Oakdale
Free groceries offered at market stocked with 'rescued' items
A market stocked with food pulled from shelves at Twin Cities grocery stores has opened in Oakdale.
The Today's Harvest store, run by Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf, has many of the things shoppers might expect to find at a small market, from vegetables and fresh fruit to frozen meat, milk, bread and baked goods. Items — provided by local grocery stores, farms and other partners — are free, and the market is open to all.
Volunteers will staff the store at 5703 Hadley Av. N. in the Hadley Plaza in Oakdale from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
Matt McKinney
Dakota County
Lake Byllesby will rise to summer levels
Dakota County's refilling of Lake Byllesby to its summer water levels began Saturday, according to a Dakota County news release, and should be done by Memorial Day.
The reservoir's level is lowered 3 feet to 853.7 feet in the fall and remains at that level until May 15, when refilling to its summer elevation of 856.7 feet can begin. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources sets the levels so farmers can access lower-lying fields in the spring. In summer, levels rise to accommodate water-related recreation.
Refilling the lake requires raising 41 "trip gates" at the top of Lake Byllesby Dam. The refill comes from the Cannon River, which gives up to 20% of its water to the reservoir.
The rest of the water is released downstream through the turbines and crest gates. The raising of the lake can't be done if the Cannon River is at 50% capacity or lower, the release said.
