Author: Juliana Allen

It’s been a tough winter health-wise for Michael Okwabi, a beloved band teacher at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), who suffers from stage 4 kidney disease. One bright spot, however, has been the strong support Okwabi, his wife Tori, and their daughter Mya have received from the school community over these past few difficult months. Okwabi was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease at the end of 2022, a complication of the Type 1 diabetes he has been managing since he was 21. Further compounding matters, in mid-February, Okwabi fell ill with COVID-19 and pneumonia after a school band…

Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) boys swim and dive team achieved a long-held dream last Saturday night, becoming the 2023 Minnesota AA state champions. The team also won two individual state championships courtesy of senior Luke Logue. “It was a very special moment for so many reasons – my first state team title, and first time scoring 40 points (winning both individual events),” Logue said. “But what is probably going to stick with me the most was the team effort and the special experience of winning the team title that I was able to help give to my younger teammates…

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Tuesday to include additional statements from those who attended the sentencing, as well as a comment from the school district. Craig Lee Hollenbeck, a former social studies teacher at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty on Dec. 16, 2022, to a gross misdemeanor charge of endangerment of a child, also known as child grooming. Hollenbeck was sentenced to 30 days of Sentencing to Service (STS) and two years of probation, along with additional conditions. The charge stemmed from an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old EPHS student between Feb.…

Members of Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) orchestra recently performed and recorded movie music during a whirlwind four-day trip to Disney World in Florida. On Feb. 10, students showcased musical selections from Disney movies, “The Incredibles,” “Frozen,” “Moana,” “Brave,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” at the Disney Springs Bandshell. They were also able to take part in a recording session with an on-staff Disney composer. This allowed them to experience what it is like to be a freelance musician and performing string player with Disney. “The trip was amazing,” said Angelique Rowell, EPHS’s orchestra director. “The kids were wonderful to…

It’s crunch time for Eden Prairie High School’s boys swim and dive team. After fantastic swims at the Section 2AA Tournament Feb. 24-25 that earned them second place overall, and a phenomenal season that saw them crowned Lake Conference champs for the first time since 2016, the team is sending 14 swimmers and one diver to the state tournament starting tonight. “The section meet was the tale of two sessions,” said Kelly Boston, the team’s head coach. “On Friday night the boys came in and secured their lanes. On Saturday night the boys opened up with a fantastic medley relay…

Eden Prairie High School’s boys and girls Nordic ski teams had strong performances at the state tournament on Feb. 15-16 at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik, Minnesota, with the boys placing fifth and the girls ninth. Capping off the achievement was senior Benon Brattebo’s first-place finish to become state champion in the boys event. “It was awesome,” he said. “It’s something I thought about a lot and worked hard for, so it was really fun to see it all come together on the day.” Brattebo beat his closest opponent, Blaine’s Ben Lewis, in a tight finish by less than 1/100th of…

Good news for fans of Thin Mints, Trefoils, and Caramel deLites: Cookie season is officially here. Eden Prairie Girl Scouts are hoping the community will help support them in their sales efforts over the next six weeks. Although selling cookies is the main goal, Girl Scouts benefit in many ways from actively engaging with the community, said Jody Ward-Rannow, a service unit manager for Eden Prairie Girl Scouts whose two daughters are in local troops. “We’re trying to teach girls leadership skills and to be confident,” she said. “We need our community to help us do that, so please engage…

Eden Prairie Schools K-12 and TASSEL students will move to e-learning on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and Thursday, Feb. 23, instead of in-person school, due to winter weather. EP Online will continue as normal. All regularly scheduled events, athletics, and activities on Tuesday, Feb. 21, will continue as normal, EP Schools said in an email to families Tuesday afternoon. The following programs are continuing Wednesday, Feb. 22, and Thursday, Feb. 23: The following programs are closed or canceled on both Wednesday and Thursday: The following programs are to be determined for Wednesday and Thursday: The following programs are continuing Thursday: The…

Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) is looking for community volunteers to help create meaningful learning experiences for students in its capstone classes. Capstone classes are centered on helping students experience what a career in that field might be like. They are a key part of completing one of the high school’s five career-focused pathways, which help students explore their interests and guide them in their course selections. For each of EPHS’s 10 capstone classes, the school is looking for guest instructors, site visits, project partners, mentors, and advisory committee members. Karen Brettingen, industry partnership coordinator for Eden Prairie Schools, said…

Eden Prairie’s beloved therapy dog, Mac, passed away last month while being comforted by his owner and volunteer therapy partner, Sheryl Cater. Volunteering to make a positive difference is something many people do in their spare time, but for Mac, helping others was his life’s calling. EPLN recently shared the story of how Cater, a retired Eden Lake Elementary gifted teacher, volunteers her time to teach students about the sport of dog sled racing. Cater also dedicated many years to volunteering with Mac, her bearded collie and close companion, for over 13 years. For most of that time, Mac was…