Author: EPLN Staff Reports

After being temporarily closed due to unsafe bacteria levels, Round Lake Beach in Eden Prairie has officially reopened for swimming. According to the city, routine testing conducted on Monday, Aug. 7, indicated safe levels of bacteria in the water, leading to the reopening decision. Lifeguards were back on duty on Wednesday, Aug. 9. The beach had been closed after unacceptable bacteria test results were found during routine testing on July 31. The lake was also closed for a few days in early June and at the end of last summer due to similar concerns. Hennepin County Public Health oversees the…

Eden Prairie Center shoppers will soon have more options as the mall announces several new tenants, including specialty retailers focused on activewear, video games, and hand-poured soy candles. According to a press release, the 1.4 million-square-foot retail center is adding Let’s Roar, High Score, and T.S. Home Studio to its retail lineup, joining over 100 shops and restaurants. “We’re proud to welcome three local entrepreneurs to the strong mix of national and local retailers at Eden Prairie Center,” said Nancy Litwin, the mall’s senior general manager. Let’s Roar Let’s Roar sells men’s and women’s activewear and gold-plated stainless steel jewelry…

A funeral service for Eden Prairie resident Arlene Mary Brown, who died on April 28 at Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs, Florida, is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 19, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 16515 Luther Way, Eden Prairie. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the service at 11 a.m. She loved being in Florida’s warm weather during the winter months, but Eden Prairie has always been her home. Arlene loved her family and friends; spending time at the family cabin; puttering in the yard (especially the flowers — her favorite were lilacs); seeing plays at the Guthrie; listening to…

Elucent Medical has new names in the C-suite; Brighter Days Grief Center acquires northern Minnesota camp.

The City of Eden Prairie celebrated its annual “Night to Unite” event Tuesday, with 152 neighborhoods hosting block parties and engaging in a community food drive. According to a Wednesday police department blog post, residents were encouraged to donate food to the PROP Food Shelf, and the response was generous. Eden Prairie residents donated 9,656 pounds of food and $275 in cash and gift cards to the local organization. The blog also highlighted a special incentive: parties that donated more than 200 pounds of food were entered into a drawing for an ice cream social hosted by the Eden Prairie…

Eden Prairie’s Round Lake Beach has been temporarily closed due to unsafe levels of bacteria found during routine testing, the city reported Tuesday. As a result, the city has closed the lake for swimming until further testing determines the water is safe. Hennepin County Public Health conducts sampling and analysis of public beaches in the county from Memorial Day to Labor Day to ensure safe water quality for swimming. The department also has the authority to close contaminated beaches. Testing conducted on the water of Round Lake on July 31 revealed unacceptable test results. The lake was also closed for…

An Eden Prairie man is among 11 people facing felony charges following a multi-agency undercover operation led by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety that targeted human trafficking and resulted in the recovery of four victims. Yonis Abdiweli Hashi, 22, of Eden Prairie, was arrested along with 10 other suspects during a two-day operation on July 27-28 in St. Paul. According to a July 29 news release, the suspects were allegedly caught attempting to solicit minors for sex or promote prostitution via online conversations with undercover agents, who posed as minors or sex buyers. The operation was led by the…

Jack Leslie Steinmetz, a WWII veteran aged 99 years, passed away at Methodist Hospital on July 10. Jack was born to Leslie G. and Elsie Mae Steinmetz on July 3, 1924, in Minneapolis, where he lived with his parents and sister, Gloria Steinmetz Gauper. When he was 12 years old, his mother drowned while out rowing with the family, an event he would remember for the rest of his life. He and his sister were sent to separate caretakers, but remained close until her death. Jack was drafted while a senior at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis, where he…

Kenneth Richard Fricke, age 77, of Eden Prairie, died unexpectedly at home on July 25. He was born to parents Emmett and Ilene on March 26, 1946, in Sioux City, Iowa. Ken will be remembered for his affinity for connecting with those he knew and strangers alike. He had a witty sense of humor and a knack for lightening the mood, often with a timely pun. After graduating from Morningside College in 1968, he moved to Minnesota and began his career at the Hennepin County Home School youth correctional facility. It is there where he met Thelma, his loving wife…

Brighter Days Family Grief Center, a grief support institution in Eden Prairie, is expanding its reach by acquiring Camp Journey, a free bereavement camp in Brainerd for children. Camp Journey, supported by the Brainerd Noon Rotary Club, has hosted grieving youth, ages 5-17, for a weekend bereavement camp for the past 15 years. The Camp Journey committee aimed to find an organization specializing in working with grieving children and bereavement camps to ensure the camp’s ongoing presence. “The committee believes we have found this organization in Brighter Days Family Grief Center,” said Carol Johnson, committee lead. “Their widely recognized reputation…