Good Question: 'Reply All': Dialing '1', Ohio Sentencing & Transporting Giraffes
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Patrick wanted to know: Why do we still dial '1' for long distance?
According to the North American Numbering Plan Administration, there are two reasons.
First, the '1' can indicate a toll call, which sometimes doesn't even matter anymore depending on your phone plan.
But what always matters is that the '1' indicates a person is dialing a three-digit area code -- like 612 – not just a three-digit prefix.
On landlines, the call starts processing as soon as the first number is dialed. On cellphones, a '1' is not needed because the communication with the phone company doesn't begin until the dialer hits send.
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In late July, Ariel Castro, the man who held three women captive for years, was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years.
So, Steve from Roberts and Scott from Bloomington wanted to know: What is the point of the extra 1,000 years?
Prosecutors tell me here in Minnesota, you're not likely to see that because we have life without the possibility of parole. But every state is different.
The prosecutor's office in Ohio said, in this case, the extra 1000 years was "obviously symbolic" -- a statement condemning what he did.
A spokesman also said the extra 1000 years was tacked on just in case there was a law created to change parole rules or a judge were to overrule life sentence.
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Eight-year-old Elizabeth Alexander asked: How did they transport the giraffes to the zoo?
According to Global Animal Transport, giraffes are usually transported when they are young. Young giraffes can stand 6-to 8-feet tall compared to older giraffes, who can grow up to 16-18 feet. Their specially made open-air trailer must fit under bridges at 13'6". In 2009, a baby giraffe from the Como Zoo had to be transported to the hospital. He was taken in a St. Paul Police horse trailer and had a police escort.
