Author: EPLN Staff Reports

The League of Women Voters of Minnetonka-Eden Prairie-Hopkins (LWV MEPH) is hosting a candidate forum for Eden Prairie City Council and mayoral candidates from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31. It takes place in the council chambers of Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road. The public is invited to attend. In the mayor’s race, incumbent Ron Case will face challenger Tracey Schowalter. For the council, incumbent Mark Freiberg, Greg Lehman, incumbent Kathy Nelson, and Micah Olson will face off for two open seats. Both the mayor and the council seats have four-year terms. The forum will be broadcast live on EPTV,…

Eden Prairie residents, especially those from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, are being encouraged to share their views about the community at a Town Hall Meeting scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive. The meeting will begin with an introduction to the Eden Prairie Race Equity Initiative and an update on the status of its implementation, according to Megan Yerks, the city’s community services coordinator. From there, the floor will be open for discussion between community members, the city council, and staff. One of the recommendations in the Race…

Mitchell Road between Cove Pointe Road and Pioneer Trail will be closed for about one week, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 24. According to a city announcement on Friday, the closure will allow crews to rebuild infrastructure for utilities. Detour signs will redirect drivers ahead of the closure.  The project timeline is weather dependent and subject to change.

Round Lake will be closed to swimming through the weekend. It will reopen when further testing indicates the water is safe. The city announced Thursday that regular testing at Round Lake indicated unsafe levels of bacteria in the water. Hennepin County Public Health Department samples waters from all public beaches throughout the summer to check for water-borne illnesses. Eden Prairie public beaches at Round Lake and Riley Lake parks recently closed for the season, meaning no lifeguards are on duty. People can still swim at those beaches but at their own risk. Updates concerning Round Lake will be posted on the city’s website. …

SouthWest Transit (SWT) has been awarded a low or no emission vehicle grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for over $8.1 Million. It will allow SWT to replace 10 aging diesel/gas vehicles with fully electric vehicles (EVs) by 2026. According to a news release, the 10 EVs slated to be purchased include four new fully electric coach express buses, six new all-electric SW Prime vehicles, and the necessary charging infrastructure needed to power the vehicles. The grant also includes funding to provide EV training to SWT’s vehicle maintenance team.   SWT expects the 10 new EVs to be in service…

The League of Women Voters of Minnetonka-Eden Prairie-Hopkins (LWV MEPH) is collecting questions for its Wednesday, Aug. 31, Eden Prairie City Council and mayoral candidates’ forum. The deadline is noon on Sunday, Aug. 28, to submit questions for this forum via email only to lwvmeph@lwvmn.org.  LWV MEPH recommends that questions be short and direct so that the candidates will address the topic. Please note that questions may be combined with similar questions in order to cover as many topics as possible. Candidates are not given the questions before the event. Questions for the Senate District 49 Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Sept.…

Here’s a bit of Eden Prairie beach news. Round Lake Park beach has closed for the summer, and Riley Lake Park beach will be open through Sunday, Aug. 14. The Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Department operates both beaches.  Also, the swimming beach at Bryant Lake Regional Park, scheduled to stay open through Labor Day, is currently closed due to high E. coli levels. The Three Rivers Park District, which operates the regional park in Eden Prairie, provides information on why beaches close. 

Eden Prairie is now accepting nominations for the annual Sustainable Eden Prairie Award, which recognizes significant and innovative investments that contribute to the overall vitality and sustainability of the community. Initiatives implemented by an Eden Prairie resident, business or organization that serves Eden Prairie are eligible. Residential, commercial, industrial, and office properties may be nominated in four categories that align with Sustainable Eden Prairie’s focus areas: energy, landscape, waste, and water. The deadline for nominations is noon Wednesday, Sept. 7. 

Steven Lorne Sandness, 77, of Eden Prairie, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Aug. 7, 2022. Steve is preceded in death by his parents, Allen and Bernice Sandness, and his brothers, Richard and Thomas. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Susan Sandness; three sons, Kurt (Betsy), Michael (Kellie Brazil), Peter (Polly); Trish Sandness; six grandchildren, Kaleigh, Koury, Madeline, Chloe, Maren, Tyler; and his sister Kathleen Smith. Steve was born and raised in Two Harbors, Minnesota. He played football, hockey, and golf for the Agates; most importantly, it is where he met “Susie.” He is…

Polls in Eden Prairie will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the Tuesday, Aug. 9, primary election. To find your polling location, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Sample ballots are also available there. Additional voting in Eden Prairie is available on the city’s website. For those who want to vote before then, early in-person voting for the state primary election can be done at City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8. Eden Prairie residents will help decide which candidates for Hennepin County…