Author: EPLN Staff Reports

The Eden Prairie Lions and Lioness Lions clubs collected 2,343 pounds of food and about $1,700 in cash donations for the PROP Food Shelf during World Service Day on Oct. 8. The clubs did so at the Eden Prairie locations of Cub Foods, Lunds & Byerlys and Kowalski’s Market.  EP Lions men and women volunteer their time through various fund-raising projects and club organization roles to better Eden Prairie. All profits made during Lions Club fundraisers are donated to help such things as public safety, scholarships, social and community services, vision, hearing, diabetes and other foundations, and animal rescue and…

Although neither is on the ballot this fall, 5th District Commissioner Debbie Goettel and 6th District Commissioner Chris LaTondresse are on the job. Both co-hosted a coffee with commissioners meeting on Saturday, Oct. 8, where they discussed several county initiatives, ranging from affordable housing to health and human services. They also took questions from constituents. Goettel and LaTondresse’s districts share representation of Eden Prairie. “$246 million of federal funding for pandemic relief represents a monumental opportunity to strengthen safety nets and establish opportunity ladders with smart, long-term investments to build a better future,” LaTondresse said.  Some examples cited by the…

Plans to replace the restrooms and skating rink warming house at Round Lake Park are expected to be discussed Monday, Oct. 10, by the Eden Prairie Planning Commission en route to city council review on Nov. 15. Proposed to be built by the city is a 4,293-square-foot building, which would be much larger than the 1,800-square-foot building that has existed at Round Lake Park for about 40 years. According to a city staff report, that would allow the park building to be used for more than restrooms, warming house, and storage – including rental for community gatherings. Several sustainable features…

Volunteers are needed to help remove the invasive buckthorn plant from the Riley Creek Conservation Area from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, and from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 29.  The event is hosted by the Prairie Edge chapter of Wild Ones and co-sponsored by the City of Eden Prairie. According to a city posting on Oct. 4, buckthorn is considered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to be one of the most invasive species in the state. Buckthorn out-competes native plants for nutrients, light and moisture, the city reported. The plant also degrades wildlife…

An 18-year-old man was arrested without incident on Monday night after using a machete to damage property while walking inside Jerry’s Foods, 9625 Anderson Lakes Parkway, Eden Prairie. According to a police statement, officers responded to the report at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3. No injuries were reported, but there was damage done to shelving inside the grocery store. A police spokesperson stated in an email Tuesday morning that the man arrested in the incident is from Eden Prairie. He is still in custody and expected to be charged on Wednesday.

Mitchell Road between Cove Pointe Road and Pioneer Trail in Eden Prairie will be closed from Monday, Sept. 26, through Wednesday, Sept. 28, to allow crews to rebuild utilities infrastructure. According to an email sent to residents Friday afternoon, work is expected to occur from approximately 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Detour signage will redirect drivers around the closure. The project timeline is weather dependent and subject to change.

Construction has begun on another major apartment complex in Eden Prairie: The Ellie, a four-story development off County Road 4, north of Smith Coffee & Cafe. At 239 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, the United Properties project is one of Eden Prairie’s largest multi-family residential developments in recent years. It is surpassed only by the seven-story, 246-unit Paravel project that Timberland Partners is building along Prairie Center Drive, west of Flying Cloud Drive, and rivaled by the 225-unit Elevate at SouthWest Station apartment complex built in 2019. Twenty-five percent of the apartments in The Ellie will have rents that meet…

New and emerging artists can display their work on the Community Art Display located in the Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive. This ongoing exhibit features artwork from local artists. Two-dimensional works of art include photography, painting and murals. Featured artwork will be displayed on the public floor of the library on a wall track system. Exhibits are up for one month. Artists interested in exhibiting their artwork at the Eden Prairie Library can email Miao Yu at myu@hclib.org or Bridget Harff at bharff@hclib.org.

Fifteen Eden Prairie High School seniors are among the 16,000 semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program announced last week. The EPHS semifinalists are Maanav V. Basnet, Srijani Datta, Amelia E. Dewberry, Avik Garg, Aniketh Hanagavadi, Adhiraiyan Kartheesan, Hinano E. Kazama, Aditya M. Kshirsagar, Shruthi R. Kundoor, Madison E. Lin, Erik Richard Lundeen, Akhil Perla, Suchita Sah, Darren S. Tanubrata, and Vivian Wang. These high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to…

Elizabeth Ann Rustad passed away peacefully on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, after a well-fought battle against dementia. Liz was born on July 21, 1933, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to Harry and Norma Lurndal. Raised in the beautiful Norwegian valleys of Modena, Wisconsin, Liz was baptized into the Christian faith at the Modena Lutheran Church, where she met a boy named Gordy during her early Sunday school years. They remained childhood friends throughout their youth and dated during their years together at Mondovi High School. Gordy left to serve in the Navy, while Liz attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to…