Author: EPLN Staff Reports

It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of Matthew P. Pellowski, 54, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, due to a tragic snowmobile accident.  Matt was born on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 1968, in Winona, Minnesota, to Janice and Mark Pellowski. He was the seventh of eight children. After graduating from Winona Senior High, Matt worked his way through college as a school bus driver and graduated from Winona State university with a bachelor’s degree in business. During college he joined the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and made many lifelong friends. Matt moved to the Twin Cities…

Smith Coffee & Café in Eden Prairie is hosting its 15th annual Sheldon’s Wrench Treasure Hunt beginning on Feb. 27. The grand prize for finding the hidden wrench is a $200 gift card to the cafe. The tradition of treasure hunt dates back to Sheldon Smith, who built the historic Smith-Douglas-More House in which the cafe now operates at 8107 Eden Prairie Road. The wrench was a treasured tool of Sheldon’s and the hunt for it has become a beloved city-wide event. Each day at 1 p.m., a new clue will be posted in the cafe to help participants find…

An Eden Prairie man was killed in a snowmobile crash in Cass County, Minnesota, according to Sheriff Bryan Welk. The victim has been identified as 54-year-old Matthew P. Pellowski, as stated in an obituary posted on the Huber Funeral Homes website. On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about the crash, which occurred on the Maple Leaf Snowmobile Trail along County Road 1 in Maple Township west of Pequot Lakes. The victim was operating a 2009 Ski Doo snowmobile when he was thrown from the vehicle while attempting to navigate a driveway approach on…

The Eden Prairie Optimist Club invites students to participate in the organization’s annual speech and essay contests. Speech contest The speech contest topic is “Discovering the Optimism Within Me,” as part of the 2023 Optimist International Oratorical Contest. The contest is open to students under the age of 19 as of Oct. 1, 2022, who have not graduated from high school. Students placing in the top three places will receive Barnes & Noble gift cards. Area students passionate about speech should submit the application form and digital copy of the speech in Word format to ryanaffolter.optimist@gmail.com by Friday, March 31. Speeches will…

Brent Levi Rickenbach, 59, of Chanhassen, died peacefully in his home on Friday, Feb. 3.  He is survived by his wife, Cathy; children, Emily, Levi, and Sarah Rickenbach; parents, Richard and Marilynne Rickenbach; brothers, Brad (Meg) Rickenbach and Brian (Jennifer) Rickenbach; parents-in-law, Walter and Ardis Rafteseth; siblings-in-law, Diann Johnson, Karin (Dean) Peterson, David (Catherine) Rafteseth; many nieces and nephews; and other loving relatives and friends that he considered family. Brent was born in Minneapolis on April 4, 1963. He attended various schools, making friends around the country, as his family moved for his dad’s job. He graduated from the University…

Several colleges and universities have named Eden Prairie students to their respective dean’s list. Others have announced graduations. EPLN relies on schools to send us this information. If you don’t see your student’s school listed, please send your student’s name, the school’s name and location, award (e.g., dean’s list), year in school, and major to editor@eplocalnews.org with subject “Student Recognition.” Dean’s List Central College, Pella, Iowa Drew Edwards, senior Miami University, Oxford, Ohio Lydia Humphrey, business and marketing Ryan Lothenbach , architecture The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minn. Shelby Benkofske Rachel Kranitz University of Vermont, Burlington Claire Purdue, music University…

Improvements to the Dairy Queen parking lot to remedy congestion between dine-in patrons who are parking their cars or leaving and those using the drive-thru are among the items being considered by the Eden Prairie City Council at its Tuesday, Feb. 7, meeting. Under Dairy Queen’s proposed plan, the existing parking lot would be re-striped so as to be one-way with angled parking, allowing room to create a new, dedicated drive-thru lane on the perimeter of the lot, nearest Eden Prairie Road. Currently, when drive-thru traffic stacks up, it interferes with the parking area used by customers dining inside, according…

The Eden Prairie Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the colorfully-dressed robbery suspect of a city business Thursday morning. The suspect entered Lucky’s Station, 13991 Anderson Lakes Parkway, shortly before 8 a.m., took money from the register and fled on foot. No weapon was implied or seen. If you recognize the suspect, please contact police at 952-949-6200 and reference case #23-003833.

Ruth Kelly Hustad, of Eden Prairie, passed away on Jan. 14, 2023, in Edina, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early September. Our beloved Mom and Gram (Ruth, “Ruthie, Ru”) will be deeply missed by her family and many dear friends. She lived a truly amazing 89 years. Ruth was born on Sept. 28, 1933, to Milton and Gertrude Kelly in Lemon, South Dakota. She lived in Franklin, Minnesota, for most of her childhood before her family moved to Pasadena, California, in 1946. Ruth began her college career at St. Olaf College in Northfield, transferred to UCLA for a…

Arthur G. (“Art”) Peterson, 84, of Eden Prairie, passed away unexpectedly from cardiac arrest on Jan. 17, 2023. Son of Adolph and Flossie (Hawes) Peterson, Art grew up on a farm in Atwater, Minnesota, and attended Litchfield High School and served in the U.S. Air Force. When living in St. Paul, he worked for Univac before settling in Eden Prairie. He later worked at Control Data and NSP/Xcel Energy where he retired at age 75. Art is survived by his wife Loretta, children Galen (Dana), Boyd (Laurie), Corey (Cameron), Shannon Mavis (Chris) and Jillene Albers (Lee-deceased), 13 grandchildren and one…