Author: Stuart Sudak

Grace Violet Olson, 97, of Eden Prairie, formerly of Minneapolis.  Devoted mom, grandma and friend who lived life with “Grace.” She always had a kind word for everyone she met. Survived by daughters, Nikki (Hanley) Anderson and Fay Schmidt; grandchildren, Jerry, Eric, Becca, Gus, Grace, Gabe, Roz and Lindsey; nieces, nephews and friends.  Preceded in death by husband, Kenneth; son-in-law, David Schmidt; and brother, Ray Miller. Memorial Service will be held and live-streamed at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, with visitation 1 hour prior at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 13600 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie. Interment at Ft. Snelling. In lieu…

A 33-year-old Lakeville man was charged with fleeing police stemming from an Oct. 23 incident on St. Johns Drive in Eden Prairie. According to a Hennepin County criminal complaint, police were dispatched at 7:45 p.m. to investigate a report of a suspicious man possibly threatening to shoot someone. Officers arrived and attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle, but the driver, later identified as Abdirizak Hussein Mohamed, fled. Police pursued the vehicle for about 9 miles, with speeds up to 105 mph. A PIT maneuver was used to bring Mohamed’s car to a stop, and he was arrested.…

Due to unexpected challenges, Homeward Hills Road, between Tanglewood Drive and Gristmill Road, will be closed for another day to replace a section of underground sanitary sewer. According to the city, crews expect to reopen the road on Saturday, Oct. 23. Work was originally expected to start and finish on Oct. 21. Detour signs are posted near the closure. Editor’s Note: Story was updated Oct. 22 to note work will take another day to complete.

Two days after being elected leader of the Minnesota Republican Party earlier this month, David Hann got to work. One of the former state senator’s first goals? Restoring confidence in the state party. The longtime Eden Prairie resident stepped into the role two months after former chair Jennifer Carnahan resigned. According to media reports, she did so in the fallout of the sex trafficking scandal involving Republican strategist and major donor Anton “Tony” Lazzaro. Hann, elected by state GOP party delegates during a special election on Oct, 2, will serve the remainder of Carnahan’s two-year term, which runs through 2022. Carnahan…

Eden Prairie’s Citywide Open House was back open for business on Oct. 9. According to the city, more than 2,000 people showed up to City Center to get an up-close and personal look at what it takes to operate a city of nearly 65,000 residents and 3,000 businesses. Highlights included exhibits, demonstrations, city vehicles and equipment. This year’s police K-9 demonstration featured a visit from the family of the late John Wright, the department’s first canine unit veterinarian. Wright’s family donated $24,000 to the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund to be used to fund non-budgeted items needed for the K-9…

From Aug. 20 to Sept. 6, Eden Prairie police arrested 12 people for driving while intoxicated. The arrests occurred while the city participated in a statewide enforcement wave to educate on and enforce DWI laws. Of the 12 arrests made, four of those involved controlled substances. According to an Oct. 13 police blog entry, the highest preliminary breath test (PBT) was .21 by a driver who ran a red light. Another driver had a PBT of .185 after driving his car into a median and hitting a light pole. The legal limit is .08. The Eden Prairie Police Department reported the following…

After Glenn Olson saw how the invasive buckthorn was wreaking havoc on city-owned conservation areas, he decided to help. “I spent half my time on my own conservation area up north, so I haven’t been using this as much,” said the longtime Eden Prairie resident. “I was like, ‘What the heck happened here?’ I was just in disbelief how bad it was.” Olson organized several recent volunteer efforts to clear buckthorn from the Edenbrook Conservation Area with the city’s blessing. The work is concentrated on an eastern section chosen because of its natural boundaries. He’s planning another volunteer opportunity to…

Richard “Charlie” Charleston, age 85, of Minneapolis. Preceded in death by wife, Barbara. Survived by children, Tom, Michael, Kim (Scott) Froemming and Carrie Charleston; six grandchildren, Billy, David, Kristi Charleston, Nathan, Cole, and Carrie Jean Froemming; sister, Jeanne Collins; several nieces, nephews and close friends. Charlie was a true adventurer. He loved hunting, fishing, and he cherished his family and friends. Memorial service at noon Friday, Oct. 8, at Lakewood Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, with visitation one 1/2 hour before service. Memorials preferred to the American Cancer Society. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel: 952-920-3996

When beginning work at the PROP Food Shelf in 2008, Janet Palmer learned something new about her longtime community. Eden Prairie is home to many big hearts. If their neighbors struggled, residents stepped up to help. That eye-opener came while she saw People Reaching Out to People’s (PROP’s) founding principle of neighbors helping neighbors by donating time, food and money in action. “I learned just how much the community supports PROP and all the other non-profits here,” said Palmer, an Eden Prairie resident for 30 years. “I lived here, but working full-time, I didn’t know all the organizations that were helping people.…

Since retiring as Eden Prairie city clerk last month, Kathryn “Kitty” Porta’s life moves at the pace of a stroll rather than a dash. That became clear to her during a recent walk around Round Lake with her dog Max, a 5-year-old yellow Labrador. “I realized I’m not rushing (to finish),” she said. “I can slow down a little bit.” Porta, the city clerk from 1999 until her Aug. 20 retirement, is delighting in her new free time. In all, Porta worked 33 years for the city, 26 of those years full-time. The Eden Prairie city clerk’s responsibilities include administering…