North/East metro briefs: Anoka County Sheriff's Office raises cancer research funds

"We all know someone who has been affected by cancer and has experienced the pain it can cause for families and entire communities," Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart said in a news release. "At the sheriff's office, we wanted to draw further attention to it, to contribute to the cure and to show our support to every person who faces this battle."

STAFF REPORT

An open house this week will allow residents to comment on Ramsey County's pedestrian and bicycle plan. It will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Ramsey County Library's Roseville branch, 2180 Hamline Av. N.

The plan aims to make Ramsey County communities more walkable and bike friendly. For more details, or to offer reactions online, go to www.ramseycountypedbike.org/.

STAFF REPORT

Two community forums in October will explore drug trends, causes of addiction and means of intervention.

The forums are presented by the Ramsey County sheriff, county attorney, public health and other partners.

STAFF REPORT

A program designed to fight drug and alcohol use among teens is yielding positive results in the St. Francis and Centennial School Districts, officials say.

The Chemical Health Initiative program has looked at the extent of student drug and alcohol use vs. the perception among students about the level of use among peers. Among the findings:

• Students overestimate the use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs by peers.

• The use of alcohol and marijuana increases from eighth to ninth grade.

As part of the initiative, Steph Sianko, an alcohol and drug counselor at Centennial Middle School, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the middle school.

Come learn about fire prevention at the annual Coon Rapids Fire Department open house events on Saturday, Oct. 10. The events are part of Fire Prevention Week. This year's safety message is "Hear the Beep Where You Sleep: Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm."

STAFF REPORT

The Washington County Board has agreed to share costs with the city of Cottage Grove for improvements to County Road 22 and Jamaica Avenue S. The project includes construction of a multilane roundabout, turn lanes, sidewalks and new pavement. The intersection is now an all-way stop.

The city will construct the project. The county will pay for County Road 22 work, while the city will pay for work on Jamaica Avenue. The $1.3 million project is set for completion in 2016.

Washington County has sold land on the southeast corner of Hwy. 96 and Manning Avenue to the city of Stillwater to create public park space and protect a stretch of Brown's Creek and its wetlands.

The county purchased the land, known as the Palmer property, for $200,000 in January 2014. The county, at that time, intended to transfer it to Stillwater Township for $116,000. The township and city agreed in September that the city was the appropriate owner of the land.

The County Board agreed to spend $84,000 in Land and Water Legacy funds to place a conservation easement on the property. The land transfer is now complete. The city paid the same amount as the township had intended — $116,000.