South news briefs: Dan Patch Days coming to Savage June 25-28

The annual Dan Patch Days celebration will be held June 25 to 28 in Savage's Community Park, 13550 Dakota Av.

Buttons are available at the Savage Library or Razor's Edge Barber Shop. People who buy buttons will be entered into a June 27 raffle.

Events include a craft beer and wine tasting on June 25, and food stands, beverage tents and live music on June 26. On June 27, there will be 5K and 1-mile fun runs, parkour and free running demonstration, a kiddie carnival, bingo, the "Savage Has Talent" talent show, a business expo, live music, fireworks and more.

The festival wraps up on June 28 with a pancake breakfast, a blood drive, a parade downtown at 1 p.m., and a community cleanup.

Personal coolers will not be allowed in the park during Dan Patch Days. For more information and a complete schedule, go to www.danpatchdays.org.

Kids in kindergarten through sixth-grade can show off their bike-riding skills and learn safety tips at Savage's Bike Rodeo at 10 a.m. Thursday at Savage Community Park. Valley Bike & Ski will be at the event to do bike inspections to make sure everything is in working order.

The event is free and sponsored by the Savage Police Department.

The run, called "Steps for Success," will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at Thomson Reuters, 610 Opperman Dr.

The Partners for Success program puts family support workers in 32 schools in seven districts to work with educators and families to increase parental involvement, improve the students' performance and connect families to community resources.

For more information, go to www.360communities.org or call 952-985-5300.

Mary Stapleton, a longtime guardian ad litem and an unpaid volunteer for the past five years, has been awarded Minnesota's First Judicial District's fifth annual Amicus Curiae Award.

The award, which means "friend of the court," recognizes people who have provided "exceptional service, leadership or other contributions to assist the courts."

"Mary has volunteered literally thousands of hours serving and advocating for the best interests of children," the district's news release said.

Stapleton is a member of the Carver County Children's Justice Initiative Committee and a volunteer with the Carver County Justice Advisory Committee. She is a past president of the League of Women Voters, a member of the Chaska Historical Society, past chairman of the Chaska Park and Recreation Board and past member of the Chaska Planning Commission. She also volunteers in area schools and at her church.

The First Judicial District, based in Hastings, covers Dakota, Carver, Goodhue, LeSueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley counties.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ryan Morgan will talk about ACL, rotator cuff, shoulder and other sports injuries at a free seminar from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the River Valley YMCA, 3575 Berens Road NW.

Morgan will talk about surgical and nonsurgical treatment for those already afflicted and help participants find a sport that fits their lifestyle.

An ice cream social June 24 at Club Prior will feature the Richie Z Legends show with the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

The free show starts at 1 p.m. No registration is required.

Club Prior, for adults 55 and older, is in the Prior Lake Library at 16210 Eagle Creek Av. SE.

Residents and visitors are invited to submit photos of having fun in Shakopee's park and recreation facilities for the "Snapshots from the Park" photo contest.

Photos can be posted on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ShakSnapshots. Every two weeks, a winner will be chosen from among the photos.

The Shakopee Fire Department has received a $30,000 grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. The fire department plans to use the money for equipment upgrades in the search and rescue training room at Fire Station 1.

The public safety grant was one of 34 awarded by the tribe to departments across Minnesota, totaling more than a half-million dollars. Recipients must provide a 20 percent grant match.