1. Make improvements to
6. Protector
10. Death notice
11. Hillside
12. Core or gist
13. Collections
14. Bacterium
17. Yield
20. A Great Lake
21. Assert
22. Ascertaining the dimensions
24. An extension of a collar
1. A newspaper opinion column
2. A type of story
3. Initials meaning "For example"
4. Cores
5. An irresponsible risk-taker
6. Bash
7. Sash
8. Rodent
9. A potent estrogen
14. Precious stone
15. Before
16. Plateau
17. Concern
18. Lair
19. Unit of energy
23. Not down