Good morning, Rochester.

Opening day at the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday, Aug.

27 set a new record with 155,185 attendees & surpassed the 2024 record of 138,875. Organizers will update turnout numbers daily at noon through 3 p.m.

A study by Unscramblerer used Google search data (Jan.

1 to Aug. 17) to rank Minnesota slang, with '6-7' and 'chud' topping the list. The research shows local searches mirror national trends, reflecting how social media speeds up language shifts.

WalletHub's survey shows Wisconsin ranked third with a stronger economy and safer communities pushing it ahead of Minnesota, which dropped to eighth this year.

Minnesota still placed second in education and health plus maintained a quality of life lead.

The latest report from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development shows Olmsted County's unemployment fell to 3.6% in July—a drop of 0.2 points from June—but remains 0.5 points above last year's rate.

The Minnesota Ag Department is stepping up efforts to slow the spread of a tree-killing beetle this week in affected areas.

Officials advise landowners to inspect their trees — any signs of infestation should be reported immediately.

Olmsted County Parks and Trails will open Chester Woods to 80 hunters for season November 21–29.

A lottery for extra antlerless tags is set for September 28 at 8 a.m. (Public Works Service Center, 1188 50th Street Southeast in Rochester), with forms live from September 8.

A local grassroots group appealed the approval of modifications to Silver Lake Dam in Rochester, seeking further review of the changes as officials assess the project's impact on the community.

In Minnesota, as late-summer evenings bring biting gnats and midges, pest-control experts advise placing a strong oscillating fan a few feet away on patios (no chemicals needed) to create cross-flow and reduce bug bites.

At Mayo Clinic, researchers are testing a personalized mRNA vaccine to help the immune system fight melanoma by targeting mutations unique to each patient’s tumor (early trials have shown promise).

The approach remains investigational as researchers gather more data on its long-term benefits.