Many times, law enforcement and youth meet because of trouble: criminal and traffic offenses, vehicle crashes, domestic violence, vandalism, alcohol and drug offenses, assaults and habitual runaway reports.

To open a different avenue of communication, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Reserve Unit has started an auxiliary unit for youth, known as the Junior Posse Unit. 

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with Scott County Veterans’ Services are hosting special disabled veterans’ deer hunt on Saturday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5.

The hunt is open to 12 disabled veteran hunters by applying through Scott County Veterans’ Service. Each hunter will have a guide who is an avid, experienced hunter and outdoorsman, all who also happen to be sworn, licensed deputies from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. 

A Red Cross Blood Drive will take place at St. James Lutheran Church, 3650 Williams Drive, Burnsville on Friday, Aug. 22, from noon to 6 p.m. 

Would you like to become a Master Gardener?

The Carver/Scott Master Gardener Program of the University of Minnesota Extension Service is now accepting applications for interns for the year 2009.

The Master Gardener title doesn't mean that you know more about gardening than your neighbor, or that you somehow have mastered the art of growing prize-winning tomatoes or dahlias. Master Gardener is a title conferred by the University of Minnesota Extension Service to men and women who have fulfilled two requirements:

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will have a summer blood drive on Tuesday Aug. 12 from noon to 7 p.m. at Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, 2100 Trail of Dreams, Prior Lake. The general public is invited to participate in this blood drive.

The Minnesota Highway Safety Center will be offering a 55+ Driver Improvement Course on the following days:

+  Aug. 18 (four hour refresher) from noon to 4 p.m. at the Burnsville Senior Center, 296 W. Burnsville Pkwy.

+ Aug. 18 and 19 (full eight-hour class) from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Burnsville Senior Center, 296 W. Burnsville Pkwy.

+  Aug 19 (four-hour refresher) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prior Lake State Bank, 16677 Duluth Ave., S.E., Prior Lake.

Youth Grief Services, along with Fairview Ridges Hospital offers a seven-session grief series of support, dialogue and education activities designed to help children acknowledge their loss and honor their grief.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness - Scott County) is offering Family to Family Class from 7 - 9:30 p.m., Sept. 3 through Nov. 19 at Savage City Hall, 6000 McColl Drive.

The Vision Loss Resources organization supports people who are blind or visually impaired and will conduct a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 2 p.m. in the second floor activity room at McKenna’s Crossing, 13810 Shepherd’s Path, N.W., Prior Lake.

A special on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s prairie restoration program is scheduled to air tonight on NBC Nightly News. The tribe is expected to be on sometime between 5:30 and 6 p.m. A TV crew was filming at the tribal community on June 26.