Recent content from Richard Chin
Hundreds rally in St. Paul as part of wave of abortion rights protests
Planned Parenthood gathering seeks to call attention to U.S. Supreme Court's expected move to reverse landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
Whom to call if your dog needs a date to your wedding
Pet wedding attendants help your best friend be a part of the big event.
Fading 'ghost ads' of the Twin Cities are preserved in a new book
Decades-old messages painted on brick walls touting pop, beer, banks and farm implements are an evocative, bygone part of the urban landscape.
50 years of Mpls.St.Paul magazine
The magazine presents a retrospective of its coverage over the decades.
Becoming a hybrid worker? Here are some suggestions on how to do it
Being in the office only one day of the week won't be the same as the old Monday through Friday grind.
Did Minnesota Orchestra conductor really ink $75 million deal to work for Netflix?
Announcement about Osmo Vänskä's plans for streaming shows about Finnish folk legends is another April Fool's Day surprise.
A convention just for e-bikes wheels into Twin Cities
You can test-ride electric bicycles, including one sold under the Harley-Davidson brand.
Welcome home celebration set for cross-country skiing champ Jessie Diggins
The public is invited to the event on April 2 in Afton.
![Artist Linda Christensen carved Laura Grimm’s bust out of a solid block of butter in the Dairy Building at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair. ] ANTHONY](https://chorus.stimg.co/23306582/merlin_51160514.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Butter carver confessional: A memoir of the longtime Minnesota State Fair butter sculptor
Linda Christensen carved Big Bird and David Letterman, was on a first-name basis with plenty of princesses and was courted by reality TV.
For the first time in 70 years, Nazi propaganda posters on display at St. Olaf museum
The exhibit deals with the ethical questions arising from conserving these wartime artifacts.
How amateur sleuths solved the mystery of 100-year-old south Minneapolis toilet cover
Plumber Otto Johnson took pride in his work. Homeowner Alan Peters wanted it remembered.
From Green Bay to Green Day, celebrate St. Patrick's Day with our quiz about all things green
This multiple-choice test about our favorite hue at this time of year won't leave you jaded.
Discouraged from using his Latino name as a pop star, Minneapolis barber never stopped making music
Carlos Mendoza became a Marine, a barber and business owner and Twin Cities musician — all under his own name.
A Minnesotan who knew little about her Scandinavian roots won a Swedish reality TV show
Minneapolis writer Sally Franson won small screen fame and a priceless connection to family.
Succotash, hubbub and plankton: They're among the words Minnesotans love to say
From blather to bituminous, readers share the words that tickle their ears and minds.
![Dr. Michael Joyner poses for a photo in the courtyard of Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus in Rochester. ] LEILA NAVIDI • leila.navidi@startr](https://chorus.stimg.co/23210510/merlin_63724603.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
How a Mayo Clinic human performance expert watches the Winter Olympics
A doctor and sports expert savors the athleticism and artistry in the world-best performances on snow and ice.
Original 'Bambi' was not a children's story, says a Minnesota folklore expert
The novel on which the Disney movie was based dealt with loss, loneliness and racism.
How did we become so sarcastic?
We're so awash in sarcasm that researchers and government agencies are studying it. While it may make us sound smart, it's a tricky way to communicate.
Want to make a New Year's promise you can keep? Try these 11 Low Effort Resolutions
Need an emotional boost as we head into what could be another tough year? Make a resolution you know you can achieve.
A high flier from Minnesota is on the path to space
Minneapolis native Anil Menon is a doctor, pilot and an Air Force officer. Now he's going to be an astronaut.
Harry Nordstrom, longtime Carleton College music professor, dies
He was an accomplished violinist who taught generations of students
The lazy person's humorous guide to last-minute DIY Christmas gifts
How to save Christmas even if you're a cheap, lazy, inept procrastinator.
Minnesota's typewriter fans are still clacking after all these years
The beloved mechanical devices were the original word processors.
Minnesota mom turns deceased daughter's kindness into children's book
"The Everybody Club" has this message: "Include everyone, learn and you'll have fun."
Dust off the VCR: Free video lending libraries hit the Twin Cities
Lending boxes called Free Blockbuster are sprouting up in the Twin Cities for people to share DVDs, VHS tapes and nostalgic movie nights.
Get ready to say 'awwww': Winners of the annual Halloween pet costume contest
These cute pets have tricks and treats.
Make yourself happy by reminding yourself you're going to die
The ancient tradition of thinking about one's mortality comes to the digital age.
![Deb Frethem, a tour guide at the caves since April 1998, led a cave tour of the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul. ] LEILA NAVIDI • leila.navidi@star](https://chorus.stimg.co/22912020/merlin_64614415.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What is the most haunted place in Minnesota?
Ghost hunters believe many locations across the state are hotspots for paranormal activity.
Enter your pet, and win!
The Halloween Pet Costume Contest is a chance to show off your pet and your creativity
Twin Cities Marathon 'was like a big party the whole 26.2 miles'
Among the finishers was St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. He called the race from downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol in St. Paul "an emotional victory for the Twin Cities."
It's time to enter the Star Tribune Halloween Pet Costume Contest
We're turning Halloween into Howl-oween.
Meet the fastest Ikea furniture assembler in the Twin Cities
An ace with an Allen wrench puts together Ikea furniture so you don't have to.
Alan Page on education, criminal justice, bow ties and the love of his life
The former state Supreme Court justice and Vikings star is still trying to make Minnesota a better place.
![Jason Larson prepared for a run in south Minneapolis. Shari L. Gross • shari.gross@startribune.com ] Shari L. Gross ??? shari.gross@startribune.](https://chorus.stimg.co/22848351/ows_724dd57b_59d3_4bdf_8d3b_b811bd5ec5d8.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
A runner turns the streets of Minneapolis into a puzzle you can solve
A Twin Cities athlete uses his feet and a GPS watch to draw a giant maze in Minneapolis.
Bonsai tree owners across the Twin Cities are battling tree thieves
The theft of these miniature trees — which can be worth thousands of dollars — is no petty crime.
Mankato English professor named Minnesota's first Native poet laureate
Gwen Nell Westerman has written about Dakota history and language and has won two Minnesota Book Awards.
Minnesota man comes up short in national mullet competition
An Austin man came in 11th in the USA Mullet Championship. But he'll be back.
Minnesotan's path to national television: A talent for tossing pizza dough
Nick Diesslin had an unlikely explanation ready when TSA workers asked him why he was trying to get on a plane to Los Angeles with a cooler full of frozen pizza dough.
You can help crown Minnesota man's mullet the best in the U.S.
Curtis Wilson of Austin is a finalist in the USA Mullet Championships.
How the Twin Cities became the place to go if you're crazy enough to want to walk 100 miles in a day
Ultradistance athletes come here to attempt a rare feat: walking 100 miles in 24 hours.
What are the hot new toys for kids? Here are our 4 favorites
From chess boards to fancy putties, the pandemic has put its mark on gifts for kids.
Jean 'Jeano' Ticarro, who escaped Vietnam to become a Twin Cities chef, dies at 74
He headed up kitchens in local hotels, country clubs and at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, where he once moonlighted in an acting role in a musical.
What a Mayo Clinic doctor sees when he watches the Olympics
A Mayo doctor and human performance expert extracts universal lessons from observing the world's top athletes.
Vaccinated and ready for romance? We offer a lighthearted guide
If you're nervous about dating again, here are some essential tips.
Ever want to drive a railroad locomotive? This is the next best thing
Odd-looking utility vehicles allow railroad fans to engineer the ride of their dreams.
Got surplus TP? Maybe you need to make a toilet paper cannon
Here's how to give new uses to the pandemic products you stockpiled. A toilet paper cannon, anyone?
Need masks or sanitizer? No, we don't, either
Masks, hand sanitizer and toilet paper were hot commodities in 2020. Now we have more than we likely need.
'Goal-oriented' 86-year-old Minnesota twin sisters have mastered everything from computers to canoeing
If living a full, long life means having a variety of interests and being actively engaged in the world, the Robidouxes are good role models.
The handshake went on hiatus during the pandemic. Some doctors hope it's gone for good
Part gesture of respect, part germ spreader, the handshake took a hit during COVID. Will it come back? Should it?
4 walking and hiking clubs in Minnesota to boost your mind and body
Put a little pep in your step by joining a walking group.
How Minnesotans can beat the heat in practical and kooky ways
It's hot, and it looks like it's going to stay that way. You can hide out in your basement or get creatively cool.
Robert Brown, an influential canoe designer from Apple Valley, dies at age 85
Robert "Mississippi Bob" Brown liked boats.He paddled them, sailed them, rowed them and raced them. He built small boats for himself and others by the…
Two Twin Cities makers are creating cool engine- and pedal-powered two-wheelers
E-bikes get a cafe-racer motorcycle look when crafted by two Twin Cities builders.
![Clifford Jacobson gave a thumbs up before rolling his ball down the court in the Northeast Bocce League play at Beltrami Park. ] Jerry Holt •Jerry.](https://chorus.stimg.co/22531710/ows_829c6e39_ef02_4885_ad61_6247ff443b86.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Summer in Minnesota means lawn games: Get ready with our slightly sassy guide
For everything from croquet to Wiffle ball, we get you ready to play, look the part and knock back just the right beverage.
Forgotten how to get dressed up during the pandemic? Our guide to the basics
Vaccination rates are going up, mask mandates are slipping away, and our lives are gradually returning to normal. That means we may be returning to the office. Or even going on dates.
Fashion after herd immunity, or what to wear to the post-pandemic party
We'll want to be fancy and comfortable at the same time.
Minnesota's magnet fishers seek sunken treasure, be it antique tools or guns
More Minnesotans are getting hooked on metal fishing, reeling in everything from bottle caps to bicycles.
Roller Garden, St. Louis Park's grand old roller rink, will transform into a gym
The Roller Garden has hosted tennis and polo matches, rock concerts and, soon, gymnasts.
Need a smile? Read the winners of the Star Tribune Limerick Contest
They're poets and these COVID-themed verses for the Star Tribune Limerick Contest show it.
After 52 years, St. Louis Park's longtime Roller Garden skating rink will close in May
After more than 5 decades of wheel fun, the Roller Garden will give way to a gym.
Online publication the Nordly makes fun of Minnesota because, well, someone has to
Get your homegrown parody at this Minnesota-based satire news site.
What the heck are non-fungible tokens and why should you care?
Could NFTs be the collecting wave of the future?
ChloeAlexa Landry, movie projectionist and transgender advocate, dies at 80
ChloeAlexa Lawrencia Landry led a richly varied life that ranged from operating movie projectors at the Walker Art Center to making pizzas in Bogota, Colombia.A…
For American birders seeking rare owls, Minnesota in winter is a hot destination
Birders from around the country flock to Minnesota in winter. Local guides help them spot elusive owls and other rarities.
Which superhero should we call if the Suez Canal gets plugged again?
If only we could have unplugged the Suez Canal just by calling a superhero. But which one?
Minneapolis restaurants offer takeout food without a side of guilt for using wasteful containers
To-go meals often result in a pile of empty containers. A Minneapolis trio hopes to trim the trash.
Get your rhymes ready: it's time to enter the Star Tribune's limerick contest
We're looking for something humorous or amusing that comments on our hoped-for emergence from the pandemic and a return to normalcy.
Sparky speaks: A Q&A with Minnesota's most famous sea lion
An iconic Minnesota performer will soon be on the stage again.
