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How a costume maker convinced Hersheypark to ‘chocolatize’ their old‑timey theme park

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article A theme park has to have an identity. If you want to know the two things that Hersheypark does especially well, just approach the entrance. There you will meet a friendly candy mascot – perhaps a Hershey bar, Reese’s […]

An engraving of the surrender of British forces to George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
Michael Lee/Moment via Getty Images via The Conversation

What happened at the end of the Revolutionary War? Here’s how Americans set up a brand-new country once the fighting ended

The United States came out of the Revolutionary War victorious. But building a new nation was very different from fighting a war.

Tyner honored with Nancy Latimer Award for advancing early childhood education and literacy justice

Dr. Artika R. Tyner, award-winning author, educator, attorney, and founder of Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute (PPGJLI), has been honored with the Nancy Latimer Award at the 2026 …

Can we get a little commotion for vanilla? It's having a moment – and Minnesota is here for it

Chocolate may get most of the attention, but vanilla is quietly making a statement — and Minnesota is helping lead the way. A new University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and …

A chair-shaped bean bag available for the public to borrow from the Fraser Sensory Lending Library is displayed at Fraser Richfield. (Photo by Melody Hoffmann)

Sensory tools available to public at Fraser

Loud noises, bright lights, and crowded areas can be overwhelming for anyone. A person’s anxiety and stress levels can elevate if they stay in these environments for too long. Fraser Richfield is …

Soul of the Southside 2026

In honor of Juneteenth, the people of Minneapolis came together for the Soul of the Southside Annual Festival, a free event hosted on E. Lake Street, 27th and Minnehaha Ave. Soul of the Southside …

New E-Ride safety guide helps families navigate fast-growing trend this summer

As e-bikes and e-scooters surge in popularity, AAA – The Auto Club Group is launching its new “E-Ride Ready” campaign to help parents better understand the …

AI may quickly generate ideas, but working with people leads to more creative ones

A recent experiment found that people working with ChatGPT generated fewer unique ideas than those who collaborated with other humans.

Plans with cheaper premiums are risky business for Americans seeking lower healthcare costs

Some options that might look like health insurance actually aren’t – and they may leave you stranded with large, unexpected medical expenses.

The Crossword Puzzle

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The Glenwood-Inglewood Company in 1910. The Glenwood and Inglewood springs were on adjacent property and ran as separate water companies until about 1896. Minnesota Historical Society.

DO DRINK THE WATER

Before a new house is completed today in the Twin Cities, the utilities (sewer, water, natural gas, electricity, etc.) are already in place. The owners take it for granted that their new home will …

Dredging operation at Lake Hiawatha in 1929, courtesy of the Minnesota Digital Library

The changing names and landscapes of Lake Nokomis and Hiawatha

Read this piece by the Minnesota Historian written by Josh Biber in 2022 titled, " The Changing Names and Landscapes of Lake Nokomis & Hiawatha. "

At 37th and Hiawatha, you can see the iStorage self-storage in the former Dayton's warehouse, the General Mills grain elevators on the far east, and the Atkinson ADM Mill on the south side of the intersection. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Atkinson ADM Mill still operating

The Atkinson ADM Mill at 3745 Hiawatha Ave. is still operating, and has recently been upgraded to make it more efficient. It is the last industrial flour mill still operating in Minneapolis. The mill …

Minneapolis' second Black fire chief, Bryan Tyner, speaks at the renaming ceremony in Longfellow on March 17. "I'm just so happy to see this day finally here," said Tyner. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

It’s Cheatham Avenue now

Dight Ave is no longer named after a man who launched a crusade to bring the eugenics movement to Minnesota and wrote fan letters to Hitler. Instead, it has been renamed to honor John Cheatham, a man …

Nokomis East History

What was here in...? Curious? Jackie Sawyer, who owns Nokomis Tattoo with husband Mike Welsh, put together this document for 2021 Crazy Days. The signs were posted throughout the community to help …

How to get a protective order during the holidays, when the system slows down

WSM Law reports that obtaining a protective order during the holidays can be challenging due to court closures and reduced schedules.

How does Salmonella contaminate everything under the sun?

The Conversation reports that Salmonella contamination is widespread, affecting food, surfaces, pets, and potentially causing over 1.35 million infections annually in the U.S.

The costume maker who convinced Hersheypark to embrace candy mascots and ‘chocolatize’ their old-timey theme park

Hersheypark underwent a total transformation in the 1970s, when candy mascots and thrill rides replaced barn animals and old-timey recreations of Tudor England.

A special Los Angeles preview event for the movie 'Ramayana' on March 30, 2026.

From ‘A Little Princess’ to ‘Black Panther,’ how Hollywood films have reimagined the South Asian epic ‘Ramayana’

There is no single way to tell the story of the ‘Ramayana.’ People from different religious traditions and cultural backgrounds have reimagined the epic in countless ways.

The Declaration of Independence did more than assert the Colonies' independence from Britain.

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

The Declaration of Independence isn’t just a philosophical breakup letter. It was a strategic move to secure vital support for America after its first declaration of war.

In this illustration, _Spinosaurus mirabilis_ fight over a carcass some 95 million years ago in what is now the Sahara Desert in Niger. Dani Navarro

Paleontologists uncover a new ‘Spinosaurus’ species by following a clue from a decades-old book into the Sahara Desert

The hunt for a mythicized fossil hot spot took a team of researchers on a journey through the Sahara Desert.

Michelangelo's 16th-century fresco 'The Last Judgment.' Sistine Chapel collection via Wikimedia Commons

Why Michelangelo’s ‘Last Judgment’ endures

The artist used daring imagery that sparked controversy from the moment it was unveiled.

As part of the Artemis II mission, humans will fly around the Moon for the first time in decades.

NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon shows how US space strategy has changed since Apollo – and contrasts with China’s closed program

Today, there aren’t just two countries competing to get to the Moon. More countries have space programs, and private industry plays a larger role.

Your shoes might not necessarily free your mind.

Can shoes alter your mind? What neuroscience says about foot sensation and focus

Your feet can send a lot of sensory information to your brain. But whether you believe that your footwear is affecting your cognition may matter more than what shoes you wear.