A look back at some of our 2021 stories

After a day of playing hooky from school, noted fictional teen nonconformist Ferris Bueller offered this sage wisdom: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.”

Ferris is right. Sometimes, we need to hit the pause button on the voyage forward to kick around the past.

This is the time of year when news organizations look back at all the stories of the past calendar year. Recent history is rewound, retold and sometimes updated, usually in end-of-year top story lists.

I decided to craft my own list of 10 of the 2021 Eden Prairie Local News’ (EPLN) stories that merit a second or a third read. My guidelines were straightforward: I enjoyed reading these stories or writing them. There were many other good stories on the EPLN website last year. But I wanted to keep my list to 10.

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Here is my list, in no particular order.

What are some of your favorite Eden Prairie stories of the year? Tell us at editor@eplocalnews.org. To learn more about the Eden Prairie Local News, click here to read Jim Bayer’s story.

Mandy Matula remembered by friends, family and teammates

For one of her friends, the memories of Mandy Matula’s death are still painful, even as she acknowledges all of the laughs and fun she had with Mandy. Jim Bayer’s touching story on Mandy was published in May.

Eden Prairie community members react to Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict

Our contributors reached out to an array of Eden Prairie residents for reactions to the April 20 guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s killing of George Floyd. 

Invasive jumping worm spotted and likely spreading in Eden Prairie

The third case of an aggressively invasive worm species, Amynthas spp., the so-called jumping worm, was confirmed on Oct. 1 in Eden Prairie. Brad Canham’s story is one of our most widely-read posts.

Noble Hill project fuels EP’s ongoing nature vs. development debate

A July 2021 story by Mark Weber stated that “controversy over the Noble Hill housing development project in southwestern Eden Prairie detonated in 2021.” There have been several updates since then. Most recently, Weber wrote in September 2021 that opponents of the project had taken legal action to halt the project.

Community steps up to ‘Run for Mike’

Two days after what would have been his 40th birthday, Mike Elhard’s family and friends honored him on Nov. 20 with a run around Purgatory Creek Park. Elhard, 39, of Eden Prairie, died unexpectedly in September while training for the Chicago Marathon.

A critical safety net for EP residents turns 50

In November 2021, I wrote about how the PROP Food Shelf has been providing a way for neighbors to help neighbors since 1971.

Patchwork garden offers bountiful harvest for those in need

Eden Prairie teen Calista Swensen planted a community garden on the side of a large industrial building. She donated all the food grown there to PROP Food Shelf. My story appeared in August.

Giant art is residents, immigrants who are now seen

Do you see the people of Eden Prairie that don’t look like you? In September, Mark Weber told the story of Cadex Herrera’s art installation at Purgatory Creek Park called First Person Plural (We). It consisted of seven giant portraits of residents of all different cultures.

Eden Prairie magician: Silliness reaching millions via a virtual stage

Justin Flom’s metamorphosis from magician to social media influencer is no sleight of hand. He chatted about it in my March 2021 story.

Was that a train or a fashion statement?

In October, Jeff Strate told the story of two restored Milwaukee Road locomotives and classic passenger cars that rode the Twin Cities and Western Railroad tracks, including in Eden Prairie.