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☆ Inside the world of Wordle at the New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Saira Mueller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

After the New York Times acquired Wordle from its creator, software engineer Josh Wardle, in January 2022, its player base grew to tens of millions. The New York Times assigned a dedicated editor for Wordle, Tracy Bennett, in November 2022. “You’re even going to be able to play Wordles that predate the New York Times acquisition, which is really fun,” Knight told CNN. What Wordle has done for the New York TimesAside from the editorial strategy, Wordle fits perfectly into the Times’ business plans. For Donna Cona, who has played it since before the Times acquisition, Wordle has become her go-to thing each morning.

Persons: Wordle, Josh Wardle, Everdeen Mason, “, ”, Jonathan Knight, Tracy Bennett, we’re, ” Bennett, “ I’ve, Bennett, Mason, ” Mason, it’s, — Bennett, Knight, “ You’re, ” Knight, “ We’re, —, ’, Donna Cona, I’m, …, Nanny, Cona, Malia Griggs ’, they’re, Malia, Jerrold Griggs —, ” Malia, Griggs ’, Malia it’s, ADIEU, Malia Griggs, “ I’m, Wordle “ Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Times, NYT, Louis, Cities, Fulham, Bournemouth, Bradford, New York, Sydney Melbourne New York, DC Locations: North, ”, Seattle, Aberdeen, Hinsdale, Angeles, Lansing, London, Coventry, Auckland, Wandsworth, Wantage, Vancouver, Wordle, New York City, Columbia , South Carolina, Washington, DC Vermont Wyoming, Hoquiam , Washington, Willowbrook , Illinois

☆ Trailer park caretaker surprises his hometown with a gift of $3.8 million, years after another secret millionaire did the same nearby
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In the small town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, people knew Geoffrey Holt as the unassuming caretaker of the mobile home park where he lived. What they didn't know was that he was a multimillionaire — and he donated the entirety of his $3.8 million fortune to the 4,000-person community after he died at age 82 in June. "Geoff was a private person, preferring to be in the crowd rather than in the front of it," Smith tells CNBC Make It. Holt had previously confided to Smith about his wealth, but Smith didn't know of Holt's plans until he became caretaker. He didn't own a car and lived frugally in a mobile home on the 25-acre land Smith owned.

Persons: Geoffrey Holt, Holt, Edwin, Smokey, Smith, Geoff, Mr, Holt's Organizations: CNBC, New, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Navy Locations: Hinsdale , New Hampshire, Brattleboro, New Hampshire, Hinsdale

☆ He Lived a Frugal Life. Then He Left Millions to His New Hampshire Town.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Smith, a 78-year-old lifelong Hinsdale resident, said in an interview that he met Mr. Holt sometime in the 1970s. Eventually, Mr. Holt moved into a mobile home on a tract of land that Mr. Smith owned, and lived there for a time with a widow who owned the home. Mr. Holt did odd jobs for Mr. Smith over the years, like clearing brush, plowing snow and other maintenance tasks. This left Mr. Holt with a small nest egg that he invested in several mutual funds with a broker in Keene, N.H. One was what Mr. Smith described as a communications fund. In 2000 or so, Mr. Holt revealed his wealth to Mr. Smith.

Persons: Edwin Smith, Holt’s, Smith, Holt, Lee Holt Organizations: Hinsdale, Navy, American International College, Mr, Agway Inc Locations: Smoky, Springfield ,, Hinsdale, English, Brattleboro , Vt, Keene, N.H, West Coast

☆ Man who lived frugally leaves unexpected gift of $3.8 million to small New Hampshire town after death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Michelle Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A man who lived frugally all his life left an unexpected gift of $3.8 million after his death to his small New Hampshire town with less than 4,000 residents. He moved to New Hampshire in 1968 and lived on his social security checks for the last 15 years of his life, Smith said. Holt lived in a trailer park in the town, and the kitchen chairs in his mobile home were made of plywood, Smith said. The nearly $4 million gift came from a trust fund Holt established in 2001, primarily made in mutual funds accounts, according to Smith. A ‘transformational’ gift for a small communityThe town is considering various avenues to use the funds from the newfound gift, Lynch said, including possibly buying an electronic voting machine and fixing the town hall clock, which doesn’t work properly.

Persons: Geoffrey Holt, Edwin “ Smokey ” Smith, Holt’s, Smith, Holt, “ Geoffrey, ”, Hinsdale , New Hampshire Robert F, ” Smith, …, Kathryn Lynch, Lynch, ” Lynch, Kristen Oliveri, ” Oliveri, “ Organizations: CNN, New, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Locations: New Hampshire, Hinsdale, Massachusetts, Hinsdale , New Hampshire, ”

☆ At least 22 hurt and one dead in a Juneteenth celebration mass shooting in a Chicago suburb
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

At least 22 people were hurt and one was killed in a Sunday mass shooting at a Juneteenth event. An unknown number of suspects opened fire in a strip mall parking lot in Willowbrook, Illinois. People had gathered to celebrate Juneteenth, a day that marks the end of slavery in the United States. It's unclear what led to the gunfire in a strip mall parking lot in Willowbrook, Illinois. The celebration began around 6 p.m. local time in a strip mall parking lot near Hinsdale Lake Terrace apartments, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office said in a news release, according to The New York Times and CNN.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Jacek Boczarski, Eric Swanson, J.B, Pritzker, I've Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Union Army, Anadolu Agency, Getty, DuPage County Sheriff's, CNN, Police, Illinois Locations: Willowbrook , Illinois, Chicago, The, United States, Texas, Galveston , Texas, Willowbrook, Hinsdale Lake Terrace, DuPage County

☆ Not Your Father’s Pinball Arcade. But Maybe Your Mother’s.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Peter Kujawinski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The store was called Video Hits Plus, with the Plus maybe referring to the basement attractions, which, in addition to the pinball machines, included an air hockey table and a pornographic video section. This was around the time that pinball machines, after nearly dying out in the early 2000s from competition with home gaming consoles, started becoming more popular again. Many of these events were sanctioned by the International Flipper Pinball Association, which ranks players globally. The back of the store housed a selection of pinball machines, and if you bought something, you could play the machines for free. In 2014, James Zespy, the owner of the store, transformed it into a pinball and arcade bar called Logan Arcade.

Persons: Rachel Karlic, Rebecca Hinsdale, Kate Porter, James Zespy Organizations: Western Michigan University, Pinball Association Locations: Chicago, Logan

☆ We moved from Chicago to a laid-back remote island in the South you can only get to by boat. We love it so far.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In 2022 they moved their family to Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, near the Georgia border. Most Daufuskie Island residents leave their cars on Hilton Head and instead traverse the island by golf cart. Haig PointWe've come to Daufuskie Island five or six times before we decided to move. The ferry travels across the Calibogue Sound between Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head. Nicolle: The water taxi is free for children under 18, and for adults it's $6 each for the first two adults.

There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. The rumor of litter boxes in schools appears to have begun among parents on social media, and one of the first schools to confront the falsehood was in Canada last fall. Catalina Lauf, a Republican congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes in her state. Some say litter boxes are located in “transgender bathrooms” in schools. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming “kids are now requesting litter boxes at school” collected 3 million views on the platform.

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