West metro briefs: Brooklyn Park again takes annual Step To It contest

Twenty-four communities participated in the competition, which breaks winners out into three categories: most steps overall, highest average steps per participant and highest percentage of residents participating.

Brooklyn Park residents logged 128,834,094 steps, about 24 percent more than the city recorded in the 2015 contest. Plymouth and Hopkins placed second and third, respectively.

Shorewood won the Most Active Resident award for having the highest average steps per participant, 383,365, nosing out Rogers and Osseo. After coming in second in the category last year, Minnetonka Beach won the Most Engaged Community crown for the highest percentage of participating residents, 2.52 percent; Osseo and Maple Plain followed.

County officials said that steps overall were significantly higher this year than in 2015 and that many returning cities saw major year-to-year increases.

Health institutes report that even modest increases in physical activity can score big gains in life expectancy. People who live in the suburbs often are more likely to be inactive because they depend more on cars to get around, studies have found.

KEVIN DUCHSCHERE

In anticipation of what's expected to be a historic number of absentee votes this election year, Hennepin County is hiring 80 temporary election workers.

The election workers, who will be paid $15.31 per hour, will help process absentee ballots and voter registration applications and perform other tasks.

The county expects a turnout of about 80 percent, or at least 650,000 registered voters. To apply, go to hennepin.us/jobs.

KELLY SMITH

Nate Kabat, a planner with Carver County, will become assistant city administrator for Chaska on July 6.

Kabat, who has been working in the county's Planning Zoning and Environmental Services Division, will succeed Jeffrey Dahl, who left the position to become Wayzata city manager.

He was chosen from among four finalists.

Beatrice dupuy

A new entrance ramp to westbound Interstate 494 will be built to help address traffic issues.

The Hennepin County Board approved the $8.5 million county's share of the $23.8 million project funding last week.

The new entrance ramp aims to relieve traffic on Normandale Boulevard/84th Street at Bush Lake Road. Officials said that area is one of the most congested in the county. Construction on the project could start as soon as 2017.

Plymouth will host a free water ski show on July 12 at Parkers Lake Park, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department.

The show will feature the Shockwaves Shakopee-Prior Lake Water Ski Association at 7 p.m. Those attending may bring lawn chairs, blankets or a picnic. Cold Stone Creamery will sell ice cream at the event.

A second water ski show is set for Aug. 9.

KELLY SMITH

Wayzata has a new beach concession, one of the new draws that officials hope will improve the city's lakefront.

City leaders said they were inspired by popular Minneapolis lake vendors like Sandcastle at Lake Nokomis.

Wayzata has spruced up its lakefront and made it more accessible, putting in more docks for boaters and planting plants and flowers next to the Section Foreman's House, an old railroad building. In May, a split City Council accepted designs for its lakefront concept plan called the Lake Effect, which includes a lake walk and an expanded city beach.