What is the best way to deal with robo and spam calls? Your Call the Courier questions answered

Q. What can a person do to prevent kidney stones?

A. Stay hydrated. Drinking more water is the best way to prevent kidney stones. Eat more calcium-rich foods, like low-fat dairy products. Eat less sodium. Eat fewer oxalate-rich foods. Usually, adding spinach and nuts to your diet is a good thing, but not if you're susceptible to oxalate kidney stones, the most common type. Avoid food such as as beets, spinach, many types of berries, sweet potatoes, soy, nuts, chocolate, brewed tea, and colas. Eat less animal protein. Avoid vitamin C supplements.

Q. What needs to be done to have the Iowa Lottery audited?

A. The lottery is audited every year by the State Auditor’s Office. Rob Sand is currently the state auditor.

Q. What causes gallstones?

A. According to the Mayo Clinic, common causes include:

Your bile contains too much cholesterol. Normally, bile dissolves cholesterol excreted by your liver. But if your liver excretes more cholesterol than your bile can dissolve, the excess cholesterol may form into crystals and eventually into stones.

Your bile contains too much bilirubin. Bilirubin is a chemical that's produced when your body breaks down red blood cells. Certain conditions cause your liver to make too much bilirubin, including cirrhosis, biliary tract infections and certain disorders. The excess bilirubin contributes to gallstone formation.

Your gallbladder doesn't empty correctly.

Q. What is the cost to print an obituary in The Courier?

A. The cost depends on the amount of information included in the obituary. Call (641) 421-0514 for information on placing an obituary.

Q. In 1973, the Supreme Court passed Roe vs. Wade, of the nine justices, how many were appointed by Republican presidents.

A. Roe vs. Wade was decided by a 7-2 vote, and not along partisan lines. Those who ruled in favor were as follows, with the president who nominated them and the party of that president indicated in parentheses:

• Harry Blackmun (Nixon, R).

• Lewis Powell (Nixon, R).

• Warren Burger (Nixon, R).

• William Brennan (Eisenhower, R).

• Potter Stewart (Eisenhower, R).

• Thurgood Marshall (LBJ, D).

• William Douglas (FDR, D)

Those who dissented:

• Byron White (Kennedy, D).

• William Rehnquist (Nixon, R).

Q. What criteria does The Courier use to establish a guest column writer?

A. The pieces most likely to be printed are well written, comment on a local issue currently in the news, by authors with expertise in the topic commented upon. The regular guest columnists were chosen with an eye on achieving ideological balance.

Q. When will Broadway Street be resurfaced?

A. Portions of Broadway Street will begin to be resurfaced in 2022.

Q. What is the best way to deal with robo/spam calls?

A. You can register your numbers on the national Do Not Call list at no cost by calling 1 (888) 382-1222 (voice) or 1 (866) 290-4236 (TTY). You must call from the phone number you wish to register. You can also register and add your personal wireless phone number to the national Do-Not-Call list at donotcall.gov. You can also block calls using your phone. The process varies among different devices, but try looking under the settings menu. Find the option for blocking numbers and activate the feature. You also can download apps that will help block calls for a fee. One easy way to deal with spam calls is just don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize. If a call is legitimate, the caller will leave a message.