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🌱 Patch AM: How a quick kitchen fire upended a Rochester family’s holiday plans

Happening soon: Family Storytime on the Rochester Patch calendar

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Wednesday December 17th Patch AM
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Greetings Rochester! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a quick kitchen fire upended a Rochester family’s holiday plans
  • Why did Olmsted County leaders just give themselves a 10% raise?
  • How a Rochester man’s coerced ATM scheme led to probation

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Rochester? Post it to Rochester photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Find out what's happening in Rochester-Mason Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Rochester-Mason Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Wednesday: Cloudy most of the time, with a high of 35 and low of 31 degrees.
  • Thursday: Breezy, colder; p.m. flurries, temps: high: 38, low: -1. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Friday: Mostly cloudy and colder, with a high of 22 and low of 14 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Apartment fire in Rochester leaves family without a home (kaaltv.com) — A Rochester family of five lost nearly everything when a kitchen fire destroyed their Homestead Lane SE apartment, forcing them to relocate to Racine with no stable home. Neighbors are rallying through a GoFundMe to help them secure a new apartment, while Rochester firefighters are urging residents to double-check stoves and keep flammable items away from burners.
   

2. Olmsted County commissioners approve 10% pay increase in continued effort to fill salary gap (postbulletin.com) — Olmsted County commissioners meeting in Rochester approved a 10% pay raise for themselves for 2026, despite a 5-2 split vote over whether the increase is excessive. They also boosted salaries for the county sheriff and county attorney, arguing higher pay helps close long-standing gaps with other Minnesota counties and attract qualified candidates.
   

3. Rochester Man Gets Probation For Second Felony Theft Conviction This Year (wjon.com) — A Rochester man has been placed on five years of probation after admitting to felony theft for pressuring another man into repeated ATM withdrawals totaling nearly $4,000. Court records say he previously received a similar probation sentence this year in a separate theft case involving coerced bank withdrawals from a vulnerable victim. The case highlights ongoing concerns about financial exploitation and intimidation in Rochester.
   

4. Boys basketball results for Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 (postbulletin.com) — Rochester’s Mayo boys basketball team celebrated Senior Night with a convincing 80–55 home win over Winona, led by three players scoring 16 or more points. Rochester Lourdes fell on the road to Lake City despite a balanced scoring effort, while several other area teams, including Stewartville and Triton, also saw action Tuesday. Fans can track how local records are shaping up early this season.
   

5. FLIPI24: New Prognostic Model for Newly Diagnosed Follicular Lymphoma (ascopost.com) — A Mayo Clinic researcher based in Rochester helped develop FLIPI24, a new tool to better predict outcomes for people newly diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. Using data from thousands of patients worldwide, the model more accurately identifies low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, which could guide future clinical trials and potentially influence how oncologists counsel patients and plan treatment.
   

📸 Around Rochester

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • I have a Lands end winter coat in a size 3X that I am willing to donate to someone in need.
    It's relatively new. It has barely been worn. It's light gray in color and a very warm coat with a hood. Please message me if you're interested… (Nextdoor North District)
  • I am willing to make a donation of many women’s clothing that I do not fit into anymore or have the space for.
    Mostly women’s Medium to Large pants, shirts and sweaters. In decent condition and from a smoke free home. I currently work many hours with two jobs… (Nextdoor NW Cooke Park)
  • McDonald's Restaurants posted a job opening for Janitorial Maintenance in Rochester. Apply here.
  • TradeJobsWorkForce posted a job opening for Custodian in Rochester. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Rochester here.

Ok Rochester! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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