South metro briefs: In Shakopee, St. Francis Medical Center to offer free acupuncture services

St. Francis Regional Medical Center has become one of the first hospitals in the nation to offer acupuncture services to emergency room patients, an effort to reduce the need for prescription painkillers.

The traditional Chinese technique would be available for free to more than 30,000 emergency room patients each year as a natural way to treat pain and anxiety, officials said. For ailments ranging from migraines to severe trauma, patients can use the service in an effort to avoid using opioids medications.

"Acupuncture is a minimally invasive, completely safe, highly-effective therapeutic option for patients experiencing pain," said Dr. Jeff Hill, emergency physician at St. Francis. "And the best part is it's a treatment without mind-altering chemicals, so our patients can walk out of the hospital, drive home, and go on with their day."

Acupuncture has become a more widely embraced by American medicine for its holistic approach to care. Traditional advocates say it works by balancing the body's natural energy pathways; western medicine suggests it stimulates natural endorphins in the body and promotes better circulation.

St. Francis also offers acupuncture as part of its integrative health program. Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy have reported that the treatment relieves pain, anxiety and nausea.

Liz Sawyer

For 12 years, Dakota County's Silver Teas program has brought free musical programs to various library locations. There are eight more events planned for May featuring music from many countries, time periods and genres. For more information, visit www.dakotacounty.us/library or call 651-450-2900.

• A Celtic Breeze with Laura MacKenzie: Listen to traditional Celtic music on wind powered instruments from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at Wescott Library (1340 Wescott Road, Eagan).

• Becky Schlegel: Her songs introduce new people and places with classic country, bluegrass and folk influences. She's playing from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at Heritage Library (20085 Heritage Drive, Lakeville).

• Brian and Sheralyn Barnes' pop masterpieces: The duo will play popular songs from the late 1800s to the early 1960s on the Spanish guitar, the Italian mandolin, the African banjo and the Hawaii ukulele from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday at Burnhaven Library (1101 W. County Road 42, Burnsville).

• Cerulean Fire: Hear string music centered on the themes of love and death from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 at Wentworth Library (199 East Wentworth Avenue, West St. Paul).

• The Jolly Huntsmen: Hear German polka music from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. May 17 at Pleasant Hill Library (1490 South Frontage Road, Hastings).

The Carver County Board on Tuesday voted 3-2 to approve a half-percent hike to the transportation sales tax and an increase to the existing wheelage tax to pay for priority infrastructure repairs over the next 24 years.

Faced with a projected $128 million shortfall for 26 road projects, county officials held a public forum about the proposal they say will close the gap. Without more money, commissioners said they lacked the funds to complete long-term road and bridge projects designed to improve traffic flow.

The board approved a half-percent transportation sales tax, including a $20 excise tax on vehicles that are otherwise exempt from the transportation sales tax. Officials expect the change to raise $3.5 million a year after going into effect Oct. 1.

A $10 increase in the wheelage tax is projected to generate about $880,000 in 2018. It will take effect Jan. 1.

The state sales tax rate is 6.875 percent, whereas Carver County had none.

City officials found the emerald ash borer in two Hastings locations in 2016 and are now taking action. On Monday, the City Council unanimously approved the parks and recreation committee's recommendations related to boulevard tree maintenance, according to a news release.

City parks have about 500 mature ash trees and will be treated immediately. A recent inventory also found that 1,000 of the 4,500 trees on city boulevards are ash trees. The city forester will continue to complete periodic inventories of boulevard trees. If an issue is found, the property owner will be contacted and options will be explained. If owners have kept up with maintenance and a tree needs removal, the city will pay 40 percent of the cost, with the owner owing the rest.

The emerald ash borer has infected Hastings trees already and an infestation is imminent, the city warns.