Daily
Rochester
Friday, October 3rd, 2025
Good morning, Rochester. Here's your local news at a glance for Friday, the 3rd of October.
BUSINESS NEWS
- ➤ A new pilot program called Downtown Next Door is coming to downtown Rochester—developed with the Rochester Downtown Alliance and Destination Medical Center—that will connect property owners with small business owners testing short term leases to fill empty storefronts on South Broadway through early January during the busy holiday season. KIMT
- ➤ Local employers attended a presentation on the Dual-Training Pipeline — a state resource that helps employees earn while gaining job skills before advancing in their careers. The event was hosted by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce downtown. KTTC
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ Vince Wagner, president of the Rochester Education Association, said teachers must avoid mixing partisan politics with classroom instruction to follow state and federal rules including the Minnesota school bullying law and guidelines for objective teaching in current events courses. He warned that posting personal political views on social media—observing that such comments might disrupt the school community—could lead to further controversy. KIMT
- ➤ Rochester Public Schools reported on October 1 that K–12 enrollment reached 16,728, a gain of nearly 500 compared to projections. The district noted that including early childhood programs brought total enrollment to 17,441 — and the growth will add an estimated $3.4 million in revenue even as it faces $13.5 million in projected budget cuts for 2026-27. KTTC
- ➤ Mighty Oaks Early Learning School in Rochester has built a traffic garden for preschoolers to learn traffic and pedestrian safety using features like roundabouts, stop signs, turns and one-way streets—scaled to mimic a real city. The garden is also open in the evening for the public to ride bikes. KIMT
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Rochester Mayor Kim Norton is asking residents to nominate community members for the 2025 Mayor’s Medal of Honor recognition—nominations will be accepted until the end of October and honorees will be celebrated at a luncheon in early December. KTTC
- ➤ Rochester has joined a national initiative (Democracy Innovations for Better Public Meetings) to test new ideas for engaging public meetings. Announced at the September 22 City Council meeting, the project gives residents a Civic Engagement Scorecard and will host another community meeting in early 2026. KIMT
HEALTH NEWS
- ➤ Mayo Clinic started a new program called Mayo Clinic Platform_Orchestrate that speeds up patient therapies by giving biopharma and medical device companies one clear way to use its wide range of resources—expert research, de-identified clinical data, and advanced AI tools. Companies have already begun using the platform to make clinical development faster and improve trial recruitment. KIMT
- ➤ Yesterday, the Minneapolis VA Health Care System offered walk-in flu shot clinics for Veterans at community-based outpatient clinics in Albert Lea, Rochester and Mankato from 1 to 3 p.m.—the first in a series for October. Additional clinics will be held on October 9 and October 23. KTTC
- ➤ Mayo Clinic researchers found that using molecular breast imaging—MBI—with 3D mammograms improves cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue. The study tested nearly 3,000 women aged 40-75 at five centers and shows that this method reduces callback rates and may help find fast-growing tumors earlier. KIMT
- ➤ The Rochester VA Clinic held a drive-thru flu shot clinic from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday for about 100 to 150 veterans—additional clinics are scheduled for Oct. 9 and Oct. 23 for those who missed the vaccination event. KTTC
- ➤ State health officials warned families to stay up-to-date on MMR vaccines after Minnesota confirmed 18 measles cases, including 10 new cases in the Twin Cities metro linked to travel and unvaccinated individuals—officials emphasized that measles spreads quickly and urged anyone with symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose and a rash to contact their health care provider. The message highlights that one dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective at preventing the disease. KTTC
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OpenShift Fundamentals Training
Oct 6-8 — Huntington Learning Center Rochester — Check online for pricing — Dive into the essentials of OpenShift with hands-on Linux training for software development.
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World Ballet Company - The Great Gatsby
7:00-8:30 p.m. — Mayo Civic Center — Ticket prices vary — Experience the glitz and glamor of the Roaring Twenties through a Broadway-style ballet adaptation of Fitzgerald’s classic.
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Blippi: Join the Band Tour
2-3:30 p.m. — Mayo Civic Center — Ticket required for entry — Experience a lively music performance with Blippi, Meekah, and friends for the whole family.
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Fall Ball Family Festival
2-6 p.m. — Camp Victory — $5 per person or $25 per family — Enjoy activities like pumpkin painting, mini ziplining, and apple cider at this family-friendly festival.
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Girl Named Tom Concert
7-9:30 p.m. — Mayo Civic Center — Ticket prices vary — Experience the award-winning harmony of the sibling trio who captured hearts on The Voice.
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Rochester Hot Cider Hustle
Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K — — Rochester, Minnesota — — Participate in a festive race with sweet swag and hot cider at the finish.
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