Close Menu
Eden Prairie Local News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Wednesday, May 21
    • About
      • About EPLN
      • Team
      • EPLN in the News
      • Policies
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Threads LinkedIn
    Subscribe
    Eden Prairie Local News
    • Home
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Public Safety
    • City
    • Calendar
    • Subscribe
    • Donate
    • More
      • Construction
      • Outdoors
      • Politics
      • Health
      • Spirituality
      • Community Service
      • Legacy
      • Obituaries
      • Arts
      • Family
      • Holidays
      • Letter to Editor
      • Listen
      • Jobs
    Eden Prairie Local News
    Home»Community Service»EPLN holiday kiosk at mall shines light on efforts to bring local news to the community
    Community Service

    EPLN holiday kiosk at mall shines light on efforts to bring local news to the community

    Vijay B. DixitBy Vijay B. DixitDecember 20, 20223 Mins Read
    Ben Hyman points to the scrolling news panel he installed at the EPLN holiday kiosk, at the Eden Prairie Center mall through Dec. 23. Photo by Vijay B. Dixit

    The Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) holiday kiosk continues to greet shoppers on the second-level walkway between AMC Theatres and the food court at Eden Prairie Center mall through Friday, Dec. 23.

    Three banner displays on the holiday kiosk provide information about Eden Prairie’s volunteer-run, non-profit online community news service, which covers sports, education, schools, city government, and entertainment.

    EPLN hopes the banners will draw community news enthusiasts, business owners and potential volunteers to the kiosk. The kiosk has EPLN brochures available that provide information about opportunities to volunteer, advertise, donate, or subscribe.

    The kiosk itself personifies the strength of volunteering and community giving. 

    Advertisement
    Ad for Washburn McReavy

    The three banners were designed, produced, and gifted by Bill Neumiller, a community volunteer from Minnetonka. The scrolling news panel is the work of Ben Hymans, chief technology officer at EPLN, who was looking for a personal project to support the organization.

    Ben Hymans installing the scrolling news panel at the EPLN kiosk. Photo by Vijay B. Dixit

    Members of the EPLN Board of Directors, journalists, and volunteers have been staffing the kiosk and distributing EPLN literature, gifts for donors, and candy for visitors.

    Hymans spent three weeks creating the scrolling news panel.

    He explained how it works in simple terms. “We have an LED digital sign with a microcontroller connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot,” Hymans said. “Once an hour it makes a call out to the internet and retrieves the five most recent headlines from the eplocalnews.org website, updates the sign and scrolls those headlines across the sign.”

    Hymans plans to use what he has learned to improve the design of future panels. He thinks that a wider panel would be more effective, and that chaining two or three of them together would allow mall shoppers to read more of the story, as currently only about half a sentence can be seen at a time.

    He also plans to create a mobile version of the scrolling news panel for use at outdoor events. It will have a Wi-Fi hotspot, an internal battery, and be connected to a portable power pack for several hours of use.

    Secure donations to EPLN can be made on its website by clicking here. You can also click here to subscribe to the EPLN newsletter.

    Editor’s note: Writer Vijay B. Dixit is a member of the Eden Prairie Local News Board of Directors.

    (From left) David Lindahl, Mark Weber, Anisa Hashi, Vijay B. Dixit, and Carol Bomben stand in front of the EPLN kiosk, located between the AMC Theatres and the food court of the EP Center mall. Lindahl, Weber, Dixit and Bomben are EPLN Board of Directors, while Hashi serves on the EPLN Community Advisory Task Force. Photo by Steve Schewe

    Comments
    We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.

    Be Informed
    Sign up for the FREE email newsletter from EPLN
    Subscribe
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleYoung racer Sawalich signs new deal, sets sights on NASCAR
    Next Article Eagles roll in 102-67 win over Waconia

    More to READ

    6 Mins Read

    In memory and movement: Mom honors son’s legacy through grief and green ribbons

    May 16, 2025
    2 Mins Read

    Neighbors ‘pluck the yuck’ to clean up Duck Lake

    May 11, 2025
    2 Mins Read

    Short stacks, big impact at Lions pancake breakfast

    May 4, 2025
    Subscribe to get EPLN in your inbox for FREE!
    Recent Articles

    Eden Prairie High School program gives seniors a head start on careers

    May 21, 2025

    Shakopee man charged in Eden Prairie sexual assault of 15-year-old girl

    May 21, 2025

    EPHS synchronized swim team advances to state meet

    May 20, 2025

    Minnesota legislative session ends, still with a long to-do list

    May 20, 2025

    Former Eden Prairie man sentenced for posting nude images of woman online without her consent

    May 20, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    INN Network Member Guidestar Seal
    Eden Prairie Local News is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 85-4248265 | Copyright © 2020-2025
    • About
    • Policies
    • Jobs
    • Contact
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.