Metro briefs: Brooklyn Center to halt purchase of single-use plastics

The Brooklyn Center City Council is starting a new, environmentally friendly initiative by halting the purchase of single-use plastic and Styro­foam plates, utensils, cups and straws starting March 1.

Last week the council unanimously signed off on a resolution that bars the use of city funds for buying such products.

City Manager Curt Boganey said cost saving wasn't part of the discussion or the council's decision.

"This was low-hanging fruit, above and beyond what we're currently doing," Boganey said.

Other cities have passed similar resolutions in recent years. The small, east-metro community of Afton banned one-time plastics, including bags, in 2018. Last year, the Minneapolis City Council enacted an ordinance that requires businesses to charge customers 5 cents for plastic bags.

Kim Hyatt

The Bloomington City Council voted Tuesday to remove Valley View Park from consideration as the site for a new community center. The council opted instead to direct city staff to explore the concept of creating multiple "centers of community" rather than one large center.

The vote drew applause from neighborhood residents at the meeting, many of whom were wearing T-shirts that read "Save Valley View Park."

Several council members reiterated the need for transparency and community input as the city moves forward with ideas for centers of community.

Mara Klecker

The Minnesota Department of Health has given Dakota County a $110,000 annual grant to create a suicide-prevention program involving county government, schools, businesses, community groups and residents. The grant renews annually over four years.

The county will partner with Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), a national nonprofit that aims to prevent suicide and help survivors and people with depression. SAVE is based in Bloomington.

"If we can save … multiple lives here and drive toward zero deaths in this community by suicide, we will have accomplished our goal," said Dr. Daniel Reidenberg, SAVE's executive director.

In Minnesota, 437 deaths were determined to be suicides in 1999. Suicides have increased steadily since then, reaching 783 in 2017, a 53% increase, according to a 2018 report by the Minnesota Department of Health. The report found that nearly 80% of all firearm deaths are suicides.

After lagging the U.S. suicide rate for years, the rate in Minnesota reached 13.8 per 100,000 people in 2017, just behind the national rate of 14 per 100,000.