Metro briefs: St. Louis Park City Council approves bids for trail bridge project

The St. Louis Park City Council last week approved bids to build the $9.55 million Dakota-Edgewood Bridge project, which will provide a north-south crossing for pedestrians and bikers over the BNSF railroad tracks.

The council was divided on whether to move forward with the bridge as recently as last month. The price tag concerned several members because it has climbed significantly since the idea emerged more than 10 years ago.

The city has put $1.25 million into the project, and Mayor Jake Spano said it will never cost less than it does now. A $2.9 million federal grant will help cover the cost.

Erin Adler

The Blaine Police Department's K-9 team has received the National Case of the Year Award from the U.S. Police Canine Association for its work during a Coon Rapids traffic stop last year that turned into a fatal shooting.

Officer Reggie Larson and his K-9 partner, Rex, were called to assist Coon Rapids police in April 2019 after a man pulled a gun during a traffic stop, fled on foot and exchanged fire with police.

Rex tracked the suspect to a backyard in a nearby neighborhood, gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was killed. It was believed the suspect planned to return to his vehicle to ambush the officers there.

Kim Hyatt

Eagan police have issued a crime alert warning residents to watch out for catalytic converter thieves, who they said have been unusually busy.

In a Facebook video, officer Aaron Machtemes said 76 catalytic converter thefts had been reported in Eagan so far this year, most of them within the past couple of months.

"Unfortunately, we're on pace for September being one of the worst months for this type of theft," he said.

Thieves use tools to remove converters, then sell them to a scrap yard or precious metals dealer. Vehicle owners can get stuck with a $1,000 repair bill not covered by insurance.

KEVIN DUCHSCHERE

The Washington County Board this month approved a grant from the Metropolitan Council to help pay for a land parcel near a Mississippi River channel for future inclusion in the proposed Grey Cloud Island Regional Park.

The property, on the lower island off S. Grey Cloud Trail, was purchased last November by the County Board for $348,700 with the county's Land and Water Legacy Program funds. The Met Council grant will reimburse the county for up to $261,525.

The grant carries with it the standard requirement that the county impose restrictive covenants on the property.

The board has been purchasing parcels for the park for years. It spent $550,000 in 2018 to buy 29 acres, most of it water acreage, for the proposed park. Grey Cloud Island is a major feature on the river, which is why environmentalists have backed a park there.