Click here
to see updates on Minnesota River flood outlook.

The Eden Prairie School Board discussed how to move schools to a K-6 alignment during a work session Thursday.

Superintendent Melissa Krull said that two early decisions had been made.

Today’s fourth-graders will not be sent to Oak Point in the fall, then back to their elementary schools the next year.

The fourth-graders are to go to Oak Point in the fall and stay there for sixth grade, Krull said.

Prepare to use the Bloomington Ferry Bridge.

According to an update from Chaska Superintendent Tim Wiebe, Highway 101 and Highway 41 will both close between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. today.

"Things are changing by the minute," said Wiebe, who just estimated earlier this morning that 101 would close on Saturday, and Highway 41 would close on Sunday or Monday.

With the Jordan crossing closed, that leaves the Bloomington Ferry Bridge as the closest alternative.

- Mollee Francisco

By Forrest Adams

During a morning interview from Tucson, Ariz., where he was signing books at the Tucson Book Festival, Scott Simon came across every bit as relaxed as his radio personality.

“I was told the interview would be at 9 a.m.,” said the reporter, who waited dutifully until 10 a.m. (Center Standard Time) before calling the award-winning journalist’s cell phone number for a 9 a.m. interview, as instructed by Simon’s agent.

“So was I. The time here is 8 a.m.,” replied Simon.

Nominations for this year’s Eden Prairie Schools Legacy Awards are due March 19. The awards were established in 2008 by the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) to honor outstanding employees, students, volunteers and alumni.

“The Legacy Awards will honor individuals who have contributed to the success and reputation of Eden Prairie Schools,” according to a news release.

Awards will be presented for:

* Teacher of the Year
* Staff Employee of the Year
* Alumnus of the Year
* Volunteer of the Year

The Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce’s eighth annual Home, Landscape and Garden Everything Spring Expo is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 20, at Grace Church. The show is set to include more than 100 booths.

“This show is totally free to attend and has free parking,” according to a news release. “Kids activities will be provided by KidCreate Studios, Underwater World, Kid’s Potting with The Mustard Seed Landscaping and Garden Center, and The Home Depot.”

Flood warnings have been announced throughout the metro.

Click here
for an update on the river levels around Shakopee.

Click here for an update on the City of Carver

Click here for info on Savage.

Tony Szczepaniak’s charity cribbage tournament will benefit the ABC Foundation this year. In addition, the event is accepting donations of food items for PROP.

Join Szczepaniak for men’s night at Eden Wood Center, 6350 Indian Chief Road in Eden Prairie, from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday, March 19. The tournament starts promptly at 7 p.m.

The cost benefits the foundation. Cost at the door is $30. Dinner will be served and a cash bar will be available.

For more information, contact Szczepaniak at 952-250-6937 or e-mail tony.szczepaniak@gmail.com.

The Eden Prairie Boy Scout Troop 342 Pancake Breakfast at Eden Prairie High School Sunday drew a crowd. Click below for a slide show.

Photo by Unsie Zuege

The Matsons of Chanhassen worked with Destiny Homes of Chanhassen to
remodel their kitchen. The challenge of their six-sided home made the remodel challenging but they love the results. A point of local
trivia--their home was once owned by Kevin Sorbo who starred in the
popular 1990s TV series "Hercules."

Are you interested in reading the public notices published in the March 18, 2010 print edition of the Eden Prairie News newspaper? The page or pages on which those notices were printed are attached to this item, in the form of .pdf’s that can be opened with Adobe Acrobat.

Harriman-Steiner
Randy and Ranee Jacobus announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan, 25, to Sam Steiner, 27, son of Rudy and Deb Steiner of Mukwonago, Wis.

Brindisi, Kangas among new ownership group

By Forrest Adams

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is now under new ownership, though some of the owners have familiar faces.

Long-time Resident Artistic Director Michael Brindisi and Choreographer Tamara Kangas Erickson are among a large cast now charting a path forward for the 41-year-old theater.

After years of delays, it appears funding is in place to fix the traffic-clogged intersection of Highway 169 and Interstate 494. Reconstruction of the interchange will likely start in spring 2011.

Wednesday, the Met Council’s Transportation Advisory Board voted in favor of allowing the Minnesota Department of Transportation to use $34 million owed to TAB for improvements to 169/494. The money had been loaned to MnDOT for the Crosstown project.

The following obituaries are from the March 18, 2010 print edition of the Eden Prairie News newspaper:

The Google Fiber project is drawing out all manner of promotional antics from cities around the country in a bid to be the chosen site for a pilot project to test an ultra-high-speed broadband network. The enticement for cities is that such a project could offer their citizens Internet speeds 100 times faster than what they currently have access to.

Using his line item veto, Gov. Tim Pawlenty trimmed $319 million from the nearly billion dollar bonding bill passed by the Legislature this week. Among the projects cut was a $10.5 million request to fund a project at both campuses of Hennepin Technical College, located in Eden Prairie and Brooklyn Park. According to HTC President Cecilia Cervantes, the project would renovate the resource centers at the campuses bringing together the library, assessment center, tutoring areas and other student services into one cohesive space.

In order to pay its bills this session, the state has turned to school districts to sustain a funding delay –in Eden Prairie’s case it’s a delay of $10.8 million in aid.

Imagine a situation where you’d receive your paychecks for March and April at the end of May. If you were in Eden Prairie’s position, you’d plan to cover the bills with credit, which is just what the School Board members allowed during last week’s School Board meeting. During that meeting, the board voted for a resolution that would allow the district to take out a line of credit with Associated Bank.

About 300 people jumped into Round Lake Saturday to raise funds for Special Olympics. All told, they brought in $55,500. Click below to see a slide show of the Polar Bear Plunge.

Quick turnaround of suspect information in a Richfield robbery led to an arrest in Eden Prairie on March 12. The same day that a robbery occurred at a Bremer Bank in Richfield, Eden Prairie police were able to arrest the suspect, Reginald Dewayne Jackson, 31, of Eden Prairie.

Jackson has been charged with aggravated robbery in the first degree.

Beginning Tuesday, March 23, and continuing for three to six weeks, Xcel Energy will conduct a visual inspection of its electric transmission lines in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota by helicopter, according to a news release.

"Xcel Energy’s transmission lines stretch across southern Minnesota from the Wisconsin border to the South Dakota border, crisscross the central portion of the state from the Twin Cities to the St. Cloud area, and span an area from the Twin Cities north to the Canadian border," the release said.

"A person may not hunt turkey with the aid or use of bait or feed or in the vicinity of bait or feed if the person knows or has reason to know that bait or feed is present," according to a news release from the DNR. "An area is considered baited for 10 days after the complete removal of all bait or feed."

The release described bait or feed as grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts or other food that is capable of attracting or enticing turkey and that has been placed by a person.

Wings of the North has announced that AirExpo 2010 will be held July 17 and 18 at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie as part of the nonprofit group’s mission to preserve and present aviation history. More than 8,000 people are expected to attend this year’s show, featuring more than 40 aircraft and 60 aviation dignitaries, according to a news release from the group.

Carver Scott Humane Society volunteers will hold a pet adoption from noon to 3 p.m. March 20 at Petco, in Eden Prairie. Petco is located off Highway 212 and Singletree Lane. CSHS is without its own building and all pets are housed in foster care.

Dogs 3 months to 8 years will be there. Some of the dogs include: Maltese, Yorkie, English setter, yellow and black lab mix, pointer, wolfhound mix, Australian cattle dog, poodle, bull terrier and Heinz 57 mixes.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., has announced that high school students in the Third District, which includes Eden Prairie, can submit original artwork for the 2010 Congressional Art Competition, Artistic Discovery.

Submit the artwork to Paulsen’s office for the opportunity to have the work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year, as well as in Paulsen’s Congressional offices in Minnesota and Washington.

Hennepin County and its cities are seeking volunteers for the Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP).

Larry Olson, 64, of Eden Prairie, passed away Wednesday, March 10, 2010 after a short battle with leukemia/pancreatic cancer.

Mass of Christian Burial and Celebration of Life is Monday, March 15, at 6 p.m. with visitation from 4:30–6 p.m. prior to the service, all at Pax Christi Catholic Community, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie.

Huber Funeral & Cremation Services, Eden Prairie Chapel, 952-949-4970. www.huberfunerals.com

If you are disabled and want more control, flexibility and responsibility for your care, come to a free information session about the “Consumer Support Grant” from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, at the Hennepin County Library – Ridgedale, 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Room 229, Minnetonka.