Hennepin County has finished the first phase of parking lot improvements at the Rockford Road Library and is now preparing for extensive renovations to be carried out in 2023.

The county will finish work on the parking lot next year, in addition to updating interior spaces and addressing long-term exterior preservation needs. The 52-year-old building is located next to the Crystal Police Department and City Hall at 6401 42nd Avenue N.

The Hennepin County Library is asking users for input as it finalizes plans for the redo. A survey is open through Sept. 30.

The Rockford Road Library serves the cities of Crystal, New Hope and Robbinsdale. It opened in 1972 and had updates in 1995 and 2013.

Tim Harlow

White Bear Lake

Blue-green algae bloom discovered

Residents and pets should avoid contact with the water at Goose Lake after scientists discovered potentially toxic blue-green algae there last week.

The Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization issued a warning Sept. 13 advising residents to avoid the water, scum or algae at the lake, located on Hwy. 61 in White Bear Lake.

During bloom events, blue-green algae may cause short-term and long-term harm including skin irritation, gastrointestinal problems and liver damage, according to the warning.

Though often referred to as algae, blue-green algae is actually a bacteria called cyanobacteria, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

"They are normally present in bodies of water and common in Minnesota. This type of bacteria thrives in warm, nutrient-rich water. When conditions are right, the blue-green algae can grow quickly forming blooms," according to the MPCA website. "Certain varieties of blue-green algae can produce toxins that are linked to illness in humans and animals."

Shannon Prather

Washington County

Architects chosen for new service center

The Washington County Board on Tuesday chose Alliiance Architects of Minneapolis to deliver architectural and engineering services for a new West Central Service Center near the intersection of Woodland Drive and Guider Drive in Woodbury.

In choosing the firm, the board approved a contract worth more than $1.5 million.

The new location was chosen after several evaluations of sites along the proposed Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit Line. The new center will replace the Woodbury Service Center at 2150 Radio Drive, which was scheduled for replacement in the county's 2019 strategic facility plan.

Matt McKinney

Dakota County

County wins public health award

Dakota County's public health department has received a national award for its community outreach to vaccinate people against COVID-19.

The department won a 2022 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for using a mobile trailer to vaccinate in certain neighborhoods and at community events. The trailer provided 57 clinics between May 2021 and August 2022 in more than two dozen Dakota County locations, including schools, mobile home parks and low-income housing complexes.

More than 1,500 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine through mobile clinic events, more than half of whom identified as non-white, according to the county.

The county used federal pandemic aid to buy the trailer, which is now offering the latest COVID-19 booster shots. In the future, the department will use it to offer early childhood screenings and vision checks.

Erin Adler