Nancy Tyra-Lukens speaks to students in teacher Brian Sibley’s Advanced Placement U.S. government class at EPHS last week. Photos courtesy of Brian Sibley
Nancy Tyra-Lukens, chair of the Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) board of directors, spoke last week to about 75 students in three Advanced Placement U.S. Government classes taught by Brian Sibley at Eden Prairie High School.
Tyra-Lukens, the former EP mayor, poses with Democratic state Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, who is running for reelection for the District 49 Minnesota Senate seat against Republican Marla Helseth. He was speaking at the school where he taught for many years before stopping by the classroom. (Note the cutout of his head on the wall behind Tyra-Lukens.)
The former Eden Prairie mayor told the students about the 2022 EPLN Voter Guide, which was mailed to all 26,000 city households earlier this month. She brought copies of the 24-page guide that provides information on all candidates running for local races in the Nov. 8 election. (To view the online version of the voter guide, go to the EPLN website.)
Tyra-Lukens stressed the importance of local journalism as she recounted EPLN’s beginnings to students. In doing so, she quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
EPLN, the non-profit, non-partisan, hyperlocal website, has published more than 1,300 articles since its launch in September 2020, just several months after the Eden Prairie News closed. More than 2,300 people subscribe to its daily and weekly newsletters. Free subscriptions are available.
The website consists of a growing group of neighbors – journalists, board members and volunteer contributors – whose mission is to serve the community with trustworthy reporting, compelling stories, and news you can use.