Author: EPLN Staff Reports

Look for the EPLN banner, walk over to our canopy tent newsroom and meet our editors, photographers, reporters and publishers at Eden Prairie’s 4th of July Hometown Celebration on Monday. They’ve published more than 1,000 stories and maybe 3,000 photos since October 2020. Sign up for a free subscription to EPLN’s newsletter because you’ll get fact-based local news. On Monday only, new subscribers qualify for our proprietary, exclusive, unusual, fun and amazing list of amazing people, situations, events and sights around town that the EPLN team has covered or will soon write about. Eden Prairie unplugged!

Priya Elayath, Deepak Ganapathy, and Spiwe Jefferson were elected as new members of the Eden Prairie Community Foundation’s board of directors on June 16, and Jay Lotthammer was elected board chair for 2022-23. Elayath, an Eden Prairie resident since 2015, is an assistant attorney general at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, advising health-related licensing boards and representing them in litigation. She has been a volunteer with the Foundation’s strategic-planning team that works on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. She and her husband have two young children. Ganapathy is vice president of the FACTS Business Unit at Danfoss Power Solutions in…

Charlie Mo Alleman passed away tragically at age 19. Charlie was born in Guatemala on March 9, 2003. He was adopted by Doug and Nadia Alleman when he was 1, along with his sister, Maria. His love of art and music was perfectly countered by his intense hatred of both math and science. Charlie went to the Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion elementary school, where he formed his deepest, long-lasting friendships. However, his best friend in the whole world was his overly bossy and protective sister, Maria. He graduated from Eden Prairie High School in 2021. Charlie will always be remembered…

Katherine Rose Koski of Eden Prairie, born on October 7, 1944, lost her battle with cancer on January 1, 2022.  She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, as well as a devoted friend to many. She was married to the love of her life John Koski for 57 years. She is survived by her husband, John, daughter Nancy (Koski) Bergstrom, son-in-law Shawn Bergstrom, grandchildren Nick and Hailey Bergstrom and her sister Roberta (Bailey) Corder. She was loving, generous, funny and the best hugger. She held a special place in so many hearts. An interment service will be…

Larry Ellsworth Bebler, 82 years old of Eden Prairie, passed away on Tuesday, June 14. He is preceded in death by his father Elmer, mother Bernice, his wife of 52 years Karen, and his beloved son Brian. He leaves behind his older sister Barbara Dahl of Seattle, his oldest son Kevin, and six grandchildren — Madeline (Alex), Georgia, Ava, John, Mary, and Tommy. A quintessential “farm kid,” Larry was born in 1939 in Grant County, Minn. He attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse and was close with his sister and cousins. His family later moved to Marshall, Minn., where…

Rebates are available to Eden Prairie homeowners who make improvements that contribute to water conservation and improve water quality. Landscaping for water quality Installing a native plant landscape supports water conservation and improves water quality. Native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions. They require less irrigation and fertilizer, capture pollutants, mitigate erosion and provide wildlife habitat. All projects must be approved prior to installation. Plans approved by the city could qualify for a rebate of 80% of the pretax cost of the project up to $2,000. See details on the city’s website. Smart irrigation and water reuse systems Smart irrigation…

Eden Prairie city staff members will help residents complete applications for the Metro HRA Section 8 housing waiting list lottery from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, June 27 at the Housing and Community Services office located on the lower level of Eden Prairie Center. Application assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents should contact Megan Yerks at 952-949-8394 to schedule private appointments. To apply independently, visit waitlistcheck.com/METRO. Applications will be accepted until noon, Tuesday, June 28.

Eden Prairie’s new 4 million gallon water storage reservoir has been nominated for the 2022 Top Tank Award. The city is encouraging you to vote for your favorite today. The facility is located north of Highway 212 and east of Eden Prairie Road. The water tank was finished in 2020 and is the largest of Eden Prairie’s five water storage facilities, three of which are elevated and two of which are on the ground – including one that is underground at Highway 5 and Mitchell Road beneath the solar array at that location. Twenty tanks from all over the country are up…

Believing that Eden Prairie will continue to be a thriving community if it has a wide range of housing – including homes affordable for our children or grandchildren, our starting-wage police officers and school teachers, our seniors and low-income families – the Eden Prairie Community Foundation has launched the Housing Alliance. Its kick-off meeting was Friday, June 24, at the Eden Prairie City Center. The Housing Alliance brings together people from the development and real estate communities, faith and nonprofit leaders, the city and schools, and other local residents who are interested in this topic and in finding a common…

Graduates Campbellsville University, KY Tatiana Saranina Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY Nicolas Roy Johnson, master of science in physician assistant studies University of Cumberlands, Williamsburg, KY Sai Tejaswi Valluri – Master of Science in Information Technology University of Iowa, Iowa City Matthew Broschard – Doctor of Philosophy; Major: Psychology Lauren Fletcher – Bachelor of Science; Major: Human Physiology Lars Hansen – Bachelor of Business Administration; Major: Finance Alyssa Oyen – Bachelor of Arts; Major: Communication Studies Edda Perry – Carver College of Medicine; Certificate; Major: Perfusion Technology Ryan Pokrzywinski – Bachelor of Business Administration; Major: Business Analytics and Information Systems Savannah Riese – Master of Arts; Major: Strategic Communication…