Author: Mike Wilkinson

When it comes to ways a driver can be distracted and pose a possible danger to themselves or others, cell phone distraction is the one that immediately comes to mind. But there are others: adjusting the dials on your car radio, trying to restore order in the backseat with unruly kids, lack of sleep, and gazing out at the passing landscape. Regardless of the cause, the results can be tragic. Vijay Dixit knows this all too well. In 2007, his then 19-year-old daughter Shreya, a dean’s list student at the University of Wisconsin, was a front seat passenger in a…

The recently-concluded annual session of the Minnesota Legislature will be known as having passed a plethora of new, far-reaching legislation. This included a $1.87 billion bonding bill, the largest in history. It is important to keep the “largest in history” in perspective. There was no bonding bill passed in the previous session, so as House Speaker Melissa Hortman said, “This is three years wrapped into one.” This year’s version was targeted toward the University of Minnesota and other public schools, first responders, veteran homes, transportation, economic development, and water treatment facilities, among other areas. What did Eden Prairie realize in…

Remember those masks you had during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you still have plenty of them? Perhaps they’re tucked away in a kitchen drawer or between your car seats. If you’ve been considering discarding those masks, think again. Not only could the COVID-19 virus or a future virus emerge, but you might also need them to protect yourself from the smoke during forest fires. The Canadian forest fires have been raging for two months, and there are no signs on the horizon indicating a significant improvement in the situation anytime soon. As of late June, more than…

In case you haven’t noticed, the region is currently experiencing a drought, which is being touted as possibly the most severe since the 1980s. Until June 21, the Twin Cities had received only three-fourths of an inch of rain since May 10. “We expect to have generally the same situation through the summer,” said Joe Calderone, senior forecaster at the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. “However, there are some early indications that in the next 30 days, the Twin Cities could see a slightly above normal amount of rainfall.” In Eden Prairie, city officials are watching the situation closely, but…

Melissa Wilsford’s three young children were getting ready to be out of the house during weekdays, and her husband, James, was a science teacher at Eden Prairie High School. Wilsford decided to launch a career in something she had always loved: gardening and landscape design. She registered the business with the State of Minnesota in 2018 and then kicked things off in 2019. Four years later, Rustic Hills has grown 16-fold. “Our niche is a combination of sustainability and creating productive, edible landscapes for people to enjoy,” she said. “We also specialize in native flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees for…

New firearms regulations in Minnesota are now in effect after passage in the state Legislature during the recently concluded 2023 session, signed by Gov. Tim Walz. Pretty much along party lines, the majority Democrats in the House, and particularly in the Senate, were able to craft two important pieces of legislation. The first is the so-called “red flag” passage, in which a judge can take away firearms possession from individuals who are deemed to be a danger to themselves and/or others. This includes persons diagnosed with mental illness, persons with a record of repeated violence, or those with a record…

The 2023 state Legislature passed a record-setting number of bills directly affecting local government. While there was no legislation specifically designed for Eden Prairie, there are significant categories that will benefit the city. At the same time, there are some categories that will have no bearing on the community. City Manager Rick Getschow added that it is too early to know specifics about a couple of items. “Virtually every city in the state is going to benefit from the new Public Safety program,” he said. “In our case, we expect to realize approximately $2.8 million.” Getschow said city leaders are…

On May 30, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed into law legislation that had been debated extensively in the state Legislature for months, legalizing the possession of cannabis (marijuana) for individuals age 21 and older. The final vote in the state House and Senate largely followed party lines, with nearly all Democrats in the House, except one, voting in favor, and almost all Republicans, except five, voting against it. In the Senate, the voting strictly aligned with party lines. The new law does not take effect until Aug. 1 and allows private parties to possess up to two pounds of cannabis…