Author: Frank Farrell

Eden Prairie-based cybersecurity company Arctic Wolf just celebrated its 10th anniversary. The company was founded in April 2012, and its approach to cybersecurity has proved to be a winning formula. I recently had the opportunity to interview Arctic Wolf’s Chief Marketing Officer Dan Larson, who told me the story of the company’s past, present and plans for the future. Cybercrime is a global criminal enterprise Larson said that cybercrime became bigger than the global drug trade during the last 20 years. In 2009 Google was hacked by China in an undertaking known as Operation Aurora. That was the wake-up call…

Door-knocking by political candidates is a time-honored tradition in Minnesota politics. That is especially true this campaign season, as the high-stakes battle for control of the Minnesota Legislature could hinge on just a few hundred votes in a small number of competitive districts. The Republicans door-knocked through the 2020 election; the Democrats took a hiatus due to the pandemic. Door-knocking is back with a vengeance on both sides in 2022. According to the Oct. 7 issue of Axios, “Most Minnesota Democrats refrained from door-to-door canvassing in 2020 amid COVID concerns. … Top DFLers acknowledge that the decision likely contributed to…

Thanks to a significant change in the law, the Eden Prairie-based Peterson Farms can now add THC-infused food and beverages to Verist, its full line of farm-crafted CBD remedies. This new law took effect on Aug. 1 and allows the sale and consumption of certain THC-edible products to those age 21 and older. The product must contain no more than five milligrams of THC in a single serving and no more than 50 milligrams of THC per package. The Petersons maintain their vertical or “farm to table” business model with Verist. They grow the hemp, harvest it, turn it…

Candidates are lining up to replace longtime Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman this fall. On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the current field of seven candidates will be reduced from seven to two when primary election votes are counted. Freeman is leaving office at the end of the year. He served two different stints as Hennepin County Attorney, from 1991-1999 and again from 2007-2022. He has served in that role through some of the most tumultuous events in the county’s history, including the murder of George Floyd and the civil unrest that followed that crime. Seven candidates are currently running to be the…

June was quite a month for the U.S. Supreme Court. If the Dobbs abortion case didn’t rock everybody’s world enough, on June 23, the Court handed down another important decision on gun control, New York State Rifle & Pistol Assoc., et al. v Bruen, et al. The complete text of this case can be found on the U.S. Supreme Court website. The case arose from a challenge to the state of New York’s concealed carry law. The New York law has a provision that requires a license to carry a handgun in New York; the applicant must demonstrate that they…

The recent U.S. Supreme Court’s abortion ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, has shaken the country – and Eden Prairie – like no other in recent history. What was the ruling about? And how does it affect Eden Prairie residents? The ruling essentially hands the power to state legislators to decide the issue for Minnesotans, so where do Eden Prairie’s representatives stand on this issue as an important election day approaches? How far apart? Current state Legislators and their opponents clearly disagree about the Supreme Court decision about abortion rights, but how far apart are they? To be sure, Democratic legislators…

With 132 years of history, the Peterson Farms is among the oldest commercial enterprises in Eden Prairie. The founder, Sever Peterson was drawn to the location along the Minnesota River by the rich soil and shelter it offered. They started growing food and still do. But the history of this family business has been one of innovation and a willingness to enter into new ventures. The latest chapter in the Peterson family story is Verist, a full line of farm-crafted CBD remedies. CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol a chemical found in the hemp or cannabis plant. CBD should not…