Author: Jim Bayer

Early voting began Friday, Sept. 17 for the Nov. 2 Eden Prairie School Board special election. To inform voters about the candidates, Eden Prairie Local News Sept. 23 will publish the answers to a questionnaire completed by all five candidates vying for the open school board seat. Candidates for the single open seat are Steve Bartz, Albert Born, Michelle Mattison, Francesca Pagan-Umar and Darryl Stanton. Early voting began Sept. 17 and continues at the Administrative Services Center, 8100 School Road, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The League of Women Voters Minnetonka/Eden Prairie/Hopkins will host a candidate forum for…

On Monday, September 13, 2021, Mike Elhard, loving husband and proud father, passed away at the age of 39. Mike was born on November 18, 1981, in Minneapolis, Minn. to Joyce Larsen and Paul Elhard. He graduated from Richfield High School in 2000. Mike received a bachelor’s degree in Community Development from St. Cloud State University and later obtained his master’s degree in Urban Planning. On September 27, 2008, Mike married the love of his life, Kristi Mulliner, and later welcomed their boys, Owen and Ethan. They settled in Eden Prairie, Minn. Mike was employed by Ecolab as the Salesforce Technical…

The funeral for Eden Prairie resident Mike Elhard is at noon Sept. 18 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie. Elhard’s body was found Sept. 14 less than 24 hours after he went missing during a run near his home. Elhard, 39, left his home in southeast Eden Prairie the morning of Sept. 13 and his wife reported his disappearance to Eden Prairie Police and asked for help finding him on a Facebook post later that day. He was found the following morning along Hennepin Town Road, north of Pioneer Trail, less than a mile from his home. Police have not…

The Eden Prairie School Board Sept. 13 unanimously approved a two-year contract with the Eden Prairie Education Association (EPEA), the union that represents most district teachers, that includes a 2.75% pay increase each year. The contract is effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. Other impacts of the contract include: no increases in the district contribution to employee health insurance. teachers married to another Eden Prairie Schools’ employee, and who elects family health insurance, will receive a district contribution towards family health insurance equal to two times the district contribution for single coverage. sets hourly rates for teacher training…

Eden Prairie Police received a report at 7:53 a.m. Sept. 14 of the discovery of the body of an adult male along Hennepin Town Road, north of Pioneer Trail. The body fits the description of missing Mike Elhard, according to press release. The location of the found body is less than a mile from Elhard’s residence. The initial investigation did not indicate foul play, the release said, but police are conducting a full investigation with assistance from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner’s office will determine the cause of death…

EPLN published a follow-up article to this story with additional information on Sept. 14, 2021. Community residents and Eden Prairie police are searching for an Eden Prairie man who left his home for a run at 10 a.m. Sept. 13 and had not returned home as of about 8:30 p.m., according to his wife. In a Facebook post at around 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13, Kristi Elhard reported that her husband, Mike, 39, left on foot wearing running shorts, a running shirt, a black visor and black and white Brooks running shoes. He was not carrying his wallet or an I.D.,…

Sixteen 14U and 16U girls fastpitch softball teams played in the Mandy Matula Memorial Fastpitch Tournament Sept. 11 at Miller Park in Eden Prairie. Tournament proceeds benefit the Mandy Matula Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of Matula, who played softball at Eden Prairie High School and the University of Minneosota-Duluth, and mentored young players with the Eden Prairie Fastpitch Association. Matula was a victim of domestic abuse in 2013 at the age of 24. The event raised $4,000 for scholarships that are awarded annually to Eden Prairie softball players. Photos by Jim Bayer

Twelve high school marching bands from Minnesota and South Dakota, including the Eden Prairie Eagle Marching Band, gathered at Eden Prairie High School Sept. 11 to compete in the 29th annual Prairie Colors Marching Band Festival. Eden Prairie’s 80+ member band is comprised of 9th through 12th graders and includes a drumline, brass and woodwind sections, color guard and frontline. Bands from Champlin Park, Anoka, Andover, Minnetonka, Rochester Lourdes, Hastings, Waseca, Brandon Valley, Grand Rapids, Marshall, and Eastview joined Eden Prairie. Proceeds of the event support the Eden Prairie High School Marching Band. Photos by Jim Bayer

Eden Prairie’s school board will vote Sept. 13 on a contract agreement ratified by members of the Eden Prairie Education Association which represents most of the district’s teachers, according to a district representative. A separate agreement also includes the Eden Prairie Preschool Education Association, which represents the district’s preschool teachers, according to Brett Johnson, senior director of communications and community relations. Details of the agreement are not included in the meeting agenda published on the district’s website. The contract agreements are the only agenda items on the brief business meeting. Board vacancy on workshop agenda The board likely didn’t expect…

I was reading a touching story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today. It was about an adopted woman who discovered that her biological father was one of the people who fought terrorists aboard a doomed airplane on Sept. 11, 2001. Then I read the reader comments. “We have forgotten. We have forgotten that feeling of all Americans being on the same side. We have forgotten all the kindness shown to others in the aftermath of this horrific attack. We have forgotten how to be a united country.” “Could we not relive 9/11 every two minutes? Yes, it was awful. And…