Can you explain Iowa's stand your ground law? Your Call the Courier questions answered

A: The next Iowa gubernatorial election will take place Nov. 8, 2022.

Q: Why does the Friday edition of your paper only carry the Saturday night prime listings and not Fridays?

A: We print the Saturday prime time listings in Friday’s paper because the Friday prime time listings are included in the TV Showtime guide that wraps around the A section of the Friday Courier.

Q: What is the 1-800 number for the Iowa Lottery?

A: The phone number for the Iowa Lottery is (515) 725-7900. The Iowa Lottery website does not list an 800 number.

Q: Is the editorial article the opinion of The Courier as a whole?

A: If an editorial is labeled as a “Courier Editorial” it represents the views of The Courier editorial board.

Q: Where is our closest Denny’s restaurant to the Cedar Valley?

A: The closest Denny’s location seems to be at 4175 Iowa Highway 21 in Brooklyn, Iowa, south of Interstate 80.

Q: Have Hawkeye Community College employees’ salaries been published yet?

A: No. We have yet to received the information for Hawkeye Community College salaries.

Q: What is the fax number for a letter to the editor?

A: The Courier fax number is (319) 291-2069. Letters can be mailed to Letters to the Editor, The Courier, P.O. Box 540, Waterloo, IA 50704 or emailed to woo.letters@wcfcourier.com. Additionally, letters can be submitted at wcfcourier.com by scrolling to the Opinion section of the site. Click on “More Opinion” and then “Submit a letter.”

Q: When people start receiving child care credit next month, is that something you have to claim on your taxes?

A: Yes. The Child and Dependent Care Credit is a tax break specifically for working people to help offset the costs associated with caring for a child or dependent with disabilities. It is a tax credit rather than a tax deduction, and directly reduces your taxes, dollar for dollar. For 2020, eligible taxpayers can claim a tax credit of $2,000 per qualifying dependent child under age 17. If the amount of the credit exceeds the tax owed, then the taxpayer generally is entitled to a refund of the excess credit amount up to $1,400 per qualifying child. The credit increases to $3,000 per child under the age of 17 and gives an additional $600 benefit for children under the age of 6 for the 2021 tax year.

Q: Can you explain the stand your ground law here in Iowa?

A: Iowa’s stand-your-ground law removed the duty to retreat in self-defense situations. Before the measure was passed, a person couldn’t act in self defense unless they were unable remove themselves from the situation. The section of Iowa Code reads “A person who is not engaged in illegal activity has no duty to retreat from any place where the person is lawfully present before using force as specified in this chapter.”

Q: When will Doughy Joey’s finally open in Waterloo?

A: Doughey Joey’s is open at 300 W. Fourth St. in Waterloo.

Calls are taken on a special Courier phone line at 234-3566. Questions are answered by Courier staff and staff at the Waterloo Public Library.