Author: EPLN Staff Reports

Eden Prairie High School will hold an informational meeting for the 2023-24 Eden Prairie Dance Team tryouts on Tuesday, March 29, at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place in the East Commons at the high school. Tryouts, open to all current eighth to 11th graders, will be held April 3-5 at the EPHS Small Gym. Those who wish to sign up or have questions about the tryouts can email epdtcoach@gmail.com. The latest updates regarding tryouts can be found on the Eden Prairie Dance Team’s Instagram page @EPDT.

Eden Prairie Police responded to a report of a theft from an automobile in the parking lot of Scheels, 8301 Flying Cloud Drive, at 4:15 p.m. Sunday, March 26. According to a police statement, the vehicle owner witnessed the theft and chased the male suspect on foot across Prairie Center Drive to Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive, while officers were responding to the call. The vehicle owner told the officers that the suspect had taken a gun. Officers flooded the area and immediately recovered the discarded gun. Later that evening, at 8:43 p.m., the police arrested a 32-year-old…

Caitlin O’Leary is the new head dance team coach for Eden Prairie High School, replacing Jessica Howells, who recently resigned from the position. The EPHS Athletic Department made the announcement in a Monday news release. O’Leary has a strong connection to the Eden Prairie dance team, having served as an assistant coach for five years. She has over 20 years of dance experience, having started her training as a studio dancer. As a member of the EPHS dance team, she competed at the state tournament four times and earned second place in kick during both her junior and senior years.…

Thirteen students from Eden Prairie were recently recognized for their outstanding submissions in the Eden Prairie Optimistic Club essay contest. The annual competition held in February invited students to write about “Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?” The essays were divided into three categories based on the students’ age groups: Elementary, Middle School, and High School. EPLN is reprinting below the essays written by Harini Senthilkumar and Kenny Evers, both from Eden Prairie High School, and Hannah Foote, a student at Eagles Heights Spanish Immersion. Senthilkumar’s essay was the overall first-place winner and will…

Motorists can expect a smoother ride on Highway 101 in Chanhassen and Eden Prairie in 2024. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has announced a pavement resurfacing project covering a two-mile stretch of the highway between Highway 5 in Chanhassen and Townline Road (County Road 62) in Eden Prairie. The project is scheduled to begin in late spring 2024 and will include resurfacing the pavement, reconstructing the trail on the west side of the road, and adding or upgrading pedestrian ramps and crossings. MnDOT anticipates completing the project in the fall of 2024.

A lawsuit against the City of Eden Prairie over the potential construction of homes near Fredrick-Miller Spring and the Minnesota River Valley has been dismissed, with plaintiffs now pinning their hopes on government or nonprofit purchase and preservation of the property as open space. The city and the plaintiffs – Rebecca Prochaska and Spring Valley Friends, LLC – agreed March 22 to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, provided the city doesn’t oppose efforts in the Minnesota Legislature or elsewhere to fund acquisition of the land for permanent open space. The development was called Noble Hill. It called for 50 homes…

A 21-year-old Eden Prairie man was critically injured in a two-vehicle collision on Interstate 94 in Stearns County at about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 22. According to the State Patrol, Mattinen George Edward Goergen was driving a 2009 Infinity G37 when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a semi-truck. Both vehicles were traveling westbound on the highway near St. Wendel Township when the accident occurred. The road was reportedly wet at the time. Goergen was transported to St. Cloud Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The airbag in Goergen’s car had deployed, and he was wearing his seatbelt at…

The City of Eden Prairie is now accepting 2023 Heritage Preservation Award nominations. The annual award program recognizes individuals, families, or businesses that have contributed significantly to preserving, rehabilitating, restoring, and using the city’s heritage resources. According to a statement by the city, the Heritage Preservation Commission will select the award recipient in April and notify them. The winner will be recognized at a city council meeting in May, which coincides with National Historic Preservation Month. The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 14, and interested parties can visit the city’s website for more information about the…

Russ Reetz, the associate principal of student activities at Eden Prairie High School, has been appointed as the new principal of White Bear Lake Area High School. According to an email EPHS Principal Nate Gibbs sent to families on March 22, Reetz will take on his new role effective July 1. In his email, Gibbs lauded Reetz’s commitment to ensuring every student felt a sense of belonging and support. “During my time in Eden Prairie, I have seen Mr. Reetz dedicate himself to making sure each student feels a sense of belonging, connection and support at school,” Gibbs wrote. “It…

Approval of a $138,032 bid to replace the flooring of the Eden Prairie Community Center gymnasium is among items on the Tuesday, March 21, agenda of the Eden Prairie City Council. The current floor is cracking and failing in multiple locations, according to a city staff report. Replacement is part of the city’s 2023 capital improvement plan (CIP). The $138,032 bid has been submitted by FieldTurf USA Inc. Tuesday’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road.