Author: EPLN Staff Reports

The Shutterfly/Lifetouch campus in Eden Prairie has been purchased by Tempus Realty Partners for $23.4 million, it was announced Feb. 23. Tempus Realty Partners, based in Little Rock, Ark., acquires and develops commercial real estate in the Midwest, South, and Southeast regions of the United States. Tempus and Shutterfly were recently granted approval by the Eden Prairie City Council to demolish the western-most portion of their building along Viking Drive, north of Interstate Hwy. 494, in a move that company representatives said would help extend Shutterfly’s presence in Eden Prairie for the long term. In addition to being headquarters for…

Let’s Go Fishing-Eden Prairie (LGF-EP) is holding its annual fish fry fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie. The event will be drive-thru featuring fried fish, hush puppies, baked beans, coleslaw, cookies, and bottled water for $17. LFG-EP has provided fishing excursions on Lake Riley for almost 30,000 seniors, veterans, hospice patients, youth, and families since its founding in 2012. The fish fry is LGF-EP’s largest fundraiser of the year. Immanuel Lutheran Church is located at 16515 Luther Way, Eden Prairie. For more information or to donate, visit the organization’s website.

In response to a winter storm warning in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, Eden Prairie has declared a snow event effective Feb. 22-23. According to the city, a snow emergency will go into effect as soon as snow accumulation reaches 2 inches. Once that snow emergency begins, people should not park their vehicles on city streets until noon Wednesday, Feb. 23.  Plows will begin a curb-to-curb cleanup beginning at 3 a.m. Feb. 23. For more information, click here. In addition, Eden Prairie Schools will dismiss students two hours earlier today. Morning and afternoon preschool sections are canceled. Afternoon and evening…

A vehicle led police on a high-speed chase from Eden Prairie into Minneapolis shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20. Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle for speeding near Interstate 494 and Highway 5. The vehicle did not stop and was pursued across the metro area. The driver fled on foot in Minneapolis and was eventually arrested. According to the State Patrol, the driver is suspected of being involved in multiple shootings and is being held at Hennepin County Jail on numerous charges. The traffic stop occurred during the State Patrol’s Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) effort. Since Valentine’s…

Both Eden Prairie High School varsity hockey teams recently lost to their counterparts in Minnetonka. The Eden Prairie boys’ hockey team lost 5-1 on Thursday, Feb. 17, at Minnetonka High School. The team plays its last regular-season game at Buffalo today at 3 p.m. The Section 2AA quarterfinals start next week. The Eden Prairie girls’ hockey team lost 7-0 on Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the Section 2AA semifinals game at the Braemar Ice Arena in Edina. The loss ended the team’s season.

Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson is teaming up with a company that began as the Google self-driving car project in 2009 to explore the use of autonomous trucks. The partnership is between C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest logistics platforms and a leader in the transportation industry, and Waymo Via, the trucking and local delivery unit of Waymo, the California-based autonomous driving technology company. According to a Feb. 16 announcement, the two will initially focus on pilot projects. That entails Waymo Via’s test fleet of autonomous trucks (with a safety driver) hauling and delivering C.H. Robinson’s customer freight between Dallas and Houston.  Both…

PROP’s popular fundraising event, Empty Bowls, returns for its 10th year on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Being held virtually again this year, Empty Bowls will raise awareness and seek financial support help all next week for PROP to fulfill its mission of combatting hunger and food insecurity in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen. “Every month, over 1,000 individuals seek the assistance of PROP to help ensure they and their families have enough food to eat,” said Jenifer Loon, PROP’s executive director. “When our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet, PROP is there, offering hope and the support they need. PROP has…

Eden Prairie School District will end its face-covering requirement for all students (early childhood through grade 12) on Thursday, Feb. 17. A district email sent to families on Feb. 14 stated that the decision was made after reviewing the current COVID-19 data and seeking input from school and community leaders. The district said that the continued use of face coverings would be strongly recommended at all grade levels and required for set periods following an isolation or quarantine per CDC guidelines.  Due to a federal mandate for transportation, all students must wear face coverings while on school buses. “Over the…

Gov. Tim Walz is in the process of appointing a new member to the Metropolitan Council to replace Christopher Ferguson, who resigned his post as the District 3 representative on Jan. 31. The person selected will be appointed to complete the remainder of Ferguson’s four-year term, which continues through Jan. 2, 2023.  District 3 includes Eden Prairie and 16 other cities, including Chanhassen, Excelsior, Minnetonka, and Wayzata. The Minnesota Secretary of State will accept applications from residents who live in the district through March 4. After the Metropolitan Council Nominating Committee reviews applications, qualified applicants will interview with the committee…

Helping Paws, a regional leader in the assistance-dog industry that also is part of the Eden Prairie Community Foundation’s “Hub” and participated in last fall’s GIVE Gathering volunteer fair in EP, has named Alyssa Golob as executive director. The mission of the Hopkins-based non-profit is to further people’s independence and quality of life through the use of assistance dogs. Golob joins Helping Paws from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, where she served as the development director. She will start her new role on March 7. The Helping Paws Board of Directors selected Golob after conducting an in-depth executive search. “Alyssa is…