Dakota County news briefs: Lakeville residents can weigh in on e-cigarettes

Lakeville residents who want to express their opinions on the length of the mayor's term and extending restrictions on indoor smoking to e-cigarettes can do so at the City Council meeting Monday.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Av. The meeting agenda can be found at www.lakevillemn.gov.

Information on how to successfully complete an online job application, along with answers to frequently asked questions, will be covered at an event at 2 p.m. Friday at the Galaxie Library, 14950 Galaxie Av., Apple Valley.

Registration is required. Go to www.co.dakota.mn.us/library and click on programs.

The public has until Friday to review and comment on Dakota County's draft River to River Greenway Master Plan.

The River to River Greenway connects the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers and runs through Lilydale, Mendota Heights, West St. Paul and South St. Paul. The draft master plan recommends enhancements and improvements to trail amenities, corridor landscaping and connections that will bring the trail up to regional greenway standards, as outlined in the Dakota County 2010 Greenway Guidebook.

The draft master plan can be found at www.hkgi.com/project/dakota.

People must be first-time home buyers or have not owned a home in the last three years.

Honorably discharged veterans do not need to be first-time buyers, but cannot have used a similar program to buy a home in the past.

The properties must be in Dakota County and must be the homeowners' primary place of residence.

Home buyers must have a minimum credit score of 640. The income limits are $86,600 for one or two people, and $99,500 for three or more people. Properties can have a maximum purchase price of $275,780 for single-family homes, townhouses or condos.

To apply for the program, people are asked to contact one of the loan officers on the participating lender list at www.dakotacda.org/homebuyers.htm.

The Burnsville Chamber of Commerce's "Lunch and Learn" series will focus on marketing your business by using social media at a workshop from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The event will be at the chamber's offices at 350 W. Burnsville Pkwy., Suite 425. The cost is $15 for chamber members, $25 for nonmembers. To register, call 952-435-6000.

Kids ages 6 to 13 can hone their skateboarding skills at an event from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Burnsville Skate Park, 100 Civic Center Pkwy.

The class description says that "instruction will include work on proper foot placement and the basics of grinds, catching air, slides and plants — as well as an introduction to pumping, carving, kick turns and dropping into ramps safely."

The cost is $30. To register or get more information, go to www.burnsville.org/skateboarding.

Eagan started participating in National Night Out in 1998. At that time, more than 20 neighborhoods took part. By 2013, that number had grown to more than 170.

The event is celebrated in many ways, including block parties, barbecues, children's games or simple gatherings to get to know your neighbors.

For more information, go to the city's website at www.ci.eagan.mn.us.

People can learn tools and techniques to protect their privacy while browsing social media, using search engines and e-mail or buying goods online at an event from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Robert Trail Library, 14395 S. Robert Trail.

To register, go to www.co.dakota.mn.us/library and click on programs.