Author: Jim Bayer

Eden Prairie High School sophomore Sasha Allen recently was awarded the grand prize in the Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes’ 2021 Discovery Award competition. Sasha used primary and secondary research to create the documentary “Walking in the Land of Death: How Gareth Jones Gave Voice to the Victims of the Holodomor.” The 12-minute documentary, narrated by Sasha, tells the story of Jones, a Welsh journalist who risked his life to chronicle Joseph Stalin’s decimation of Ukrainian agriculture that resulted in a brutal famine known as the Holodomor. Holodomor is a Ukrainian word meaning “murder by hunger.” In a tragic irony,…

The Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) is accepting applications for both its community partnership grants and its teacher and staff grants through the month of October. “Our goal is to fund programs that reach Eden Prairie students of all ages and ensure we support 21st century learning and serve under represented populations,” Executive Director Dr. Lisa Sisinni said in a press release. “From our earliest learners enrolled in our preschool program, all the way through the rigors of high school and TASSEL, FEPS is proud to be there each step of the way.” Last year, FEPS awarded grants reaching…

Two of the five candidates running for a single Eden Prairie School Board seat on Nov. 2 will find themselves members of the school board, based on a board decision Sept. 27. The top vote getter will complete the term of Veronica Stoltz who resigned in May. That seat will be one of four up for election in 2022. Based on the board’s decision, the second highest vote getter will be appointed to fill resigning board member Beth Fletcher’s seat until a special election in Nov. 2022. The Nov. 2 special election initially was called to fill Stoltz’ seat. Then…

If you aren’t registered to vote or if you aren’t sure, Minnesota makes it easy to check your voter status, register to vote and update your registration. You can do all of the things listed above at mnvotes.org. On top of all of that, Sept. 28 is National Voter Registration Day. If you are already registered, it’s a good idea to confirm your registration is correct and up to date, according to Hennepin County Elections. You need to update your registration if you have moved or changed your name since the last time you voted. Pre-registration for the November 2021 election…

Following the resignation of one board member and the expected resignation of another, the Eden Prairie School Board plans to discuss and vote on a process for filling board vacancies at its Sept. 27 meeting. In May 2021, Veronica Stoltz resigned her seat and Karla Bratrud was appointed on a 4-2 board vote June 18 to fill the position until a special election on Nov. 2. At that time, the board was split on the best way to make that appointment. Some favored an open process allowing community members to apply, others for appointing the next highest vote-getter from the…

Five candidates are running in the Nov. 2 special election to fill a single open seat on the Eden Prairie School Board. Questionnaires were sent to each candidate and their answers are presented by EPLN as a public service. Click on the candidate’s name to read their replies. Candidates are: Steve Bartz, Albert Born, Michelle Mattison, Francesca Pagan-Umar and Darryl Stanton. The special election was made necessary by the resignation of Veronica Stoltz in May when her family left Minnesota. Former board member Karla Bratrud was selected to fill Stoltz’s seat until the special election. The winner of the Nov. 2 election will assume the seat…

A small pine got to work this week on its 30-year job to eliminate 800 pounds of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Planted near the tennis courts at Round Lake Park, the four-foot tree is one of many new trees to replace hundreds of trees falling victim to the emerald ash borer in Eden Prairie and throughout the state. Twenty-five trees in Eden Prairie were identified as being infested with the emerald ash borer in 2017, Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case said Sept. 20 at a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) event at Round Lake Park. Mitigation efforts have slowed, but not…

Early voting began Friday, Sept. 17 for the Nov. 2 Eden Prairie School Board special election. To inform voters about the candidates, Eden Prairie Local News Sept. 23 will publish the answers to a questionnaire completed by all five candidates vying for the open school board seat. Candidates for the single open seat are Steve Bartz, Albert Born, Michelle Mattison, Francesca Pagan-Umar and Darryl Stanton. Early voting began Sept. 17 and continues at the Administrative Services Center, 8100 School Road, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The League of Women Voters Minnetonka/Eden Prairie/Hopkins will host a candidate forum for…

On Monday, September 13, 2021, Mike Elhard, loving husband and proud father, passed away at the age of 39. Mike was born on November 18, 1981, in Minneapolis, Minn. to Joyce Larsen and Paul Elhard. He graduated from Richfield High School in 2000. Mike received a bachelor’s degree in Community Development from St. Cloud State University and later obtained his master’s degree in Urban Planning. On September 27, 2008, Mike married the love of his life, Kristi Mulliner, and later welcomed their boys, Owen and Ethan. They settled in Eden Prairie, Minn. Mike was employed by Ecolab as the Salesforce Technical…

The funeral for Eden Prairie resident Mike Elhard is at noon Sept. 18 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie. Elhard’s body was found Sept. 14 less than 24 hours after he went missing during a run near his home. Elhard, 39, left his home in southeast Eden Prairie the morning of Sept. 13 and his wife reported his disappearance to Eden Prairie Police and asked for help finding him on a Facebook post later that day. He was found the following morning along Hennepin Town Road, north of Pioneer Trail, less than a mile from his home. Police have not…