Author: Stuart Sudak

Eden Prairie resident Peter Graff is grateful to the six people whose quick thinking and heroism saved his life. Those six were recognized for their life-saving actions during Tuesday’s Eden Prairie City Council meeting. “In my estimation, that’s where the focus ought to be [on those who saved his life] rather than on me because all I did was fall down,” Graff, a retired educator who taught junior high school in Hopkins, said Wednesday. “They were quite incredible.” Graff suffered a “cardiac event” on March 8 while riding on a stationary bicycle at the Eden Prairie Community Center (EPCC), according…

About 2,000 attendees flocked to center court of Eden Prairie Center mall last Saturday for the second annual ECO EXPO. Organized by the Eden Prairie AM Rotary Club, ECO EXPO aimed to inspire attendees from the city and surrounding towns to contribute to eco-friendly goals in their respective communities and support the club’s upcoming grants. The event boasted more than 50 eco-exhibitors and sponsors, showcasing the latest in sustainable technology and environmental awareness. The Family Fun Zone offered hands-on activities for children, including a baby goat exhibit, presentations by a beekeeper, and the opportunity for kids to plant seeds in…

Spring has arrived, but “Mount Eden Prairie” isn’t quite ready to leave. The slowly melting snowbank lingers, looking a bit more ragged and grungy than in its heyday. It gained popularity on social media platforms after a photograph of a Target shopping cart perched atop the snowbank began circulating. A sign of spring is emerging nearby, though. Untiedt’s garden centers is once again setting up a garden stand, offering flowers, produce, and fall ornamentals for sale starting in May. People on social media have been guessing when Mount Eden Prairie will finally melt. The snowbank’s last stand is likely to…

Minnesota is set to honor the legacy of Prince, the legendary musician who hailed from the state, by naming a seven-mile stretch of Highway 5 in Chanhassen and Eden Prairie after him. As part of the bill, HF 717, the signs designating the highway will be colored purple, the iconic hue long associated with the musician. The signs are expected to be installed this summer. The legislation, authored by Rep. Lucy Rehm (DFL-48B, Chanhassen), passed on Friday, coinciding with the seventh anniversary of Prince’s death. Highway 5 from Highway 41 in Chanhassen to Mitchell Road in Eden Prairie will be…

Braving winter’s (temporary) return, more than 500 people flocked to True Friends Camp Eden Wood on Sunday to attend the annual Eden Prairie Lions Club Pancake Breakfast. The longtime event, organized for the first time by Lions Club member Barbara Hanson, offered a chance for community members to gather and support a good cause. Accurately determining the number of attendees was one of Hanson’s priorities for the event, as previous years’ family ticket sales made it hard to know the exact number of attendees. Hanson said on Monday that she is still crunching the numbers, but the unofficial tally for…

Eden Prairie’s Grace Church is set to once again host the annual “Arise With The Guys” event at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 15. The men’s only event is being organized by the church in partnership with Tony Dungy, the former football coach turned author and broadcaster, Athletes in Action, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. According to a media release, the organizers bring together professional athletes and sports figures to share their life stories and inspire men of all ages to create meaningful change and positively influence others. This year’s speaker lineup includes Dungy, former NFL tight end and author Benjamin…

Eden Prairie Lions Club member Barbara Hanson is not only counting on a good time this Sunday but also counting heads. The Lions Club will host its annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser from 8 a.m. to noon on April 16 at True Friends Camp Eden Wood, 6350 Indian Chief Road, Eden Prairie. Hanson, chair of the pancake committee, is excited to coordinate the event for the first time. “I’m the one herding the cats,” she said. “Everybody does everything and I’m relying heavily on people have done this many times before.” Hanson said this year’s event won’t be much different than…

Eden Prairie High School is looking to hire a new varsity boys basketball coach by May 1. According to Russell Reetz, the school’s associate principal of student activities, he and Trevor Mbakwe, the assistant activities director, will lead the hiring process. Former coach David Flom resigned on Friday, March 31, after a tumultuous season that included his suspension for reading a racial slur to players and subsequent reinstatement, which sparked protests. The controversy surrounding Flom’s actions resulted in division among some players, parents, and community members. Reetz and Flom separately informed families in the basketball program of Flom’s decision to…

As the spring thaw takes hold in the Twin Cities, potholes are popping up on roads, forcing drivers to be on high alert for hidden hazards that can cause damage to their vehicles and wallets. Despite potholes causing chaos in many other cities, the roads in Eden Prairie are holding up relatively well this season. “There are truly some roads that I have driven around the metro that are busting tires,” said Robert Ellis, the public works director for the City of Eden Prairie. “Some cars might not be able to traverse [those], but truly, I don’t see that around…

An Eden Prairie man has been charged in connection with two incidents of vehicle theft that occurred over the weekend in the parking lot of Scheels, located at 8301 Flying Cloud Drive. Abdulahi Ahmed Abdi, 32, has been charged with one felony count of theft of a firearm without consent and two gross misdemeanors: one for theft and the other for financial transaction card fraud, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court. The felony charge of theft of a firearm carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine, while the gross…