|
Dear community members,
An Air Quality Alert is active until 11 AM, July 17 due to wildfires in Northern Minnesota and Canada. Additionally, temperatures are rising fast as the heat wave impacts communities across Hennepin County. It is important that we take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Hot temps, air pollution, and wildfire smoke will exacerbate health impacts during this heat wave. People with lung or heart disease, kids and older adults, and those active outdoors, may experience effects. The AQI has reached either very unhealthy or hazardous levels in the Twin Cities, so limiting time outdoors is recommended for all people and age groups. If you cannot avoid being outdoors, consider wearing a N95 [respirator] or a KN95 mask that will block particles from getting into your lungs.
If you must be outside, try to limit time there, stay hydrated, and do not exert yourself. Cooling options are available throughout Hennepin County:
The heat and air quality doesn't just impact our most vulnerable neighbors. These extreme conditions can be dangerous even for healthy adults.
If you feel dizzy, nauseous, overheated, or short of breath, stop and get to a cool place immediately. Listen to your body.
Check out these resources to make sure you are doing everything possible to keep yourself and your loved ones safe:
Air quality and health
MPR news on hazardous air conditions
In partnership,
Make sure to follow me on X! @HennepinDebbie
Hennepin County has approved $19.2 million for affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, creating or preserving 1,406 affordable housing units. These awards were approved through actions by the County Board and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Board. This work is core to our goal of increasing equitable access to housing in Hennepin County.
Despite facing challenges, including fluctuating market forces and rising construction and land costs, these affordable units will open doors to new neighbors, end resident homelessness, and reduce disparities in homeownership.
Renovating? Just finished a big home project? Give used building materials and tools another life at one of these opportunities near you in July.
Salvage Crawl: July 13 to 31
12 retailer locations
Join treasure hunters and DIY enthusiasts to shop at local salvage retailers—and win prizes! See how to participate, a list of prizes, and retailer locations at HennepinCounty.gov/salvage-crawl.
Swap-It – Building materials: July 16
5 to 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, Richfield. Early drop-off only beings at 4 p.m. (no swapping); final items accepted at 7 p.m.
Bring home remodeling stuff you no longer need. Take building materials you can use. Swap it—for free! The theme for this Swap-It event is building materials. From cabinets to countertops, tools to towel bars, there’s something for every home remodeler. Let’s do this!
Furniture and building materials donation event: July 25
9 a.m. to noon at Hennepin County Public Works, 1600 Prairie Drive in Medina
Why reuse building materials?
Building materials cost more than just money. The energy and natural resources associated with manufacturing and transporting building materials are responsible for about 15% of annual global carbon emissions. Choosing used building materials instead of buying new also diverts valuable materials from going to a landfill.
As part of Hennepin County’s zero-waste efforts, these events are accessible ways to reduce waste, share resources, and build community.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), has committed $1.7 million in funding through the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program to five projects that support vibrant, climate resilient, and community-driven development across Hennepin County.
Transit-oriented communities offer wide-ranging benefits, from helping mitigate climate change and making more efficient use of land to lowering the combined costs of housing and transportation. They also expand access to jobs and other key destinations, supporting more connected and equitable communities.
The projects selected reflect the county’s focus on community-supported development projects that benefit local businesses. The goal is to help great projects move forward that otherwise wouldn’t be economically feasible and help wealth generated by the developments stay in the communities where they are built.
Grants are open for multifamily properties to start or improve recycling or organics recycling (also called composting), reduce contamination, prevent waste, and educate their residents on recycling and waste prevention.
Areas of focus can include:
- Purchasing bins and compostable bags
- Paying for hauling costs
- Expanding waste enclosures or retrofitting chutes
- Managing or preventing the waste of bulky items (furniture and appliances)
-
Educating residents
How to apply
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until Monday, November 9, 2026, or until the annual program budget is exhausted, whichever occurs first.
Applicants may apply for up to $3,000 for bins and compostable bags and up to $20,000 for all other categories combined.
Lily Gross, the founder of Radish Farm Stop, might still be working through some construction delays, but she says Elevate Hennepin advisors helped her feel ready to launch her business.
“I feel positioned to start this business and hopefully be super successful. I think a lot of that is because of this support that I've had,” said Lily. “Some of that is measurable, like a business plan or an employee handbook. But I think that what is harder to measure is the sounding board and confidence that comes from working with these advisors.”
Ready how Lily worked with multiple advisors to get ready for launch at no cost thanks to investment from Hennepin County.
 Eden Prairie City Council meeting presentation with Commissioner Heather Edelson
Each year, the District Five office joins the Eden Prairie City Council with Commissioner Heather Edelson (District Six) to share the important work that Hennepin County is doing to support our residents and municipal partners.
Both were honored to join the council and share timely updates on:
- HCMC funding package this session
- Federal budget cuts impacting programming
- The new Hennepin County Youth Stabilization Center
- Affordable housing investments in 2026
- Current and upcoming traffic projects in Eden Prairie
Watch upcoming Eden Prairie City Council meetings and learn how to provide comment and plug into local government.
Bloomington
Outdoor Market
Saturdays, June 6 - October 17, 2026 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. East Lot, Bloomington Civic Plaza
View the Outdoor Market Vendor Directory
Midweek Music & Market
Wednesdays, July 8 - August 26, 2026 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. East Lot, Bloomington Civic Plaza
See schedule on the Arts in the Parks page.
|
Richfield outdoor pool
Open June 12 - August 23
630 E 66th St Richfield, MN 55423
612-861-9350, Click here for more info
|
|
 |
Bloomington Family Aquatic Center
|
|
 |
Eden Prairie Aquatics Center
Hours and schedules
16700 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55346
952-949-8470
|
|
 |
Insects see the world much differently than we do.
With the help of a naturalist, you'll discover what colors, shapes and movement they see that help them navigate through nature.
- Free event.
- No registration required.
- All ages welcome!
Sunday, July 19, 2026
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Chat with Hennepin County Master Gardeners about your garden questions!
7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Bring the family to see a free movie under the stars!
Pack a blanket or lawn chairs, and come early to grab your spot and enjoy concessions and live entertainment before the film begins.
August 8, 2026
7:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Staring Lake Park Amphitheatre
14800 Pioneer Trail
Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347
Learn more.
Discover free summer events, book clubs, and reading support all summer long. Check out our complete list of summer learning programs for youth of all ages, including art, science, technology, and more ways to connect and have fun.
The history of Minnehaha Falls includes dance halls, secret saloons, wild behavior, lawsuits, and whiskey. Join us for a one-mile walk where the mayhem occurred: crooks, landowners, hoteliers, and saloon owners went to the Falls to turn a profit or to raise a little ruckus.
Karen Cooper, whose work ‘When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey: A Spirited History of the Falls’ won the 2023 Minnesota Book Award for Nonfiction, gives participants further background on the people and places that shape this remarkable story. Through colorful anecdotes and thorough documentation, she helps us picture the Minnehaha Falls area in a new light, and helps us understand how this history formed the park we know and love today.
This tour begins at the picnic table in front of the Longfellow House, 4800 S Minnehaha Dr, Minneapolis, and is approximately one mile on uneven ground. Please wear comfortable shoes, bring sunscreen/protective clothing, dress for the weather, and bring your own water to stay hydrated. Please register in advance.
Learn more.
|
