North/east news briefs: St. Croix River Bridge approach highway in Wisconsin to be graded, paved

Work has resumed on a new four-lane highway that will link the new St. Croix River Bridge with an existing four-lane highway near Somerset, Wis. Crews will finish grading the 3-mile segment of Wisconsin Hwy. 64 and concrete paving will follow, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said.

Approach highways on the Minnesota side, at Oak Park Heights, are mostly finished except for the spots where they will connect with the bridge.

The contractor plans to complete most of the work this year, officials said, but the highway won't open to the public until the new bridge opens to traffic in fall 2017.

The extensive project, budgeted to cost as much as $676 million, originally was scheduled for completion late this year. However, complications with bridge design and other factors extended the opening for another year.

Kevin Giles

Janet Guthrie of Shoreview has been named Ramsey County's director of administrative services and chief clerk to the County Board.

Her job will include "policy development, strategic analysis and oversight of the daily administrative operations of the county manager's office," officials said in a statement.

David Peterson

Five artists have been selected to live and work at the St. Croix Watershed Research Station's historic Pine Needles cabin this summer. The artists and writers each will spend two to four weeks at the cabin on the banks of the St. Croix River.

They are Marly Beyer, Portland, Ore.; Gary Noren and Marty Harding, both of Chisago City; Kim Roberts, Washington, D.C.; and C.B. Sherlock, Minneapolis.

The program, started in 2001, offers time and space for artists to interact with scientists at the station, which conducts field research for the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Kevin Giles

The event will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on May 5 at Christ Lutheran Church, Laverne Avenue and 36th Street N., Lake Elmo.

Officials will discuss construction along 36th Street, Laverne Avenue and Upper 33rd Street. They also will preview the second phase of the project, including utilities, road reconstruction, downtown streetscaping and sidewalks on Lake Elmo Avenue and 30th Street N. Topics will include coordinating access for private properties and businesses.

To learn more, go to www.co.washington.mn.us/LakeElmoAveCR17/.

Kevin Giles

The New Brighton Area Historical Society will hold its annual meeting Thursday with a presentation on the city's civic celebrations.

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m., with the program following at 2 p.m. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. The program is co-sponsored by the Ramsey County Library and funded by the state Art and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Kevin Duchschere

Woodbury residents seeking curbside recycling of their appliances, tires and scrap metal at a discounted rate must schedule it with their haulers by May 2, officials said.

The materials will be collected May 16-19 on regular pickup days.

For a list of accepted items and rates, and to find phone numbers for haulers, go to tinyurl.com/z4ehn3e.