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Residents are invited to complete a five to seven minute survey to help shape the Street Tree Master Plan for planting trees along local streets.

The city seeks input from all neighborhoods to guide future decisions on tree types, placement and maintenance.

Napoleon Dynamite stars Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, and Jon Gries will host a live screening and interactive cast show at the Historic Paramount Theatre in Austin on Saturday, Sept.

26 at 7:00 p.m. The event — including interactive games and behind-the-scenes stories — offers limited VIP meet-and-greet tickets.

Two Minnesota titleholders competed in national pageants this week and earned educational scholarships while promoting local initiatives; Anna Brennan from Byron received $3,000 for her media literacy project and Natalia Yurecko from Chanhassen, a Minnetonka High School senior, earned $5,000 as third runner-up.

Rochester Civic Theatre—celebrating its 75th anniversary—will host live music, refreshments and a show on Friday, Sept.

18 starting at 6 p.m. Mean Girls opens at 7 p.m. with festivities continuing at 9:30 p.m., and tickets are required for the performance.

Minnesota DNR experts say the ongoing drought may cause leaves to turn color earlier than usual in Rochester and surrounding areas.

Residents can monitor reports — including peak forecasts — to adjust plans for fall drives.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency proposed removing Lake Zumbro from the impaired waters list as data confirms the lake now meets water-quality goals for phosphorus and algae for swimming and recreation.

Improvements since the 1990s are credited to upgraded wastewater facilities and conservation efforts.

Experience Rochester is in talks with city staff to jointly manage the historic Chateau Theatre starting in 2027—seeking input on community programming and upgrades.

Officials plan a $6.2 million renovation to secure and modernize the venue while hosting community forums.

Volunteers in Rochester can join the 2026 ‘A Litter Bit Better Fall Cleanup’ from Oct.

3 to 11 to clear litter from streets, parks, and natural areas before winter begins (registration is available on the RNeighbors website and trash bags are provided).