Good morning, Rochester.

A teenager and a 64-year-old man were taken to hospital after an SUV and a car collided on Hwy.

63 near 190th St. south of Spring Valley on Thursday evening & both drivers sustained non-life-threatening injuries while buckled up.

A Rochester woman avoided prison after pleading guilty to terroristic threats when she held a knife to her neighbor's throat—she was sentenced today to five years probation and credited for 111 days already served.

The Minnesota Department of Education released the 2025 test scores for Rochester Public Schools, showing math scores rose slightly from 39.4% to 39.6% while reading proficiency dropped a bit from 47.6% to 46.6%, a change officials say is not significant.

Superintendent Dr. Kent Pekel said the stable results occurred during the switch to a new reading curriculum — teachers will adjust methods to boost performance in upcoming tests.

Rochester city staff recommended a 5.9% tax levy in 2026 after finding that the city gets about $350 less local government aid per resident than other growing cities—raising property taxes compared with places like Duluth and St. Cloud.

DFL Rep. Andy Smith and local council members are pushing formula changes to ease the tax burden before the final budget vote on Dec. 2.

Rochester Police Department held an active shooter drill last Friday at the former Mighty Oaks Early Learning School on 3800 50th Ave SE from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exercise, planned before recent shootings in Minneapolis, involved Rochester Emergency Management, the Rochester Fire Department, and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service and was not open to the public or media.

Mayo Clinic delivered two 15‐ton gantries on August 28 to the Andersen building site as a key step in expanding its Proton Beam Therapy Program to boost treatment capacity and shorten procedure times.

The new equipment is part of 500 tons of gear to be installed before the facility opens in 2027—upgraded technology will reduce treatment duration from 45 minutes to about 20 to 30 minutes.

Rochester Female Entrepreneurs Networking Meet-Up

2:30-3:30 p.m. — Collider Foundation — Free entry — Connect and grow your network with local women entrepreneurs in a supportive setting.

The Parsonage Discussion

7 p.m. — History Center of Olmsted County — $5 for non-members, Free for members — Delve into the history of The Parsonage and its impact on the community's growth and preservation efforts.

Mike Oregano Live

7-10 p.m. — Forager Brewery — Check venue for entry cost — Experience the unique sounds of a Jazz/Rock one-man band act.

Linux Fundamentals GL120 Training Course

Mon, Sep 22–Fri, Sep 26 — Northrop Community Education — Variable pricing — Comprehensive training class covering foundational Linux concepts and tools for aspiring IT professionals.

2025 NF Symposium

8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — Mayo Clinic — Registration required — Engage with experts at a hybrid symposium focused on neurofibromatosis.

Champions of Wellness Healthcare Summit 2025

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Mayo Civic Center — Special hotel rates apply — Leaders in healthcare explore systemic well-being and clinician wellness.