SCOTT COUNTY

'Art Crawl' coming this weekend

The fourth annual Scott County Art Crawl, a self-guided tour of studios and other sites, happens on Saturday.

Thirty-five artists are featured in 18 stops in Prior Lake, Savage and Shakopee. The tour runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mediums include paintings, photography, sculpture, jewelry and glass. Prices range from $5 to $1,000.

Maps are available at local businesses and online at www.scottcountyartcrawl.org.

You may also e-mail Savage ArtsCouncil@gmail.com and follow the Twitter feed at www.twit ter.com/savageartsorg.

SAVAGE

Thousands raised for safer fire helmets

Nearly $5,000 has been raised to give Savage firefighters some safer — and more costly — new helmets.

The money comes from a promotion in July at city-owned liquor stores, topped off by a corporate donation.

For every bottle of wine sold from an outfit called Hook & Ladder Winery, $2 went to a fund to buy a new breed of brimless helmet widely used in Europe. The helmets reduce neck strain and are less apt to be knocked off as debris falls.

The final check for $4,856 was a combination of :

• More than $1,000 that came directly through purchases at the city's Marketplace and Dan Patch stores;

• $800 that came from additional donations at cash registers;

• A $3,000 gift from Cargill Inc., the Minnetonka-based firm with major operations in the city.

The helmets cost $100 more than traditional firefighting gear.

SHAKOPEE

Make a piñata of your own this weekend

It's Hispanic Heritage Month, and in a city with a growing Latino population, there's a piñata-­making workshop on Saturday.

The Scott County Historical Society hosts the event, aimed at those age 7 and over, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Participants will design and create their own decorated containers to be filled with candy and other goodies and then burst open by striking it with a stick.

Registration is through Shakopee Community Education at 952-496-5029. There's a fee of $1 for supplies.

Call the society at 952-445-0378 to learn more, or e-mail sher rick@scottcountyhistory.org.

The society is located at 235 Fuller St. S. in Shakopee.

Speaker will discuss 'Minneapolis mob'

The annual meeting of the Scott County Historical Society this fall will feature a talk on the gangster history of the Hennepin Avenue strip in downtown Minneapolis.

Author Neal Karlen will address the group at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, discussing the scene at Augie's, a gathering place for celebrities and gangsters alike. Karlen obtained FBI files on leading figures of the era, notably Kid Cann.

The event begins with an open house at 6 p.m., then a business meeting at 6:30 and a 45-minute presentation at 7, followed by questions and answers.

Admission is free for society members; for others, the fee is $4 for adults and $2 for students.

JORDAN

Town meeting will feature elected officials

There's a town meeting this month in Jordan for citizens wishing to learn more about what's going on at City Hall.

The event runs from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the city's fire station, 501 Varner St. N.

Council members will talk about projects and activities and field questions from the audience.

STAFF REPORTS