How do game show winners get their big prizes home? Your Call the Courier questions

Q: Are they still going to make the roundabout there at Hammond Avenue and Ridgeway? They talked about it a few years ago and nothing’s been said or anything done about it.

A: Yes. The city is working on securing more grant funding to pay for it.

Q: I was wondering on these game shows on TV when they win big prizes like a car or tractor or whatever, do they mail them to them or ship them to wherever they live or does the winner have to go to a local dealer and get them? 

A: Different game shows have different procedures, according to a researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History. For some, winners receive a slip describing the type of car they are entitled to. They would then go back home and take that slip to a dealership that had that type of car available. A more recent implementation requires car winners to go to a dealership in the area of wherever the game show takes place – likely Los Angeles – but the contestant has to figure out how to get the car home. Other times, the show gives contestants cash for the cost of the car. 

Q: I saw Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, being interviewed on TV. He was in a wheelchair. His legs looked kind of thin. I wonder what put him in the wheelchair and how is his health generally? Is he able to walk? He’s campaigning. I’m wondering how he’s accomplishing this.

A: Abbott has been paralyzed from the waist down since 1984 when a tree fell on his back while running. People in wheelchairs sometimes have thin legs because they can’t use their legs. If you don’t use a muscle, you can lose muscle tissue, which leads to smaller and weaker muscles. As for campaigning, if people are paralyzed, they are still able to do things people without a disability do.

Q: When I buy a bag of ice up at Hy-Vee and dump it in my cooler, can you also use that ice for drinks? We got an argument going about that. Solve the problem for us.

A: It depends on how germophobic you are. If your cooler is dirty, those germs can transfer to the ice, which could then go in your drink. To come to a compromise, maybe put the ice in a completely clean cooler that has no residue. 

Q: I just read in the paper about how Ashley Hinson is supposed to give us all $9,000. I want to know how I can apply for that and how my children can apply for that. They’re all adults but we would like the $9,000 that she promised each individual in the Big Beautiful Bill.

A: The $9,000 figure Hinson references is her claim that because of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the average family of four received $9,000 more in take-home pay. Even if her statement is correct – a fact check from KCRG says it is not, and that people making less than $251,000 annually saw an average of $650 more from the bill – this money is not something someone applies for. It would have been an increase in how much money you made last year. 

Q: Would you have a mailing address for Mike Rowe that hosted Dirty Jobs? 

A: Mike Rowe’s website says to email him at info@mikeroweworks.com. 

Q: The ADS building at 300 Ansborough, what happened to the business? Is it up and running? The sign says up for sale or rent.

A: Advanced Drainage Systems Inc., or ADS, closed its recycling facility and laid off its 71 workers in 2025. In a statement to Iowa’s News Now, the company said because of expansions in Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, there is enough capacity to support the company and no need for the Waterloo facility. The lower part of the building is occupied by Castle Storage, with climate-controlled storage units. 

Q: I drove past the old fire station at 1948 Randolph. What’s going on with that property? There are tires in the yard. The lawn is not mowed. Is it privately owned or is it a rental or does the city own it? 

A: Property records show it is owned by a private citizen and it is classified as a single-family home. 

Q: The bar on West Fourth Street is using three parking spaces for outdoor seating. Why are they allowed to do that? Are they reimbursing the city for the lost revenue of parking spots? 

A: The “parklet” at Studio 13 was funded through Main Street Waterloo’s IMPACT Grant, which is funded by contributions from businesses, private donations and the Main Street Waterloo Golf Tournament. Waterloo city regulations require a $50 permit application fee and a $200 permit fee for parklets.

Q: Are we going to have Daylight Savings Time? 

A: So far, yes. We will “fall back” an hour on Nov. 1. There is active legislation to eliminate the twice-a-year clock changes. The U.S. House approved the Sunshine Protection Act, but it needs to be approved by the U.S. Senate, and then signed into law by President Trump before November for any changes to happen. 

Q: Does Zach Lahn have a college degree? And if so, what college is it from?

A: Lahn graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and business marketing.

Q: What is the average age of a U.S. senator? 

A: The average U.S. senator is 65 years old.

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