Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release. Today, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek is asking for the public’s help to identify suspects or evidence in the investigation of a grave site that was desecrated. The crime took place at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis on July 12, 2012.  Sheriff Stanek announced that up to a $10,000 reward may be provided for information that leads to an arrest or conviction of whoever was responsible for the crime. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General will provide half of the …

Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release. Recent hot summer temperatures mean that many more people have been enjoying water-related recreation such as boating and swimming. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is urging all residents to put safety measures into place during water recreation. With the summer weekends being viewed between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we are halfway through the summer season. Here is an update on the number in the number of drownings, near drownings and boating while intoxicated arrests in Hennepin County so far this year…

Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Sheriff Office press release. The Hennepin County’s Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs are investigating an incident in which a gravesite was significantly disturbed at the Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. This morning, a maintenance worker discovered that one gravesite had been disturbed.  A significant amount of ground and soil had been removed.   The decedent was a veteran of the World War II-era.  He had been buried at the cemetery in the 1970’s. His family has been contacted and the Sheriff’s Office …

Editor's Note: The following is a press release from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. A 25 year-old woman who was in custody at the Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis died today. At approximately 1 p.m. Monday, a female inmate was found unresponsive in her cell from an apparent suicide attempt. Deputies immediately began CPR and paramedics continued emergency medical treatment and transported the woman to Hennepin County Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead. The woman had been in jail for approximately one month after being arrested by Bloomington Police on a charge of …

Turns out people living in Hennepin County are not as healthy as some of its neighbors. The county was ranked at 52 out of 84 counties in a 2012 study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Hennepin County's southern neighbor, Dakota County, ranked 8th in the state. While the Hennepin County came in lower than its 48th place last year, Ramsey County to the east came in at 61 in 2012. Rice County to the south was 32nd. Scott County to the west ranked 10th and Washington County was 7th. This is the third year the …

Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release. On March 27, 2012 investigators from the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force executed three search warrants at a residence on the 3200 block of 74th Avenue North in the city of Brooklyn Park, on the 3300 block of 13th Avenue South in the city of Minneapolis and a storage locker on the 2500 block of 5th Street NE in the city of Minneapolis. As a result, investigators arrested Mariano Saturnino-Reyes and Ramiro Trevizo-Frias after 268 pounds of marijuana, three handguns and a ballistic vest were recovered…

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) placed burning restrictions over much of the state starting Monday, March 26. Hennepin County was among 35 Minnesota counties with initial burning restrictions. These restrictions are put in place each spring to reduce the occurrence of wildfires, which can damage homes and other personal property, according to a DNR press release. “Due to the continued snowmelt, warming weather, and dry vegetation, much of Minnesota is at increased risk of wildfires,” the DNR said. “The risk will remain high until green vegetation emerges. Until that time, …

Editor's Note: Information provided by Hennepin County. With Earth Day coming in April, a holiday that will also bring a plethora of events thoughout the month, why not learn how you can help the environment by reducing waste and recycling more in this series offered at the Hennepin County Libraries. Recycling Learn what can and can’t be recycled and where can you find new homes for your unwanted stuff. March 27 from 7-8 p.m. at Hennepin County Library Linden Hills, 2900 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis. March 31 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Hennepin County Library Sumner, 611 Van White Memorial Blvd., …

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said this afternoon that he is ordering all cars, trucks and SUVs off Hennepin County ice and that public lake accesses will be closing until further notice. The new regulations take effect immediately. Snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles will still be permitted on the ice. Stanek said implementation of the new regulations was prompted by dangerous ice conditions being experienced on bodies of water such as Lake Minnetonka, where two vehicles have broken through the ice and sunk to the bottom in recent weeks. In all, five vehicles have broken through the …

Editor's Note: The following is a press release from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek is advising motorists to have a game plan for a sober ride for Super Bowl festivities. Super Bowl parties often start early and run late, so designate a sober driver in advance of kick-off. “We know how to prevent alcohol-related crashes,” Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said. “Take the time to make a plan and stick to it on game day.” Designate your sober driver before the party begins, and leave your car keys at home if you plan to drink. You may offer to be the…

Editor's Note: The following information was taken from a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek participated in a homeland security conference with counterterrorism experts and law enforcement leaders from across the country—including others from Minnesota—Wednesday at the White House. The homeland security discussions at the White House focused on countering violent extremism. “We are addressing domestic and international terrorism and it is critical that we remain vigilant in our prevention efforts,” Stanek said. “Our discussions are an …

Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Board of Commissioners press release. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants for two vacancies on the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Board, due to expiration of terms of office on March 8 for Jeffrey Casale and Lee Keeley.  The board coordinates the management of water and related land resources in the watershed that drains into Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek. The cities of Excelsior, Greenwood, Long Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Mound, Orono, St. Bonifacius, Spring Park, Tonka Bay and Wayzata lie entirely within …

Editor's Note: The following was taken from a Hennepin County Sixth District newsletter. Based on usage levels over the past several years during Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, and Veterans Day, Hennepin County Libraries will now be closed on these three holidays in 2012. The decision was based on business levels consistently at 50 percent of normal business levels and the only library system open in the metro area. Recent Hennepin County Board Actions The 2012 property tax levy was reduced by $1 million from 2011 and a county budget of $1.65 billion was approved; Budgets and …

As you un-decorate for the holiday season, you may come across tangled strings of holiday lights that no longer work. You can recycle those lights and electric cords at Hennepin County drop-off facilities and collection sites throughout the Twin Cities participating in the Recycling Association of Minnesota’s Recycle Your Holidays program Here are more tips for disposing holiday decorations once the holidays are over: For disposal of live Christmas trees, many waste haulers will offer pick-up service during the first few weeks of January – contact your waste hauler or city recycling …

Editor's Note: The following is a press release from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is urging people to stay off of the ice on area lakes and other bodies of water due to thin ice conditions. Last week, many small lakes in Hennepin County had 4-5 inches of ice, the recommended minimum thickness for walking and small group activities.   Today’s rain and recent warm weather have diminished the ice and it is too unstable for any activity. Please be aware of safety information: Most victims of fatal accidents on the ice in Hennepin County have been …