South news briefs: Save the date for Lakeville Drop-off Day

Lakeville will hold a Drop-off Day for household hazardous waste on May 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central Maintenance Facility, 7570 179th St. W.

It will be free for residents to drop off items such as paint, antifreeze, pesticides, thermometers, varnish and stains, weed killers and gasoline. Electronics and small household electronics, such as cellphones, computers, VCRs, radios, TVs, fans, holiday lights and cameras also will be free.

There is a $25 per item charge to drop off appliances such as freezers, furnaces, stoves, refrigerators and water heaters. Gas air conditioners and gas refrigerators will not be accepted. Residents can't drop off scrap metal, yard waste, tires or business hazardous waste.

For more information, go to www.lakevillemn.gov or call 952-985-4400.

April 24 is the deadline to register for the Rosemount citywide garage sale. A $10 fee per address is charged to be included in a map that will be published throughout Dakota County in the Thisweek newspaper.

The garage sale will be May 14.

Multigenre singer and artist Chastity Brown will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Prior Lake Library, 16210 Eagle Creek Av. SE. as part of the "Booked: Live Bands at Your Library" series.

The concert is free. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with local music and refreshments.

Learn about and listen to seasonal signs and sounds on a hike during the full moon Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Cleary Lake Regional Park, 18106 Texas Av.

Hot chocolate will be served after the hike. Children 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. The cost is $5-$6.

To register, go to www.threeriversparks.org.

Two sessions of "Geocaching for eggs" will be held Saturday at Cleary Lake Regional Park, 18106 Texas Av. S. Participants will learn the basics of geocaching, then use their new skills to hunt for eggs.

To register, go to www.threeriversparks.org.

The AARP will offer free tax assistance to seniors and low-income families eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit on Monday and April 13 at the Savage Library, 13090 Alabama Av. S.

Check-in starts at noon and ends when the schedule is full; doors close at 3 p.m. There are no appointments available. Only walk-ins will be accepted.

Tax preparers will help with basic federal and state returns. Complex returns including depreciation, business and farm income will not be accepted. Returns will be electronically filed.

Free tax assistance is also available to seniors and low-income families on Tuesday and April 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prior Lake Library, 16210 Eagle Creek Av. SE. The same rules apply to those sessions.

The Shakopee Police Department is accepting applications for its annual Citizen Police Academy. The six-week course meets from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays from May 7 to June 18.

Anyone who lives, works or is interested in Shakopee is eligible to apply. Course subjects include critical incident scenarios, homicide case briefs, a Taser demonstration, presentations by the SWAT team and Drug Task Force and a tour of the Scott County jail.

The program is free. Applicants must be 21 or older and pass a background check. Application deadline is April 23.

For more information, go to www.shakopeemn.gov/crimeprevention or call 952-233-9441.

The city of Shakopee has closed the pedestrian bridge crossing the Mill Pond channel in Memorial Park because of safety concerns. It will be closed until further notice.