Author: Jim Bayer

No incidents were reported Friday in Eden Prairie schools after a nationwide viral Tik Tok video post earlier this week appeared to vaguely threaten school violence on Dec. 17. A few schools in Minnesota and elsewhere in the country closed for the day as a result of the potential threat. Eden Prairie schools remained open Friday. Neither Eden Prairie Police nor the school district found any evidence of a direct threat in Eden Prairie. “We investigated the video but found no connection to Eden Prairie and no credible threat,” an Eden Prairie Police Department spokesperson told EPLN Friday. “We are…

A viral video on the social media platform TikTok that made references to possible school violence has been deemed not to be credible, according to Eden Prairie Police and school administrators. Central Middle School (CMS) Principal Nate Swenson sent an email to parents of students Dec. 15 confirming that the district had contacted police about a post that had districts locally and in other states concerned, as well. “News reports from other states have also reported about this particular post, which makes a vague reference to school violence on Dec. 17,” Swenson told parents. The postings had social media platforms…

Eden Prairie Police arrested a suspect in a Dec. 5 burglary of a local bike shop – while he was still in the building. Police were called to Free Wheel Bike, 12910 Plaza Drive at around 7 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 to respond to an alarm. Upon arrival, officers spotted a damaged garage door and discovered the suspect still on the premises, according to a police spokesperson. Damage to the property was estimated at $1,200.   Police arrested the 43-year-old male suspect without incident. EPLN does not generally name crime suspects before they are formally charged. Police said the burglary…

The victim of a fentanyl overdose in Eden Prairie that is now the subject of a 3rd degree murder charge has been identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office. Amy Portillo, 23, of Edina, was found dead by her fiancé in his home on Kara Drive the morning of Aug. 13. An autopsy performed by the Medical Examiner’s office determined that Portillo’s death was due to a mix of fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, alprazolam (Xanax), and ethanol toxicity. Monica Jo Gould, 32, of South St. Paul is charged with 3rd degree murder in Portillo’s death. She is accused of felony selling, giving or…

Eden Prairie residents woke up to more than 9 inches of snow Saturday morning, and many of them wasted no time getting outside. Sledders of all ages converged on one of Eden Prairie’s favorite sledding hills at Staring Lake Park. Given that it was the first significant snowfall of the season, folks were ready to play. Temperatures hovered around 30, making for a pleasant day of fun in the white stuff. Eden Prairie declared a snow emergency that ended at noon on Saturday, and most heavily traveled streets were clear from curb to curb by late morning. Don’t waste this…

A South St. Paul woman has been charged with third-degree murder following the Aug. 13 drug overdose of a woman found dead in an Eden Prairie home. Monica Jo Gould, 32, is accused of felony selling, giving or distributing a Schedule 1 and 2 controlled substance resulting in the death of Amy Portillo, 23, of Edina. Portillo was visiting the resident of a home on Kara Drive in Eden Prairie, the complaint said. Eden Prairie police were called to the home just before 10 a.m. Aug. 13 by the home’s resident who found Portillo upon returning home after spending the…

Eden Prairie Police say they have a lead in the break-ins at several city businesses since late September. Working with other Twin Cities’ law enforcement agencies, police have identified a “potential person of interest” in the break-ins, according to Lt. Jess Irmiter of the Eden Prairie Police. Similar incidents have occurred in other Twin Cities communities. Irmiter declined to identify those communities, citing the ongoing investigation. Eight break-ins were reported at six businesses beginning on Sept. 26. Three break-ins occurred at a single business. Here are the businesses, locations and dates of the break-ins: 9/26, 11/9 and 11/16 – Deg…

Eden Prairie residents are stepping up to help newly settled Afghan refugees in Minnesota – including some right here in Eden Prairie. A donation drive to provide Afghan refugees with coats, boots, hats, gloves and warm clothing is Saturday, Dec. 4 from noon to 3 p.m. at Pax Christi Catholic Community, 12100 Pioneer Trail in Eden Prairie. Nearly 300 Afghan refugees have been resettled in Minnesota since August, according to the International Institute of Minnesota (IIMN). Some of them have found themselves in Eden Prairie and need assistance establishing a household and preparing for winter weather. Eden Prairie’s chapter of…

COVID-19 rates in Eden Prairie, Hennepin County and Eden Prairie Schools continue to increase, based on recent county and school data. Eden Prairie’s case rate per 10,000 residents was at 72.8 as of the two-week period ending Nov. 22. That is up from 67.6 the previous two-week period and from 56.2 at the beginning of October. Hennepin County and cities surrounding Eden Prairie have seen similar increases (see chart below), according to the Hennepin County COVID-19 Dashboard. Eden Prairie Schools reported a total of 120 positive cases in the two-week period ending Dec. 3. That included 59 in Pre-K through 5th grade, 44 in…

Some Eden Prairie residents answering a knock on their door recently got a bit of a surprise. Instead of Amazon, UPS or FedEx, it was an Eden Prairie police officer – delivering their mail. The department recently recovered bags of mail that had been stolen from mailboxes and returned as much as they could, according to Kari Knoll, City of Eden Prairie senior communications coordinator. Knoll said there hasn’t been a dramatic increase in mail thefts recently, but it typically picks up this time of year. As do thefts of packages delivered on doorsteps. Knoll had these tips for homeowners:…