Staff Directory 6370581

Richard Chin

Reporter | Features
Phone: 612-673-1775

Richard Chin is a feature reporter with the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He has been a longtime Twin Cities-based journalist who has covered crime, courts, transportation, outdoor recreation and human interest stories.


As a feature reporter, Richard Chin has flown on the Goodyear Blimp, driven the Wienermobile, sunk to the bottom of a lake in a one-man submarine, worn a giant urine specimen cup costume as a mascot for a health care company, rode a vintage Puch at the Sturgis of mopeds and was mistakenly arrested by police hunting for a serial killer. He also spent six weeks in Baghdad during the Iraq war and was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.
Recent content from Richard Chin
The price of avocados in the United States hit $2.23 per pound this week.

What to serve at your election watch party

Some suggestions for foods to reduce stress and anxiety.
According to the prediction market PredictIt, online bettors on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election now seem to feel a Trump victory is more

The polls say the presidential election is a dead heat. But online bettors are leaning to Trump. Who's right?

A University of Minnesota professor says polls are more accurate than so-called prediction markets.
Dr. Jeff Boissoneault, left, director of the Minnesota Alcohol and Pain Lab, demonstrates on Star Tribune reporter Richard Chin how he uses virtual re

Does booze relieve pain? U researchers test inebriated Minnesota State Fair patrons to find out.

Researcher Jeff Boissoneault also has created a virtual reality bar for his drinking experiments.
Chenue Her will be co-anchoring the FOX 9 weekday morning show.

Groundbreaking Hmong TV news anchor returns to the Twin Cities

Chenue Her will co-anchor the Fox9 morning show.
Nate Otto loads a player piano roll during one of his “Not-So-Silent" movie nights in Anoka.

Anoka player piano restorer shows silent films accompanied by 108-year-old photoplayer

Nate Otto shows silent films accompanied by a rare, vintage instrument that combines piano, pipe organ and percussion.
Mason Meisch's cargo bike carries a movie screen, projector, speaker and a miniature fire pit for roasting marshmallows.

Sharing the magic of movies – from the back of a bike

A Minneapolis man projects family-friendly films in Twin Cities parks.
In an undated handout image taken from a video released by the Defense Department's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, a 2004 encounter

Why are there fewer reports of UFOs from Minnesotans?

A reporting app suggests our state is flyover country when it comes to flying saucers. Could it be because of our weather?

Should athletes pray to win a game? A praying, preaching, putting Minnesota pastor answers.

"I think God is a part of both victory and failure on the course or in a game," he said. We wondered: Even the Vikings?
Bryan Demeritte, a Unitarian pastor and farmer, center, stands with his husband, Deron Demeritte, right, and Joshua Rodriguez, left, on their Loving M

A gay, multi-ethnic, farming family is part of Minnesota's emerging polyamorous community

The rural household is part of a nonmonogamous movement that some say is going mainstream.
Richard Chin’s dog Jenny poses for a portrait in the lobby of  the Four Seasons Hotel in Minneapolis on Aug. 7.

I stayed at the fanciest hotel in Minnesota – with my dog

My rescue mutt and I were welcome at the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis.
University of Minnesota researchers are gene sequencing corn dogs for fun and for serious science.

University of Minnesota professors gene sequenced a corn dog. Guess what they found.

There is actually corn in the Minnesota fair favorite, but what about that "dog" part?
Gov. Tim Walz takes questions on speculation that he is under consideration as vice presidential running mate for Kamala Harris.

Walz is a longshot to be the VP pick, according to bettors

Prediction markets and oddsmakers place the Minnesota governor as about the third likeliest choice.
The Twin Cities Unicycle Club compete at Unicon, an international unicycle convention and competition in Bemidji. 

 ]  AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavin

For two weeks, Bemidji became the world unicycle capital

One-wheeled hockey, basketball, even sumo wrestling lured competitors from around the globe to compete in this Minnesota town.
Thousands of fireflies light up at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on July 9, 2020. (This photo is a multiple exposure of images taken over a 5-minu

What's the latest light show in town? Fireflies at the Arboretum.

Conditions are just right this soggy midsummer to see the quiet magic in after-hours viewings.
Andrew Proball floating over a Valleyfair parking lot in Shakopee.

Flooding results in a visit to Valleyfair by kayak

Three local paddlers visited the amusement park — part of which is closed to visitors — without ever touching land.
Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio is a podcast featuring play-by-play coverage of a fake baseball game intended as a sleep aid.

Fake 'baseball radio ASMR' podcast with deep Minnesota roots wants to help you sleep

It's boring. It's imaginary. And it's designed to make you nod off — or at least relax.
A “research corndog” is ready for testing in the laboratory of Christopher Faulk, an associate professor of functional genomics in the University

'Research corndog, do not eat': World's first genetic sequencing of a corn dog to take place at the State Fair

University of Minnesota researchers will use a fair staple to drive interest in a real scientific study.
Jenny drowses as certified dog massage therapist Heidi Hesse works on her. Hesse has a business giving dog massages and teaching dog owners how to do

Minneapolis dog masseuse shows how to rub your pup the right way

A massage does more than just pamper an aging dog. It can help keep it active and relaxed and help you bond.
The only way to get a St. Paul sandwich in St. Paul is to make one yourself.

What is a St. Paul sandwich, and why can't you get one in St. Paul?

The sandwich, which has been named Top 10 in the country, has a convoluted backstory and a surprisingly good taste.
Can we be comfortable putting our hearts behind a Timberwolves win, or will our hopes be dashed?

T-Wolves tips: How to ride the Minnesota sports roller coaster

This team has us going up and down and spinning around. How should we handle this week? Here are some tips.
These musicians climb trees to perform music

St. Paul's Arborators play in the treetops: 'We're the world's only tree-climbing brass band'

They play traditional polkas, waltzes and marches in unusual locations — like the tops of trees.
These are a feature and a bug. A handful of chapulines, an edible grasshopper from Mexico.

University of Minnesota bug experts say we should be eating insects

Find out why we should opt for six-legged snacks at the "Minnsect Show" this weekend.
Bryan Sternberg, a 43-year-old physician assistant from Eagan, wore a yeti costume for the open audition for "Survivor."  "I'm trying to stand out," h

This Star Tribune reporter didn't even survive the audition for 'Survivor'

After a few hours in line at the Minneapolis Convention Center, he bailed. But hundreds of others who stuck it out never got to audition for the reality TV show.
The Harmonic Egg awaits its next visitor at OM Center of Healing in St. Paul. Users experience 50 minutes of light and sound therapy to reach a medita

Can sitting in a giant wooden orb improve your sleep, immune system and memory?

Our hard-boiled reporter test drives the first "harmonic egg" in Minnesota.
What happens to hundreds of unwanted pianos in Minnesota.

Requiem for a piano: Hundreds a year are being trashed in Minnesota

Despite efforts to rehome them or harvest parts, most of the once-beloved behemoths still end up in the dump.
Dog training for television.

Since 1980s, Brainerd man has taught his dogs to get beers from the fridge

Kris Scheller has earned many TV appearances with a series of black Labs, all named Sport.
Nickelodeon Universe. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Thursday, June 2, 2016 Jess Nelson, MOA case manager, Oasis For Youth, walks through the

Not going anywhere for spring break? Try these fun Twin Cities area family activities

Get slimed, grab a joystick, brave a cold plunge.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar helped hold a large Ukrainian flag on the Stone Arch Bridge at a rally to support that country on the second anniversary of Ru

Minn. supporters of Ukraine mark a grim 2 years in war with Russia

The supporters vowed to fight on and made a plea for continued U.S. support.
At-home mortality tests offer to predict how many years you have left. Our reporter checked some out.

At-home mortality tests offer to predict how many years you have left. Our reporter checked some out.

Our anxious reporter tries to determine how long he's got. Should you?
Vanessa Beardsley is opening the Catzen Coffee Bar & Den.

Coffee and cats are coming to St. Paul's Grand Avenue

A planned coffee shop will feature a den with a group of resident cats.
Introverted and feeling lonely? How small talk can help you fight loneliness.

Introverted and feeling lonely? How small talk can help you fight loneliness.

Simple things like talking about the weather, giving a compliment or saying hello to a stranger can make you feel more connected.
A Coon Rapids baker is creating a cake that you set on fire to reveal a surprise.

Why would you set a cake on fire? To reveal a Taylor Swift Super Bowl surprise.

A Twin Cities baker's flaming cakes are selling like hot cakes.
This scene was repeated many times throughout Minnesota in Monday's snowstorm.

What did newcomers to Minnesota miss? A real winter

To say you survived a Minnesota winter, you need to endure a few below-zero hardships, master the penguin walk and understand how a snow emergency works. Don't expect a T-shirt for making it through this wimpy winter.
The animal who made this track on the lake at Elm Creek Regional Park slipped on the ice, which is what made the long track at the bottom. Volunteers

Who made that footprint? These Minnesotans are experts in tracking animals

By identifying clues left by wildlife, they connect to nature and our past.
Lakewood Cemetery, which includes greenspaces and architectural landmarks, receives an estimated 10,000 visitors annually.

Want to be more active? Skip the overcrowded gym and try one of these Twin Cities walks

To get your new year off to a healthy start, we offer new, quiet, historic and classic routes.
Ashley Verdeck, an education specialist at the Como Zoo, is the star in a viral video created by the zoo that features its tiger van.

How Como Zoo's 'Tiger Van' became a viral star on TikTok

A hat with ear flaps and a heavy Minnesota accent win in this Jet Car spoof.

The Twin Cities has a new taproom — for pop

Craft soda maker Northern Soda opens an N/A bar serving soft drinks on tap.

Come on down! You, too, can be on a TV game show

Is it more fun than staying home and yelling at the TV? Survey says: Yes!
Woodworker Tom Guelcher shares how he found a bottle of whiskey that he had hidden many years ago in a porch in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday, Dec. 1,

A St. Paul porch held buried treasure. The surprise was who left it.

In a hollow column, a contractor discovered a bottle of whisky and a business card — his own.
Steve DeBoer ran near his home in Rochester, Minn., on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. DeBoer has run at least a mile a day every day for more than 52 years.

A Rochester man has run every day for more than 52 years — mostly shirtless

"I like to do things consistently," says the man, who got a C in phy ed as a kid.
In St. Paul's boomer ballet class, you're never too old to plié

In St. Paul's boomer ballet class, you're never too old to plié

Ballet not only offers older adults a form of exercise, but it gives them a chance to create something of beauty.

2 kids, 2 adults hospitalized following carbon monoxide poisoning at Rochester hotel

Guests reported feeling lethargic after swimming in the pool, officials said.
Carol Finwall

Doll repair expert Carol Finwall, who healed hundreds of beloved childhood toys, dies at 86

"She was an artist. Dolls were her palette," her son said.
Minnesotans Sarah Schuler, left, and teammate Michaela Keener were two top competitors at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship held in September in Sp

Minnesotans are top-ranked in a sport you may have never heard of

Puzzling, it seems, thrives in places where people spend a lot of time indoors.
Jess Tran’s wedding ring was hidden somewhere in this corn pit.

What's the modern version of a needle in a haystack? Try a lost ring in a corn pit

Minnesotans are discovering that jewelry and corn pits don't mix.
Penny the labrador retriever picked up and held a roll of tape as handler Rachel Maino waited during the first session of “Camera Ready: Green Room�

This acting class has gone to the dogs

Minneapolis class teaches pooches how to pose for the camera.
Elite runners took off from the start line of the Twin Cities Marathon on Oct. 2, 2022, in Minneapolis.

What's it like to be an elite runner at the Twin Cities Marathon? A pro competitor answers our 26 questions.

We talked with professional runner Brittany Charboneau.
Can you wance? Dancing while walking has become a regular sight in St. Paul

Can you wance? Dancing while walking has become a regular sight in St. Paul

Steph Coffield is a name consultant from Apple Valley.

What to name your baby or your dog? Apple Valley consultant can help

Steph Coffield charges $50 to $600 for a customized list of names of anything needing naming.
Minnesota's weapon-wielding armored combat fighters are not your average geeks

Minnesota's weapon-wielding armored combat fighters are not your average geeks

These Minnesotans dress like knights and do battle with (dulled) swords and axes.
A flier for the Cathy Wurzer ride to the State Fair

Join MPR radio host Cathy Wurzer and the Pedaling Pastor on a bike ride to the State Fair

Ed Sheeran's crew got a puppy party before Minneapolis show

Ed Sheeran's crew got a puppy party before Minneapolis show

Wayne Andersen practiced his pole vaulting technique at the Blake High School track. Andersen competed as a high school athlete in the pole vault. Fif

Some seniors take up pickleball — these Minnesotans are pole vaulting in their 70s

Mike Soule and Wayne Andersen prove that you're never too old to take a flying leap. The men, both 71, have rediscovered a sport they first tried more than a half-century ago.
We asked Seigo Masubuchi, a veteran marathon runner who knows a bit about being hot (he once ran the Twin Cities Marathon wearing an 18-pound costume

Air conditioning you can wear: Our guide to personal cooling devices

Beat the heat this summer with neck fans, cooling vests and these other wearable devices.
Our reporter flew in a fighter jet before this weekend's Blue Angels show in Duluth

Our reporter flew in a fighter jet before this weekend's Blue Angels show in Duluth

Reporter Richard Chin felt the need for speed ahead of this weekend's Duluth Air and Aviation Expo.
Barry Kudrowitz is a toy inventor, a University of Minnesota professor and an expert in creativity.

A U professor says humor — and certain cheeses — can help you be more creative

Improv comedy classes and certain kinds of cheeses may help you be more creative.
The scene when “Good Morning America” came to Stillwater.

Stillwater's Main Street makes an appearance on 'Good Morning America'

It was featured in a segment that highlights iconic main streets across the country.
A field guide to fireworks to make you a  pyrotechnic know-it-all

A field guide to fireworks to make you a pyrotechnic know-it-all

You can provide the commentary while watching a fireworks show.
Bruce Stillman has transformed the hay field he bought into acres of art and fun as the Big Stone Sculpture Gardens and Mini Golf. This hole is in the

Minnesota mini-golf with a twist is your summer fun destination

Big Stone in Minnetrista is part Stonehenge, part Flintstones — and there's a goat, too.
Enjoy it while you can.

Some stats to help you savor summer

Summery numbers doesn't mean winter isn't coming.

Man fatally shot in Minneapolis early Sunday morning

The victim's name has not yet been released; no arrests have been made.
] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com

These veterinarians are honored to do one thing — put ailing pets out of their misery

Veterinarians who specialize in at-home pet euthanasia find satisfaction in helping animals and owners.
What's more exciting than paddleboarding and easier than windsurfing? eFoiling

What's more exciting than paddleboarding and easier than windsurfing? eFoiling

The electric-powered hydrofoils are the latest thing in personal watercraft.
After more than 100 miles of pushing scooters, Sam Artz, Abe Townley and Dayton Nash arrived in Bemidji.

3 guys rode nonmotorized scooters from Brainerd to Bemidji, and TikTok loved it

Friends pushed Razor scooters 100 miles along the Paul Bunyan State Trail.

Should men go shirtless in summer? When is it OK, and when is it not?

Dos and don'ts for male toplessness at the beach, the gym, the concert or the stadium.
A rack of Nice Ride bikes at Marshall St. NE and Lowry Ave. NE Monday afternoon. ] JEFF WHEELER • Jeff.Wheeler@startribune.com

Get a cheap ride: Old Nice Ride bikes on sale for $50 apiece

But only 50 will be available.
Who's playing with pricey, souped-up, super-fast Nerf blasters? Adults

Who's playing with pricey, souped-up, super-fast Nerf blasters? Adults

Members of Minnesota's Nerf community collect and modify toys so that they can shoot a foam dart at more than 100 miles per hour.
The Minnesota State Band in 1907 on the steps of the State Capitol.

Minnesota's state band — one of the last in the country — celebrates 125 years

The Minnesota State Band will give a free anniversary concert.
A sellout crowd of 250 gathered March 11 for a chance to win a designer purse or a gun at a bingo fundraiser for Glencoe Days. Winners who chose purse

Gun and purse bingo fundraisers grow in popularity in Minnesota

The bingo events have taken in thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations, cancer research, town festivals, hunting teams and more.

Gun and purse bingo fundraisers grow in popularity in Minnesota

The celebrated cart king of Mount Eden Prairie.

When will those huge piles of snow melt? Try June

Mount Eden Prairie during, winter of 2022-2023.

When will the snow and ice melt away? It could be a while

The remnants of the biggest piles might last until June.
Fred Case

From juvenile delinquent to rock and roll photographer

Minnesotan Fred Case was a colorful counterculture character and had the pictures to prove it.
This shopping cart was briefly king of the snow hill.

The image that captures our long, long winter in Minnesota

Prank or performance art piece, it's attracted a lot of social media love.