Metro briefs: Brooklyn Park OKs new rules for door-to-door salespeople

City Council members recently tightened the city's door-to-door sales rules, citing concerns over pushy sales tactics and "questionable applicants" getting licenses. The city also hiked license fees to deter "fly-by-night" applicants and will now require background checks on all peddlers and solicitors.

Certain groups, including nonprofits and those involved in fundraisers or door-to-door political campaigning, will be exempt from the ID, license and background check requirements.

Hannah Covington

The Eagan City Council on Tuesday approved several changes to its recreational fire rules, in response to growing complaints received by the Fire Department.

Residents wanting to build a recreational fire now must fill out an online form for a free annual permit. That will ensure that people understand what they can burn, where they can have a fire and what type of enclosure they need, Fire Chief Mike Scott said.

The ordinance also specifically prohibits burning furniture or household items.

The ordinance's goal is to "define recreational fires and have people commit to that," said Eagan Mayor Mike Ma­guire. The ordinance allows the fire chief to strip a permit if the holder has two or more violations in a year.

The Hennepin County Library has added more than 70 albums by local artists to MnSpin, the free music streaming service it launched last year.

Library staff and seven volunteer curators picked the albums from a pool of about 300. They include music from a variety of genres, including rock, country, R&B and jazz. Albums by notable hip-hop artists Atmosphere and Brother Ali also were added.

The service, available online at hclib.musicat.co, launched last December and initially offered about 50 albums.

Listeners are able to download songs for free using their library card. The library pays artists $200 per album.

More than 20,000 songs have been streamed and downloaded through the platform, according to the library.

Another section of the Loop Trail, which crosses the St. Croix River connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin, recently opened for bike and pedestrian use.

The Upper Loop Trail runs along the east side of Hwy. 95, from the Oasis Cafe in downtown Stillwater to the new St. Croix River bridge at Oak Park Heights. It connects at the south end to a park-and-ride lot and the Lower Loop Trail, which runs along the river.

This fall, crews will add additional landscaping and protective railing along parts of the trail.

With the completion next summer of restoration work on the Stillwater Lift Bridge, the 5-mile trail system will connect Stillwater to Houlton, Wis. The lift bridge, closed to vehicle traffic, will become a crossing for bikes and pedestrians.