they could pay what they think would be the three month average cost which would be applied to their account as a bill credit. Just take care to watch the balance.

Q: What is that big fireworks thing that Trump put on the other day? Did Trump pay for it or did the taxpayers pay for it?

A: The fireworks show was for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. on July 4. How much the show and the Great American State Fair cost is unclear. The New York Times stated the events were funded by $68 million in taxpayer money but the funds went through a nonprofit, National Park Foundation, to organize the Freedom 250 events. The nonprofit received $68 million in grants from the Interior Department to fund America’s birthday celebration, but since the nonprofit is not a government agency, it technically does not need to disclose costs. 

Q: When did Luke Burdsall from KWWL get married? Is his wife from the Cedar Valley?

A: The KWWL anchor married his wife, Jennifer, on June 12. He said on air that the couple met in Peoria, Illinois. 

Q: Are there any plans to resurface the Cedar Valley Nature Trail between Evansdale and La Porte City to match the condition of the trail south of La Porte City? 

A: Yes, the resurfacing will be a phased project that coincides with the replacement of aging bridges on that section of the trail. 

Q: Is Trump donating his presidential check like he did in his first term? 

A: The White House released a statement in October 2025, saying President Trump had given $66,000 of his paycheck within his first 10 months of his second term to the White House Historical Association for the construction of a new ballroom. CNN reported Tuesday that the White House declined to comment on a reporter’s question for evidence of his second-term donations. 

Q: How many positions down at the Waterloo Community Schools’ administration building were cut with the budget cuts? 

A: The district eliminated four administrator positions in the past two years and roles have been absorbed by current staff. These roles include the director of equity, inclusion and belonging; the director of athletics; the director of preschool; and the director of career and technical education. There were also reductions in three departments at the administrative building that were not administrator positions. Administrators have also had two years of salary freezes.

Q: We are wondering why we have to hear about data centers every night on the news. Every town in Iowa must be going to build a data center and about all of them have moratoriums. Isn’t there any other news? 

A: Construction of data centers is a relatively new and booming industry, especially with the rise in artificial intelligence usage. Residents across the state have many concerns about these projects, which results in protests, which is news. Decisions made by the government are also important news, as it affects our daily lives.

Q: There was an article in the paper that said people are protesting or appealing to the Vatican about the changes in the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Is there a petition that people can sign because most of us are not happy with those changes. 

A: We couldn’t find any official petitions to sign, but you could reach out to your parish to confirm that. The appeal comes from about 20% of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and has been sent to the Dicastery for the Clergy in Italy, with appellants seeking intervention from the Vatican before any restructuring takes effect. 

Call (319) 291-1550 to leave a voicemail or email newsroom@wcfcourier.com with your question.