Author: EPLN Staff Reports

Dominic Francis Donato, also known as “Mick,” “Dom,” and “Papa Mick,” 94, most recently of Eden Prairie, passed away on Sept. 13, 2023, after a battle with dementia. Born on Sept. 7, 1929, Mick was raised in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, by Italian immigrant parents. He was a committed Christian, devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He also served as a Korean War veteran. He married on Oct. 2, 1950, to the love of his life, Ms. Elle. Together, they lived a blessed life focused on raising a family, serving at church, and traveling the world. After graduating from Robert Morris…

The Wings of the North Air Museum is set to mark the 76th anniversary of Chuck Yeager’s historic breaking of the sound barrier with a “Sound Barrier Broken” party. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at the museum, which is located at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. The museum will be free on this “special day,” a press release stated. Military veterans who have exceeded Mach 1, Mach 2, and even Mach 25, will be on hand to share their stories of high-speed flight.  Among those expected to attend are retired Lt.…

The Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund will once again sell stuffed animals modeled after the police department’s K9s, Jax and Gus, at the Citywide Open House this Saturday. The event is scheduled for Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road. According to the Eden Prairie Police Department (EPPD) blog, each stuffed animal costs $20, with cash and credit card payments accepted. The toys are exclusively available at the open house and will not be for sale at the police department. The Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund has long provided financial…

Iowa credit union acquires Eden Prairie bank American Investors Bank and Mortgage (AIBM), based in Eden Prairie, has been acquired by Waterloo, Iowa-based Veridian Credit Union (Veridian). The purchase received unanimous approval from the board of directors at both organizations and obtained all required regulatory approval, allowing it to become final on Aug. 22. Veridian retained all 14 remaining AIBM employees. After eight years as AIBM’s President, Tom Fleck accepted the position of Veridian’s Twin Cities regional manager. Veridian’s Carina Vandenakker will report to Fleck as branch manager for the Eden Prairie branch, the sole office previously operated by AIBM.…

Inside lane closures in both directions are expected to occur on Technology Drive near SouthWest Station beginning Oct. 2. These closures will go into November for median work. A one-day full closure of eastbound Technology Drive at the Flying Cloud intersection is expected the week of Oct. 9. Westbound traffic will be maintained. Both instances of road work are connected to ongoing construction related to the Metro Green Line Extension (also known as Southwest Light Rail Transit). At SouthWest Station, 13500 Technology Drive, the Met Council project is constructing a new park-and-ride ramp adjacent to the existing ramp and a…

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced an in-person meeting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, regarding the upcoming 2024 Highway 101 improvement project in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen. Set to take place between mid-June and late October 2024, the improvement project, in collaboration with the cities of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie, encompasses repaving two miles of road stretching from County Road 62 in Eden Prairie to Highway 5 in Chanhassen. Additional works include reconstructing the adjacent trail, introducing pedestrian crossing signals at Valley View Road and Twilight Trail, enhancing the accessibility of ramps and signals, addressing shoulder…

Elucent Medical’s new facility expands manufacturing space Elucent Medical recently held a grand opening of its new facility at 7480 Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie. The new facility expands manufacturing space for the medical device company, which produces technology tailored to deliver precision navigation during surgical oncology procedures, with a strong emphasis on optimizing breast and lung cancer surgery. In addition to the expanded manufacturing space, the facility also includes a dedicated customer training center, which serves as a hub for physician-led clinical education through case series and hands-on product education for medical professionals from across the country. “We…

Four men were arrested Saturday morning near Highway 62 and Xerxes Avenue in Edina after a vehicle chase that began in Eden Prairie. According to an Eden Prairie police statement, a burglary in progress was reported in the 8000 block of Lancaster Court in Eden Prairie at about 10 a.m. An officer spotted a black Maserati without license plates leaving the area, leading to a chase from Highway 212 to eastbound Highway 62. Edina police disabled the vehicle with stop sticks near Highway 100, but the vehicle continued, eventually exiting on Xerxes Avenue, where the suspects abandoned the vehicle and…

For the second time in three years, Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) senior Sasha Allen clinched the $6,000 grand prize in the Discovery Award competition, sponsored by the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC). Sophomore Nico Allen won a $500 Honorable Mention award. Sasha earned the top honor for her documentary, “3-6-9 Kid: How Child Spy Agnes Láckovič Saved Hundreds from the Nazis.” The film chronicles the heroic efforts of teenage World War II spy Agnes Láckovič, who thwarted Nazi plans using her talents and stealth. Starting at the age of 14, Czechoslovakian-born Láckovič became an Allied spy in…

David Wilson Osterholt, born May 14, 1927, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Frederick and Christina Osterholt, passed away on Sept. 4, 2023, at the age of 96 in Frisco, Texas. He is predeceased by his parents, his brothers Ted and Robert, and his beloved wife of 63 years, Louise, who passed in 2009, his foster parents Bill and Zada Slipp, and foster sisters Jean and Peggy. He is survived by his three children, David (Elsie), Elizabeth (Jim) and Robert (Sharon). In addition to his surviving children, he was graced with four grandchildren; Andrea (Todd), Staci, Sam, Christopher (Tayra) and six…