Author: Stuart Sudak

Sheldon Peters Wolfchild attributes his journey of discovering the Sacred Red Rock in Eden Prairie to Betty Curle Baxter. Wolfchild, a documentarian who is part of the Lower Sioux Indian Community traditional elders and a member of the Mdewakanton Sioux nation, explains, “Because Betty’s family and the rock being on their property, that led me to do the research over there in Eden Prairie.” Baxter recalls attending a celebration for a woman’s 100th birthday, where the celebrant was asked about her memories from earlier years. “When asked about the Indians, (the woman celebrating her birthday) appeared puzzled and responded, ‘I…

Red Bench Bakery, located in Chaska and Excelsior, has extended its presence to Eden Prairie through a partnership with Fat Pants Brewing, 8335 Crystal View Road. The collaboration began on May 17. Operating from a food truck inside Fat Pants Brewing, Red Bench Bakery offers a streamlined selection of pastries, cookies, and specialty coffee drinks, distinct from its extensive menu at the Chaska and Excelsior locations. Customers can indulge in these treats from Wednesday to Sunday, between 7 and 11 a.m. Based in Chaska, the bakery has maintained its downtown location there for five years. In Excelsior, it has operated…

In 2013, Christine Erickson, director of children at risk ministries at Grace Church, launched the Stop the Trafficking 5K Walk/Run for Justice. Over the past decade, the Stop the Trafficking 5K, spearheaded by Grace Church, has expanded its mission beyond the city’s borders to raise awareness and funds in the fight against human trafficking. The event represents a collaborative effort between Grace Church, the City of Eden Prairie, its police department, and local churches and businesses. “It’s really grown beyond our EP community, which has been exciting,” said Erickson, who is the event director. “It’s still one of the issues…

Nathaniel Wilkins is haunted by the close call his family had in the fire and explosions that destroyed their Eden Prairie house. “Thirty seconds after Sade (and Skylynn) got out, the house blows,” said Wilkins, who was working an overnight shift as a manager at a UNFI warehouse in Hopkins at the time of the fire. The gravity of the situation becomes all too clear as he reflects on the potential tragedy that might have unfolded had his fiancee Sade Strong hesitated or ventured back inside. “She would not have survived,” he concludes. Aerial footage taken by Fox 9 the…

The peony garden on the east side of the historic Cummins-Phipps-Grill House in Eden Prairie is currently in bloom. A sizable peony bed, initially planted by Harriet Phipps in 1920, still thrives outside the city-owned historic house, situated across Pioneer Trail near Flying Cloud Airport. According to Marie Wittenberg’s book “Eden Prairie Pioneers: The History of Eden Prairie,” the peony garden was established prior to 1920, boasting 400 to 500 plants of various select and unusual peony varieties. These plants were directly obtained from Chinese growers who had originally imported them from China. The flowers were sold in Twin Cities…

It was a sunny, warm and busy weekend for Schooner Days, the annual three-day festival organized by the Eden Prairie Lions Club. This year’s event, held June 2-4 at Round Lake Park, drew more than 12,000 visitors who came to enjoy carnival rides, children’s games, bingo, a beer garden, music, and a new addition: a vendor marketplace featuring specialty foods, juried arts and crafts, and hand-picked retailers. Nancy Vest and her husband, Terry Eggan, the president of the Lions Club, played a role in marketing this year’s festival. They attributed the increase in attendance to various factors, including the introduction…

The city on Monday revealed new details about the fire that destroyed two neighboring single-family homes in the 10000 block of Lee Drive near Franlo Road in Eden Prairie early Friday morning. According to an incident update on the city’s website, there were multiple reports of two or more explosions associated with the fire. While the investigation is still in its early stages, the Eden Prairie Fire Department has determined an “active fire caused prescribed medical-grade oxygen tanks to explode.” The city reported that the investigation into the fire’s origin, which caused the explosions, continues, and no further details are…

The Indian Student Association at Concordia University in St. Paul is rallying to support the family of Mahesh Boya, a 24-year-old Eden Prairie man who died in a one-car rollover accident last month in Wisconsin. Boya, a student at Concordia University and a member of the Indian Student Association, was one of four friends from Eden Prairie traveling in a 2006 Toyota Camry when the crash occurred at about 9 a.m. May 23, about 35 miles south of Duluth on Highway 35 near Solon Springs, Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the driver, Pallapolu Reddy, 23, swerved to avoid…

Update: This story includes information released by the city on Friday afternoon. In the early hours of Friday morning, a fire tore through two neighboring single-family homes in the 10000 block of Lee Drive near Franlo Road. As investigators continue their on-scene work, the cause of the fire remains unknown, according to Eden Prairie Fire Chief Scott Gerber. “That will likely take some time,” stated Gerber. The fire department received an alert about the incident around 12:30 a.m. Upon arrival, fire crews were faced with intense flames already consuming both structures. “Our crews did a great job to try to…

Nancy Vest and her husband Terry Eggan began their courtship at the annual Schooner Days about 55 years ago. Reminiscing about that day, Nancy and Terry playfully debate the nature of their early relationship. Nancy chuckles, saying, “We were courting,” while Terry interjects, “I thought we were dating.” Amid laughter, Nancy insists, “No, no, no,” and Terry admits, “But she turned me down all the time anyway.” At the time, Nancy was 13 years old, while Terry was 14. For more than 60 years, the community festival fundraiser organized by the Eden Prairie Lions Club has marked the start of…