Author: EPLN Staff Reports

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…

Paula M. (Urban) Elvecrog (1945-2022), a longtime Eden Prairie resident, was a kind and gracious person — cheerful and friendly to everyone, quick to smile and always willing to help others. She could light up a room with her energy and laughter. Her positive and loving presence will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her. Paula grew up in South Minneapolis with her parents and younger sister, Sandi. She was a well-liked honor student and leader at Washburn High School, very involved in the community and school activities. Paula was on Power’s Teen Board, where she…

Construction in Eden Prairie to the Metro Green Line Extension (also known as the Southwest light rail project) will cause traffic impacts around town. There will be a ramp closure from Valley View Road to eastbound Highway 212 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 13 and 14. Lane closures are expected on Flying Cloud and Prairie Center drives from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 13. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will complete road work on Highway 212 between Highway 62 and Valley View Road. Eastbound Highway 212 will be impacted the week of Sept. 12, while westbound…

The League of Women Voters of Minnetonka-Eden Prairie-Hopkins (LWV MEPH) is hosting an Eden Prairie School Board candidate forum starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14. It takes place in the council chambers of Eden Prairie City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road, and is open to the public. But, because there is limited seating, it will be streamed live. The live broadcast can be viewed on EPTV, the city’s cable government access channel, at edenprairie.org/CityTV, and on the city’s Facebook channel. The forum will be rebroadcast on EPTV several times weekly and available on-demand on the city’s website leading up to Election Day on…