🌱 Woman Who Defrauded Banks In Prison + Police Seek Cold Case Clues

Hello, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new copy of the Rochester-Mason City Patch newsletter, fresh off the presses. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in the community today.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Breezy in the morning. High: 81 Low: 49.
• Saturday: Cooler with rain and drizzle. High: 52 Low: 32.

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

1. Debra Fennell, 63, of Chicago entered guilty pleas to three counts of theft by swindle in February for allegedly defrauding three Rochester banks five years ago; she was given a 23-month prison sentence last week. Fennell used three stolen credit cards to make withdrawals at Rochester banks. The original criminal complaint against her was three counts of identity theft which were dismissed through a plea deal. In both cases when Fennell withdrew money from Rochester Banks, the account holders were from other states and had reported their bags being stolen. Her description was given to the police by the banks, and more evidence linking her to the crimes was reported to the investigators by a bank in Arizona where she was tied to unauthorized withdrawals of money. (KROC-AM)
2. April marks more than three years since Robert Vogelmann and April Sorensen were killed in their homes here in Rochester. The Rochester Police Department re-ups the calls for information on their unsolved murders in hopes that the community can help them gather more information that may crack these cases. The police department recognizes the difficulty of coming forward and will treat all information with the utmost discretion and sensitivity. Anyone who offers a tip or information that leads to the arrest of suspects in the murder cases may be eligible for a cash reward. (KROC-AM)
3. The final year of work has begun for the Hwy. 52 project north of Rochester. On Thursday, crews shifted traffic heading both directions in preparing for construction to start next Tuesday on the northbound lanes between Zumbrota and the Hader interchange. Crews will also replace the southbound bridge over the Zumbro River during the lane closure. This final phase of the project is expected to finish in November of this year. (106.9 KROC)

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Today and tomorrow in Rochester-Mason City:

Friday, April 14

• AM Espresso — 125 Live (7:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• The Rochester Bullriding Challenge is this Friday and Saturday, Apr. 14-15 at the Graham Arena. There will be concerts on both nights: on Friday, Banda La Indomable & Nivel Tactico will take the stage; and on Saturday, Aaron Simmons will be playing. (KTTC)
• Officials are warning Southern Minnesota residents of the high risk for dangerous wildfires. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the second day in a row on Thursday. Residents of Rochester are advised to avoid burning for the next few days, and anyone who has recently burned should make sure their fire is out. (KROC-AM)
• Join We Bike Rochester and Major Kim Norton in the Spring Fit City Challenge! Get active from Apr. 15 through May 31. (We Bike Rochester via Facebook)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll catch up with you soon with 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.