Waterloo Building Owner Flies Irish Flags with U.S. Flag

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a downtown Waterloo building has figured out how to celebrate a local Irish festival without offending veterans and others.

Last year, Donna Nelson upset some people when she replaced a large American flag atop the downtown Black's Building with an Irish flag to mark the Iowa Irish Fest.

This year,  Nelson installed 24 Irish flags Monday around the roof's edge but kept the American flag flying above them.

Besides celebrating the festival, Nelson says she wanted to honor Irish immigrant James Black, who constructed the downtown building a century ago and which still bears his name.

Nelson says she was relieved when Waterloo Mayor Buck Clark called her soon after the flags went up to say they looked great.