Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What would you name the giant cranes over downtown Rochester?

Coming up: SAIL – Chatfield on the Rochester Patch calendar

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Friday December 19th Patch AM
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Greetings Rochester! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What would you name the giant cranes over downtown Rochester?
  • What’s next for the long-empty Skyline Elementary site east of Rochester?
  • What will Mayor Norton reveal in January’s State of the City?

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

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

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Mostly cloudy and colder, with a high of 22 and low of 18 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Saturday: Mostly cloudy and not as cold, temps: high: 33, low: 1.
  • Sunday: Sunny to partly cloudy, with a high of 26 and low of 19 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Mayo Clinic launches 'Name the Crane' contest (postbulletin.com) — Downtown Rochester residents are being invited to help name the 13 tower cranes rising over Mayo Clinic’s massive “Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester” expansion. Through Jan. 30, 2026, you can submit creative names online for specific crane sites, including those at the future West Transit Village near Cascade Lake and the Saint Marys campus parking ramp, with community voting and student picks to follow.
   

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

2. Rochester Public Schools sells long-vacated Skyline Elementary School (postbulletin.com) — Rochester Public Schools has sold the long-vacant former Skyline Elementary School property east of town for $275,000 to a local real estate company. The 9.7-acre site off Highway 14 has sat unused for years after stints as a school and an Energy Information Center, and the district says the aging building lacks basic working systems.
   

3. Rochester mayor readies annual state of the city event (postbulletin.com) — Rochester residents are invited to Mayor Kim Norton’s 2026 State of the City address at the Mayo Civic Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, with an optional $10 breakfast at 7:15 a.m. City, Olmsted County, and Rochester Public Schools leaders will attend, and a Year in Review video will highlight 2025 milestones. RSVPs are requested by Jan. 2.
   

4. 18-Year-Old and 19-Year-Old Face Charges for Gunpoint Robbery in Rochester Parking Lot (krocnews.com) — Rochester police have charged two teenagers in connection with an armed robbery that reportedly took place in a northeast Rochester parking lot earlier this month, involving three young male victims and more than $5,000 in stolen items. Investigators say search warrants in Plainview and Rochester turned up a handgun and clothing matching the stolen goods, and both suspects made their first court appearances Thursday.
   

5. Treatment providers warn of substance abuse relapse during the holiday season (kaaltv.com) — As holiday celebrations ramp up, Minnesota treatment providers are warning that alcohol and drug relapses spike sharply this time of year, and a Rochester client care manager shares how the season once fueled his addiction. With binge drinking especially high in Minnesota, local recovery experts stress that reaching out early for help can prevent crisis and make future holidays far more hopeful.
   

📸 Around Rochester

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Please share & repost to help reunite this lost cat!
    pancho was LOST on December 16, 2025 in Rochester, MN 55902 near illow ridge Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact the… (Nextdoor Light)
  • The old gnarly tree isn't very different from you and me
    We've all reached for the sky without ever knowing why... (Taken at Mayo Park) (Nextdoor Slatterly Park)
  • McDonald's posted a job opening for Shift Manager in Rochester. Apply here.
  • Planet Fitness, Inc. posted a job opening for Overnight team member 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 think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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