Good morning, Rochester.

Local communities remembered 9/11 with events.

Rochester held a documentary screening at RCTC Hill Theatre on Sept.10 followed by a discussion, and a memorial service with a stair climb tribute at Broadway Plaza Hotel; other areas feature a 9/11 Heroes 5K Run on Sept.12 + blood drives honoring first responders.

Rochester's Quarry Hill Fall Festival is planned for Saturday, Sept.

12, 11 AM to 5 PM. The event features cave tours, canoeing, rock climbing, and pumpkin decorating with free admission + tickets costing $1 each for activities.

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).

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.

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.

Oil has surpassed $100 per barrel today while diesel prices near record highs amid ongoing global tensions, and local representatives and energy analysts call for increased domestic fuel production to help stabilize costs.

Local residents may see their lilacs turning brown and wilting due to persistent heavy rains and lilac blight (a common issue in the area).

University of Minnesota Extension advises pruning and removing leaf debris to help plants recover.

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.

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.