🌱 Firefighters Warn Of Careless Smoking + Home Explosion In Dover

Hey, neighbors. Nicole Fallon-Peek here with your weekend edition of the Rochester-Mason City Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: A stray afternoon t-storm. High: 87 Low: 66.
• Saturday: Turning cloudy. High: 87 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories in Rochester-Mason City today:

1. Rochester Firefighters warn residents of the dangerous trend they are seeing in house fires. In the month of May, the fire department responded to five house fires that were caused by smoking materials that were improperly disposed of or cared for. None of the fires in the last month were fatal but smoking is one of the leading causes of fires and can be very dangerous as smoking materials not completely put out can start hours later. The fire department has provided tips for residents to ensure safety. (KROC-AM)
2. In July 2021, a shooting took place at Motel 6 in Rochester, where a woman was shot in the back after a suspect fired 12 shots into an occupied room. After serving time for threatening a woman who identified him, the suspect is now facing charges including two counts each of first-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault, illegal possession of a firearm, and threats of violence. Although the suspect does not plead guilty to the crimes, a plea deal has been reached based on the acknowledgment that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction, resulting in the removal of charges related to attempted murder, felony assault, and weapons possession. (KROC-AM)
3. A home in nearby Dover experienced a significant explosion caused by a water heater. The neighbor sharing the driveway discovered the extensively damaged house upon returning home in the afternoon. Firefighters arrived at the scene and examined video footage from a neighbor's surveillance camera, which revealed a fireball erupting from the northern side of the house at approximately 8:00 a.m. Fortunately, the resident was not present during the incident. (106.9 KROC)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Rochester-Mason City:

Friday, Jun. 2

• AM Espresso Networking At TSP (7:30 AM)
• Pine Island Cheese Festival At 101 E Center Street, Pine Island (11:00 AM)

Saturday, Jun. 3

• Pine Island Cheese Festival At 101 E Center Street, Pine Island (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Only 16 days until the biggest event of the year in Downtown Rochester - Thursdays Downtown! This community festival combines arts, music, food, and a lively vendor market into one incredible experience. Taking place every Thursday from Jun. 15 to Aug. 10 (except Jun. 22), from 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., it's a celebration you don't want to miss. (Downtown Rochester via Facebook)
• Escape the city without leaving downtown at The Deck on 4th and Zumbro. Stop by on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. for a 45-minute live music show. Next week's show on Jun. 7 will feature Mike Munson. (Facebook Events)
• The City of Rochester and the Police Department will be hosting Safe City Nights again this summer! The event will take place on various dates throughout the summer and include food and activities for visitors! (City of Rochester, MN Government via Facebook)

That's it for today. See you all soon for another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.