South metro town briefs

DAKOTA COUNTY AND ITS MUNICIPALITIES

The Dakota County Traffic Safety Project will conduct increased seat-belt enforcement through Oct. 22. This will be the first enforcement campaign since the primary seat-belt law took effect June 9.

All Dakota County law enforcement agencies are being mobilized for the campaign, in which about 400 agencies statewide will participate.

Special nighttime enforcement patrols are part of the effort. That's because a recent Department of Public Safety study showed that with traffic crashes occurring between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., 64 percent of the victims were unbelted, according to a press release from his department, along with the sheriff's office and Burnsville police.

From 2006 to 2008 in Dakota County, 18 vehicle occupants were killed because they didn't wear their seat belts and another 46 were severely injured, the press release says.

PRIOR LAKE AND SHAKOPEE

Candidates for mayor and council in Shakopee and Prior Lake will be offering competing views on live television and in person over the next two days.

In Shakopee, the Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring candidate forums tonight and Thursday night. The first night is for candidates for mayor, the second night for candidates for city council. To attend, turn up at the council chambers in City Hall at 7 p.m. either night. To watch from the couch, tune in Channel 16.

In Prior Lake, candidates for both mayor and city council have been invited to a candidate forum on Thursday at City Hall. The League of Women Voters is hosting this event, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. It will be broadcast live on cable channel 15 and rebroadcast many times on the same channel, as well as streamed online, until the Nov. 3 election.

For the names of the 12 Prior Lake candidates seeking three seats, as well as information on where to vote, visit www.cityofpriorlake.com/election. Election information for Shakopee is at www.ci.shakopee.mn.us/elections.cfm. For Savage, where four people are seeking two seats, not including the mayor's seat, go to www.cityofsavage.com and choose links for "government," then "elections and voting."

DAKOTA COUNTY

Camping and computers will be compatible next summer at Dakota County's Lebanon Hills Campground.

The county plans to install password-protected wireless Internet at the campground by next spring to fulfill the increasing requests from campers, especially those people who tour the country in RVs.

"Over the past couple years, this segment of the camping population has really become Internet and tech savvy," said Doug Gross, a park operations coordinator. "They use their laptops as their main communication tool."

Some private campgrounds and even a few Minnesota state parks offer wireless Internet to campers.

The wireless at Lebanon Hills will be available only to those campers using the 57 full hook-up sites. To cover the estimated $5,400 annual costs of the new technology, the county board is considering a $1 increase in the nightly cost of one of those campsites, which rent for $29 plus tax.

The campground at Lebanon Hills Regional Park is open from late spring to mid-fall, and county staff members said most campsites are occupied on weekends. Adding wireless is part of a larger push to attract midweek campers to the park.

EAGAN

A barbecue to benefit the Minnesota Valley Humane Society is planned for 3-7 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Allied Health & Wellness Center, 3410 Federal Drive, Suite 100, Eagan.

The event will include free burgers and hot dogs, prizes, a silent auction and free massages. Attendees can also visit with MVHS staff and some of their animals, as well as bring photos of their own pets to enter into the cutest pet contest.

Attendees are asked to bring cash donations or new pet supplies to donate, including dog or cat food, non-clumping cat litter, leashes and collars.

For more information, call 651-905-8272.

NORTHFIELD

Blues guitarist Bernard Allison will perform at the Grand Theater at 8 p.m. on Oct. 23. Tickets cost $8 at the door or $5 for students ages 18 and older. The theater is located at 316 Washington St. The show is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Northfield. See www.the grandnorthfield.com for more details.

DAVID PETERSON, JOY POWELL, KATIE HUMPHREY AND DYLAN BELDEN