Rochester Today

Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Kent Pekel discusses the start of the new school year, the new teachers contract, and some preliminary numbers that indicate the number of students enrolled in the Rochester School District could be significantly higher than predicted.

Tom and Andy dive into a long list of topics, including President Trump's criticisms of the UN, the ongoing inflammatory rhetoric in American politics, and a request for the Minnesota Supreme Court to clarify what can be included in an omnibus bill.

TJ Leverentz joins Andy to talk about the Rochester School District's plans to sell 3 old schools, including Skyline Elementary, which shut down in 1976 and much of what's inside hasn't changed since. TJ and Andy also talk about the NFL's decision to schedule oversea games on Sunday mornings, and Mike Amery from the Center of the American Experiment shares information about an upcoming event in Rochester.

Tom and Andy talk about the huge crowd in attendance at the Charlie Kirk Memorial service in Arizona and the potential lasting impact of his assassination in the events following his death. The topics today also include Governor Tim Walz's plans for seeking a 3rd term in office with a new poll showing his popularity in Minnesota appears to be waning.

Rochester City Council member Shaun Palmer talks about the city budget and an analysis of a pilot program for public transit that ended up with a price tag of more than $320 for each ride that was provided. Palmer also talked about the postponement of the Silver Lake dam project, and discussions about charging the local natural gas utility company a franchise fee.

The Mid-City Movie Guy Chris Miksanek and Andy talk about the life of Robert Redford and the incredible movies he appeared in and directed. Chris also reviews a film about a Catholic priest who gave up his own life to save another in a Nazi concentration camp, along with the new Netflix movie "The Thursday Murder Club."

Tom and Andy talk about Charlie Kirk's assassination and the consequences faced by some for utterances that seem to cheer his death. Today's topics also include Governor Tim Walz's decision to run for a 3rd term.

Rochester Public Utilities General Manager Tim McCollough provides a very informative and interesting overview of the power generation and distribution systems that keep electricity flowing to homes and businesses in our community.

Andy is joined by former Congressman Tim Penny, who discusses the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk and the current poison political climate in our country. Tim, as the retired executive director of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, also talks about some upcoming foundation events and economic initiatives.

Andy is joined by former Congressmen Gil Gutknecht for a discussion about the growing number of Americans, particularly younger Americans, who support socialism.