Author: Jim Bayer

In an awful instant almost 15 years ago, Vijay Dixit says his life stopped. Dixit’s 19-year-old daughter, Shreya, was killed in a Nov. 1, 2007 crash caused by the momentary distraction of the driver of the car in which she was riding with three other friends. She was on her way home from the University of Wisconsin to visit her family. While his life stopped in that moment, it didn’t take long for Dixit to channel his grief into something positive. The statistics According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is responsible for: 9 highway deaths every day…

Toyotas and Volkswagens have been the most frequent targets of car thieves in Eden Prairie this year, contrary to a recent national trend, according to an Eden Prairie Police Department (EPPD) report. Kia and Hyundai models are being stolen at a far higher rate in St. Paul, Ohio, Florida and other metro areas, thanks to an apparent manufacturing flaw, according to recent published reports. The Star Tribune reported that car thefts in St. Paul have increased by 40% this year compared to the same time last year. The report said that Kias and Hyundais have been the most frequently stolen.…

The Eden Prairie School Board will vote at its July 25 meeting to ask residents to approve two separate requests to bolster the district’s operating funds as well as fund capital projects for the next 10 years. If the board approves one or both of the referendums, they will be on the ballot Nov. 8, along with the election of school board members. Four board seats for 4-year terms each will be on the ballot, as will a special election to elect one board member for a 2-year term to fill a seat vacancy that expires Jan. 6, 2025. Candidates…

At exactly 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 21, 16305/07 Lincoln Lane turned left on Eden Prairie Road heading south and rolled slowly out of town. But it isn’t the end of the road for the structure. Lincoln Lane The Lincoln Lane neighborhood will be transformed into a four-story, 239-unit apartment complex called The Ellie, whose name refers to Elizabeth Fries Ellet, the East Coast writer credited with giving Eden Prairie its name. The neighborhood got its start in the 1960s when Leonard “Len” Holte purchased property east of Eden Prairie Road immediately north of the historic Smith-Douglas-More House. It was a small neighborhood,…

Summer in Eden Prairie offers many opportunities: afternoons at the beach, picnics in the park, walking the city’s many trails, and backyard barbecuing. It also offers thieves many opportunities that can ruin the fun. For example, a burglar hit the southwest corner of Eden Prairie, walking into several homes unabated and stealing cash, credit cards, and more. On June 25, a purse and wallet were taken from a vehicle at Staring Lake Park. The day before, catalytic converters were stolen from two vehicles on Golden Triangle Drive. EPLN asked Sgt. Lonnie Soppeland of the Eden Prairie Police Department how city…

A Plymouth man suspected in eight residential burglaries in the early morning hours of May 31 in southwestern Eden Prairie has been charged with five first-degree burglary counts. Jaleel Francis Wah, 24, is being held in Washington County on similar charges in that county, according to Hennepin County District Court charging documents signed June 23. Bail is set at $200,000. Eden Prairie Police announced on June 8 that it had a suspect in the burglaries that occurred in the area of Frontier Place, Acorn Ridge, Overland Trail and Cedarcrest Drive. According to the criminal complaint: Eden Prairie Police responded to several burglary reports…

Eden Prairie’s newest water storage tank, a 4 million gallon behemoth north of Highway 212 and east of Eden Prairie Road, has “crushed” the competition to win Top Tank of the Year. The contest, sponsored by Preload, a leader in the design and construction of prestressed concrete tanks, pitted 20 water tanks from across the country in its contest which EPLN reported on recently. “Thanks for casting your votes to help our tank take top honors!” Eden Prairie City Manager Rick Getschow wrote in his July 1 Friday Report. To honor the city’s first-place finish, Preload will donate $3,000 to Water for People, a…

The Hopkins man whose car collided with one driven by an Eden Prairie man in Shakopee on June 21, killing him, has been charged with two counts of felony criminal vehicular homicide in Scott County District Court. The crash killed Charlie Alleman, 19, of Eden Prairie. The driver, Jacob Austin Lederer, 26, admitted to police that he drank several alcoholic beverages at Turtles Bar in Shakopee minutes before getting into his car and heading east on Highway 101. Witnesses told police that Lederer’s Mitsubishi Outlander passed them on the highway at speeds estimated at between 85 and 90 mph, according…

You are reading the 1,000th article published by Eden Prairie Local News. Our first three stories were published mid-COVID on Sept. 25, 2020 by Brad Canham, the first editor of EPLN. Fittingly, they introduced three candidates for the upcoming City Council election. Informing you about news of civic importance – including elections – was one of the primary drivers that brought a group of concerned citizens together to somehow, some way, fill the news gap that occurred when the Eden Prairie News, the city’s long-time weekly newspaper, was shuttered earlier that spring. My first byline didn’t come until Oct. 3 of…

Twenty-six 12-and-Under B fastpitch softball teams from across the Twin Cities battled Saturday at Eden Prairie’s Miller Park for a spot in their state tournament later this summer. Two Eden Prairie teams, Red and Black, were among the teams hoping to move on. Teams competing Saturday must win one game over the course of the weekend to earn a berth in the state tournament, a portion of which will be held at Miller Park July 9 and 10.