Construction is underway on a new psychiatric residential treatment center for children and teens on a wooded property in East Bethel.
Officials tossed the first shovelfuls of dirt at a Dec. 18 groundbreaking for the $26 million facility, known as Cambia Hills. The Hills Youth and Family Services, a Duluth-based nonprofit, is spearheading the project. The treatment center is expected to open later this year.
The nonprofit had first taken the project to the Forest Lake City Council, which nixed the proposal on a split vote in April despite broad community support.
The 60-bed facility in East Bethel is part of a broader push across the state to fill a crucial gap in Minnesota's mental health services for children.
Hannah Covington
Dakota County
County libraries extending hours
Starting next month, most Dakota County Library branches will open an hour earlier, a change prompted by the requests of residents who would sometimes camp out in the library parking lot waiting for the doors to open.
All locations also will close a half-hour earlier. When branches go to the new schedule, most of them will be open three more hours each week.
"We listened to our customers and checked use statistics as to when the library was the busiest and adjusted the hours," said library Director Margaret Stone.
The Burnhaven, Galaxie, Robert Trail, Wentworth and Wescott branches now will open at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m., except on Sundays. Two locations, Farmington and Inver Glen, will open at 9 a.m. from Thursday through Saturday and close at 5 p.m.
