Author: Brad Canham

ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge Apple Valley, Minn. – Students from Forest Hills Elementary and Cedar Ridge Elementary were recognized today for their STEM skills as winners of the 2020-21 ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge. The Minnesota Zoo’s award-winning program, presented by Flint Hills Resources, is a yearlong project that challenges elementary, middle and high school students from across Minnesota to develop solutions for real zoo-based scenarios. Students broaden their creativity, math, science and engineering skills throughout the program and share their ideas in a final presentation. This year, teams from 27 schools participated in the challenge. The top projects, as selected…

Remember listening to radio shows of the past? You would sit around the kitchen table with your parents or grandparents, following the twists and turns of an exciting plot line. According to David Durkee and Jen Cordes of the Eden Prairie Players, their goal is to bring back those nostalgic feelings with a modern-day twist. Eden Prairie Players is seeking directors for the first three radio plays of a planned series, which will be rehearsed and recorded over Zoom. There will be an initial group read-through of all three plays, followed by three to four days of rehearsal and recording…

Thanks to nearly $57,000 in funding from the Eden Prairie Community Foundation (EPCF) and one of its charitable fund holders, at-risk young people, older adults facing hardship, victims of domestic violence, and people with special needs are among Eden Prairie residents who will be helped this year. Recently, the EPCF approved direct grants totaling $22,650 that will: Assist victims of domestic violence by supporting the Sojourner Project shelter and community programs, including the Crisis/Help Line.Fund a MoveFwd effort to help local teens and young adults with transportation costs so they can get to school, work, shelter, housing, and resources.Provide fresh…

Members of the Eden Prairie public are invited to participate in a virtual town hall regarding the Southwest LRT project, according to a Metropolitan Council announcement. The Southwest LRT Construction Virtual Town Hall on Monday, March 1, is from 4:30- 5:30 PM, and will address upcoming SWLRT construction activities in Eden Prairie. For more information and how to join, please visit visit the Metropolitan Council website here. A PowerPoint Presentation will be followed by questions and answers.

Richard “Dick” “Emmy” Emahiser, 70, formerly of Eden Prairie, died suddenly Friday, February 19, 2021 at his home in Crosslake, MN. A celebration of Dick’s life will be held later this year, more details to follow as they become available. Currently, a video tribute in remembrance of Dick’s life is available for viewing courtesy of the Nelson-Doran Funeral Home here. Dick was born July 1, 1950 in Willmar, the son of Robert and Genevieve (Noel) Emahiser. After graduating from Mounds View High School, Dick earned a degree in Education from Hamline University. In 1972 he began his teaching career in…

People are hungry and Vanessa and Krystal are hefting boxes of food. In wind, blizzard, and double digit below temperatures they heft boxes of food into car trunks, truck backends, and SUV rear rows most Wednesdays for anyone in need.According to Vanessa Nordstrom, The Food Pulse model is simple “Find the food in Abundance and share it across areas in high need,” she noted. In Eden Prairie that pulse of food has cars lining up around 3 pm on Wednesdays for a 3:30 pm distribution at 6233 Baker Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 (specifically, the parking lot on the southside…

A pilot project to build stronger relationships among Eden Prairie nonprofits and civic organizations has been launched by the Eden Prairie Community Foundation (EPCF), according to a EPCF press release. The pilot will test the theory that the EPCF, working more closely with charitable and service organizations serving Eden Prairie, can bring about more positive impact, better communication, and less duplication. It’s also a test of the EPCF’s new strategic plan which, among other things, calls for the organization to be more of a leader and a “hub” in the community. The pilot, overseen by a EPCF team, will have…

The Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) Virtual Red & Black Gala will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021, according to a FEPS press release. Cocktail mixology, trivia and more The online event starts at 6:45 p.m. with Tom Butler, Fox9 News Anchor, sharing one of his favorite craft cocktail recipes. The evening proceeds with a virtual game night focused on local trivia, such as ‘Can you recall the name of the famous movie filmed at Eden Prairie Center?’ There will be three rounds and three chances to win a prize. Tickets are on sale now here. During the…

At an Eden Prairie City Council meeting on February 2, 2021, Jim Alexander, the Acting Project Director for the Southwest LRT (SWLRT) project confirmed the timeline delay: “It is not going to happen in 2023.” Two stabilization projects discovered in the Minneapolis portion of the 14.5-mile extension to Eden Prairie are creating the delay, according to Alexander. The first is a corridor protection wall needed to minimize vibrations from the passing light rail trains. The one-mile long corridor protection wall also has a small right of way for construction limiting the work. The second is the addition of a secant…

In February crews began repairs on a culvert carrying Purgatory Creek underneath the Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail in Eden Prairie.  According to information provided by Hennepin County, the repair work will continue into the Spring of 2021. The trail has historically been operated by Three Rivers Park District via an interim use permit from the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA). Intermittent weekday trail closures The trail will intermittently close between Venture Lane and Valley View Road in Eden Prairie. These will be short-term, full closures, but they will be limited to working hours on weekdays. The trail will…