🌱 Rochester Road Closures And Changes + New Trial For Alleged Thief

Welcome back, Rochester-Mason City! I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Clouds breaking and cold. High: 27 Low: 11.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High: 33 Low: 28.

🏘️ Looking to differentiate yourself from other real estate agents in Rochester-Mason City? Partner with the Rochester-Mason City Patch and gain access to a targeted, engaged audience through our premium newsletter sponsorships. Click here to learn more.

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

1. In about a week, the second phase of the Discovery Walk project, as well as some private projects in downtown Rochester, will begin impacting traffic, including road closures and other changes. Vehicle traffic will be affected through early November and pedestrian traffic will be affected through the end of July. View the link to see the specific road closures and changes. (KROC-AM)
2. A new trial has been formally requested for 37-year-old Shawn Clement, who is accused of being a prolific catalytic converter thief in the Rochester area. His last trial, about a week and a half ago, was declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. (106.9 KROC)
3. The Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission announced its next meeting will start at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 22 in the Council/Board Chambers of the Government Center. View the link to see the proposal and either attend in person or join the virtual meeting to comment on the application. (Rochester Post Bulletin)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Rochester-Mason City Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Rochester-Mason City Patch newsletter possible.

Today and tomorrow in Rochester-Mason City:

Monday, March 13

• Auditions: Beauty And The Beast At Peace United Church Of Christ (6:30 PM)

Tuesday, March 14

• Joel Ward Solo At The Redwood Room (5:00 PM)
• St Patrick's Day/March Madness Trivia At Charlies Eatery & Pub (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Rochester is known around the world for Mayo Clinic, but to those that live here, it's known for the number of coffee shops and banks on every street! One local did research to find out, "are there more coffee shops or banks in Rochester?" The answer: There are more banks! (106.9 KROC)
• Are you wondering how much snow fell in Rochester on Saturday, Mar. 11? Two inches, according to the National Weather Service! (BringMeTheNews.com)
• Looking for your dream home or just curious about the prices in your local housing market? Check out the latest homes for sale in the Rochester-Mason City area, including a three-bedroom on 24th Avenue NW for $310,000! (Rochester-Mason City Patch)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you around!

— 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.