West news briefs: Bird expert visits, leads walks in Bloomington

Bird expert visits, leads walksKenn Kaufman, an internationally acclaimed author and bird expert, will speak on June 23 at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and lead two bird-watching walks in the refuge that week.

Kaufman's talk on "Why We Need Birds" is at 1 p.m. at the refuge's Bloomington Visitor Center.

Kaufman and his wife, Kimberly, will lead walks for beginning birders and families on June 22 at the Rapids Lake Education and Visitor Center in Carver and on June 23 at the Bloomington site. Both walks start at 8 a.m. and will take two hours. All events are free, but space is limited.

Tickets are required for Kaufman's talk and are available at the Bloomington Visitor Center front desk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; availability can be checked by calling 952-858-0718. To reserve up to four places for the bird hikes, call 952-361-4518.

Race registration open for half-marathonRegistration for the Aug. 4 Urban Wildland Half Marathon is now open. It's the tenth anniversary for the half marathon and 5K race, which benefit Wood Lake Nature Center and environmental education programs used by students in Richfield schools.

For more information, go to www.urbanwildland.com.

Restaurant named award winnerThe Convention Grill, one of Edina's oldest restaurants, has won the 2012 Heritage Award from the city's Heritage Preservation Board.

The Heritage Award has been given out since 2003 to showcase local historic preservation efforts.

Sheriff getting armored vehicleThe Hennepin County Sheriff's Office soon will be purchasing an armored vehicle to protect tactical officers responding to terrorist activity.

The County Board recently accepted $417,700 in federal Homeland Security grant funds to buy the vehicle, called a Lenco Bear XL rescue and response vehicle. It's can carry 15 officers and handle emergencies involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive threats.

The vehicle will be owned and operated by the Sheriff's Office but will be available to regional law enforcement agencies. Officials said it will be the first vehicle of its kind in the Upper Midwest.

The Sheriff's Office leads the Hennepin County Weapons of Mass Destruction Tactical Response Team, consisting of 25 member agencies from the county. The team was formed in 2004.

The County Board recently directed County Administrator Richard Johnson to solicit proposals to develop such a program and recommend one to the board in late August. The program wouldn't cost the county or taxpayers.

Other counties have been offering similar programs for years, including Ramsey and Dakota counties. The National Association of Counties, which sponsors the program, says that in seven years residents have saved more than $448 million in more than 32 million drug purchases from pharmacies.