Why a Minneapolis neighborhood sharpens a giant pencil every year

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Residents will gather Saturday in a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood for an annual ritual — the sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil. The 20-feet-tall pencil was sculpted out of a mammoth oak at the home of John and Amy Higgins. The beloved tree was damaged in a storm a few years ago. But the Higginses saw it not so much as a loss, but as a chance to give the tree new life. The sharpening ceremony on their front lawn has evolved into a spectacle that draws hundreds of people to the Lake of the Isles neighborhood, complete with music and pageantry.

Flying boats make for a rare sight as Washington clears an island of derelict vessels by helicopter

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Department of Natural Resources has been using one of its firefighting helicopters to haul abandoned boats off an uninhabited island in the southernmost reaches of Puget Sound this week. The vessels are flown to the mainland to be deconstructed later. The state agency opts to airlift boats out when a water removal would disrupt the marine bed or surrounding environment too much. Officials say this week’s operation was the largest the department has undertaken. Since the boat removal program began in 2002, the department has hauled out more than 1,200 derelict vessels.

Dilly Dally the sea turtle returns to the ocean after flipper amputation

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly Dally is back in the Atlantic Ocean, months after having a front flipper amputated at a Florida turtle hospital. The turtle was brought to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in January suffering from predator wounds to the front flipper. The veterinary crew at the Juno Beach facility assisted in Dilly Dally’s rehabilitation and care. A veterinary technician at the center says a satellite tracking device was attached to Dilly Dally’s shell that will allow the center and the public to follow her journey. The center partnered with the Smithsonian to get the satellite tag, which was attached on Tuesday.

The iconic Goodyear Blimp is 100. To celebrate, a flight over Ohio

MOGADORE, Ohio (AP) — The iconic Goodyear airships are taking a “victory lap” over the skies of an Ohio city this week. The Akron-based company is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the inaugural flight of its first branded blimp, known as “Pilgrim,” which took flight just outside of the city on June 3, 1925. Goodyear began experimenting with lighter than aircraft in the early 1900s, and the dirigibles have since become one of the most lasting and iconic corporate brand assets in the world. For some, it evokes nostalgia, while for others it offers a glimpse into a larger-than-life advertising symbol.

North Dakota's historic sites will finally have toilets that flush

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Visitors to historic sites in North Dakota will soon have flush toilets available. The State Historical Society is upgrading major sites with staffs, such as bandleader Lawrence Welk’s childhood home. The move comes as a way to improve the visitor experience and to replace portable and vault toilets at staffed sites. Other sites set for the upgrades include Whitestone Hill and Fort Buford. North Dakota has 60 historic sites, from museums to historic buildings to remote locations. Not every site will receive the restroom upgrades. Nearly 400,000 people last year visited places where the Historical Society tracks visitation.

Millions of honeybees abuzz after truck overturns in Washington state

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — About 250 million honeybees took to the skies when a commercial truck carrying them overturned in Washington state near the Canadian border. The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office says the truck hauling an estimated 70,000 pounds of honeybee hives rolled around 4 a.m. Friday near Lynden. The driver wasn't hurt. The hives later came off the truck, and the sheriff's office says more than two dozen local beekeepers swarmed at the scene to help reset the box hives. Authorities say goal is to save as many of the bees as possible by allowing them to return to their hives and find their queen bee.

59-0! NAIA champion LSU Shreveport is the first college baseball team on record to go unbeaten

LSU Shreveport is the first college baseball team on record to go unbeaten. The Pilots finished 59-0 when they won the NAIA championship in Lewiston, Idaho, on Friday with a 13-7 victory over Southeastern of Florida. The Pilots have appeared in the NAIA national tournament every year since 2005 and the NAIA World Series in 2021, 2022 and 2025. They’re 270-49 in six seasons under coach Brad Neffendorf. NCAA Division III Trinity of Connecticut held the previous record for winning percentage when it went 45-1 in 2008 for a .978 clip.

Brazil's lifelike doll craze goes from shopping malls to state legislatures

SAO PAULO (AP) — Videos featuring emotional moments with hyper-realistic baby dolls have sparked both online fascination and political debate in Brazil, with lawmakers even bringing the lifelike dolls into legislatures. Influencers have staged situations such as birth simulations and strolls in shopping malls with the handcrafted baby figures known as “reborn” dolls. In Rio de Janeiro, the city council has passed a bill honoring those who make the lifelike dolls. Meanwhile, legislators elsewhere across the country have debated fines for those seeking medical help for such dolls, following a video allegedly showing a woman taking one to a hospital.

French Open tennis players say nasal strips aren't just for snoring

PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz has been wearing nasal strips in some matches since last season. That's sparked an interest in the better-breathing adhesives among other tennis players — even if the four-time Grand Slam champion has skipped using them so far at the French Open heading into his third-round match on Friday night. The bandages open the nostrils to ease nasal breathing. Nicolás Jarry wears them daily both for practice and competition. Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula are among the players who have noticed Alcaraz using them and are curious whether the strips could help. Science isn't so sure of the benefits.

Harrison Ruffin Tyler, preserver of Virginia history and grandson of 10th US president, dies at 96

CHARLES CITY, Va. (AP) — Harrison Ruffin Tyler died on Sunday. He is the last living grandson of U.S. President John Tyler known for preserving his grandfather’s plantation and nearby Union Civil War fort. The cause of Tyler’s death on Sunday was not immediately available. Tyler’s grandfather was a Democrat nicknamed the “Accidental President” after unexpectedly assuming the presidency when President William Henry Harrison died in office. The time between the president’s birth and his grandson’s death spans 235 years.