Severe Weather awareness week is April 19 to 23, with statewide tornado drills Thursday, April 22.

At 1:45 p.m., Thursday, the National Weather Service will issue a simulated tornado warning and outdoor warning sirens will be activated, according to a Carver County press release. At 6:55 p.m., a second drill will take place in Carver County for families and second shift workers.

Carver County Emergency Management urges families and businesses to take the opportunity to put together weather emergency plans.

Minnesota bike riders are back on the road — and motorists need to share the road, according to the Minnesota Departments of Public Safety (DPS) and Transportation (MnDOT).

Preliminary 2009 stats from DPS report 10 bicyclist deaths, a drop from 13 in 2008, but still above the average death count over the last decade. Officials expect a continued surge of bicyclists in 2010 and urge caution for those who may be new to bicycle commuting, according to a DPS press release.

All fire departments in Carver County, the St. Bonifacius Fire Department and the Department of Natural Resources fought an 85-acre grass fire Sunday afternoon in Laketown Township at Airport Road.

A Carver County deputy called in the fire at approximately 3:16 p.m. after seeing smoke in the area. Since the area is in the Waconia Fire District, the Waconia Fire Department was the first on the scene.

Waconia Fire Chief Randy Sorensen called for mutual aid from 11 additional fire departments soon after arriving and evaluating the scope of the fire.

Chaska Police Department will be holding a two-day Safety Camp on July 21 and 22 for youth entering third and fourth grades in fall 2010.

The camp, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will be held at Firemen’s Park in downtown Chaska.

Youth will learn about fire safety, bike safety, first aid, water safety, personal safety and vehicle safety.

There will be an appearance by the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs helicopter. The pilots will talk about the dangers of drugs. There will also be a K-9 demonstration.

According to the recent Chaska Police Department newsletter, there have been a number of reports of thefts from garages and vehicles in the last few days.

Here's the notice: "The warm weather has resulted in an increased number of theft from garages and theft from vehicle complaints. Residents in the Independence Ave, Manuela Dr, Nightingale Dr, Crosstown Blvd, Van Sloun Rd, Ashley Dr, and Park Ridge Dr have already experienced this criminal activity.

A 2004 Chaska High School graduate, Michael Dixon, died on Tuesday, March 23 from injuries sustained in an accident earlier this month.

According to The Dunn County News, Dixon, 24, was a senior majoring in business at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menominee, Wis. He was set to graduate this spring.

H1N1 Novel Influenza is still circulating, is still dangerous, and there’s still time to protect yourself and your family from contracting the disease by getting vaccinated, say local health officials who are planning additional H1N1 immunization clinics.

Jim Keeler will officially announce his bid to be elected as Carver County Attorney on Wednesday, March 17, according to a campaign press release.

Keeler will gather with family, friends and supporters for breakfast from 7-9 a.m. at the Chanhassen American Legion, 290 Lake Drive East.

Keeler currently holds the position of Carver County Attorney. He was appointed to be County Attorney in 2007 by a unanimous vote of the Carver County Board of Commissioners when the previous county attorney, Mike Fahey, was appointed to the bench.

After a wintry traffic accident left its 25-year-old fire engine out of service, the city of Carver is now on the hunt for a new truck. But it won’t come cheap. A new rescue fire engine could cost taxpayers up to a half million dollars.

On March 1, the Carver City Council moved to solicit bids for a replacement fire truck. Whether they buy new or buy used, will depend on what kind of bids they get back, Mayor Jim Weygand said. A new truck, ranging from $450,000 to $500,000 would raise the taxes on a $250,000 home by $22.