HENNEPIN COUNTY

Medicine collection nets 540 lbs. of drugsAbout 540 pounds of unwanted medicines collected by Hennepin County were shipped to an incinerator outside the metro area for disposal last week, officials said.

They were collected through a drop-off program started last month by the county's Sheriff's Office and Environmental Services Department. The program allows residents to get rid of medicines free of charge without flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away, where they can pollute water and harm wildlife.

Accepted medicines are prescription drugs, including controlled substances, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements, and pet medicines. No needles, syringes or liquids are accepted, nor will medicines from businesses be accepted.

Medicines can be left in green drop boxes in the lobbies at three Sheriff's Office locations: at the Public Safety facility at 401 4th Av. S. in Minneapolis (anytime of the day or week); at sheriff's patrol headquarters at 9401 83rd Av. N. in Brooklyn Park (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday); and at the sheriff's water patrol, 4141 Shoreline Drive in Spring Park (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday).

No ID is required. Medicines should be in the original container or package, or short of that, in a clear plastic bag.

CHANHASSEN

Arboretum 5K run is set for May 6The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum will host its 15th annual "Bud Break" 5K Run/Walk on May 6, timed to coincide with the peak of its spring blooms.

The event, open to all ages, will be limited to the first 650 applicants. Pre-register by April 29 for $20 for arboretum members and $25 for non-members. From April 30 through May 2, the fee will be $30 for members and non-members alike. Race day entry fee will be $35.

Registration will start at 8 a.m., with the 5K race beginning at 9 a.m. and the 5K walk shortly thereafter. A special event, the Daffodil Dash Run/Walk for children ages 5-12, will begin at 10 a.m. and follow a course through the Dayton Wildflower Garden.

Participants will receive a T-shirt, and the top male and female runners will receive $75 gift cards, with second-place finishers getting a $50 gift card and third-place finishers receiving $25 gift cards.

To register, go to www.arboretum.umn.edu/budbreak.aspx. For more information, call 952-443-1423 or 952-443-1515 or e-mail sinne002 @umn.edu or fisch070@umn .edu.

EDINA

Need books? Check out used-book saleThe Friends of the Edina Library are holding a used-book sale from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the library at Vernon and Eden avenues. A bag sale -- all the books that fit into a bag for $5 -- will held from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday.

ST. LOUIS PARK

Senior program hosts spaghetti dinnerThe St. Louis Park Senior Program is sponsoring its annual spaghetti dinner and bake and craft sale at the Lenox Community Center, 6715 Minnetonka Blvd., from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday. Cost is $8 in advance, $8.50 at the door, and $4.75 for kids under age 10. For more information, call 952-928-6444.

MINNETONKA

'The Science of Well-Being' at MarshDr. Esther Sternberg will discuss the mind-body connection to good health at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Marsh in Minnetonka.

Sternberg, who is also the guest speaker for the 21st Annual Ruth Stricker Mind-Body Lecture at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing on Monday, will discuss how "Stress can make us sick, belief can help us heal, our moods can change our immune systems and our physical environment has the potential to heal or harm us," The Marsh said in a news release. Sternberg "will explain the science behind these phenomena."

Register in advance at TheMarsh.com or by calling 952-935-2202. Cost is $20 per person, or $15 per person for Marsh members.

WAYZATA

Benefit for African school is SundayWayzata Community Church's second annual "Walk for Hope" is Sunday, a 5-mile walking fundraiser for a the Light of Hope Home & School in Naivasha, Kenya.

The event is open to all ages, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Wayzata Community Church, 125 Wayzata Blvd. E. The walk will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Participants can line up sponsors or pay a $25 participation fee, with all proceeds going toward construction of a permanent building at the Kenyan school. For registration information, contact Sheila Ross at sheilarossapple@me.com or at 952-797-2890.

ST. LOUIS PARK

Autism conference gets underway tonightThe Autism Society of Minnesota is hosting the 2012 Minnesota Autism Conference beginning this evening and continuing through Saturday at the Double Tree Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd. in St. Louis Park.

Featuring experts from around the country, the conference is open to the public.

Keynote speakers' topics include "Bringing Science into the Community," "Beyond Meltdowns and Shutdowns," "Building a Life Skills Tool Kit," "Effective Strategies for Daily Success on the Autism Spectrum" and "Culture, Diversity and Identifying Autism."

Go to www.ausm.org for more details on conference programs and costs.

WEST METRO

Vehicle Day to give kids hands-on accessThe cities of Edina, Bloomington and Richfield are planning a spring Vehicle Day on Saturday to give kids a chance to see up close their favorite trucks and other motor vehicles.

From fire trucks to police cruisers, garbage trucks to mowers used by professionals, the scene at the parking lot outside Southdale Center will be enough to keep a kid enthralled for hours.

The event is scheduled for 10 a.m.-noon in the parking lot next to Herberger's. It is sponsored by the three cities in conjunction with Simon Malls' Kidgits Club. Drivers will be on hand to answer questions about their jobs. Kids of all ages are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is free.

Other vehicles expected to be on hand include an armored car, a boom truck, a log loader, snowplows, a utility tractor, buses, a wood chipper truck, and a Hennepin County search-and-rescue boat.

OSSEO

American Indian culture in the spotlightThe 17th annual American Indian Education Day and Wacipi will take place Saturday from 1-6 p.m. at Osseo Junior High School, 10223 93rd Av. N. in Osseo. The event is free.

Artisan exhibits, demonstrations, dance and more will give those attending a chance to explore Indian culture and heritage. A traveling exhibit, new to the event, will be on display dealing with "Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations."

For more information, call Ramona Stately at 763-391-7093.

ORONO

Volunteers pack food for HaitiMore than 1,000 community volunteers at Trinity Lutheran Church of Long Lake packed food recently for Feed My Starving Children.

Volunteers assembled 278,928 pouches of food, enough to feed 789 children for one year. The nutrient-loaded MannaPacks are being shipped to Love a Child Orphanage in Haiti. The volunteers raised more than $60,000 to pay for the 15 tons of food assembled and packaged over a weekend.

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