(ABC 6 News) - It may only be September, but Minnesota lawmakers are already gearing up for next year's legislative session.

On Tuesday, that preparation brought them to Rochester. Members of the Senate Housing Committee spent the day touring the city's low-income housing options.

A lot of talk on the tour was that Rochester has been a great model for how to address low-income housing. Though officials agreed it's still a problem, Rochester continues to work on solutions.

Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Chair Lindsey Port, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Liz Boldon and community leaders started the day at City Hall. The group then visited multiple housing properties, including the old dormitory for Luther College and the riverfront parking lot near City Hall.

"It's been great to welcome the committee to see what we are doing in Rochester. We know there are needs for affordable housing here in our community and we are making progress to meet those needs," said Boldon.

The city offers incentives for developers and property owners to make affordable housing more successful while offering a variety of places to live. But Senator Port says it's not just about finding people a place to live, it's giving them tools and resources to become more financially stable. This year's omnibus bill provided $40 million to make this happen.

"To help build collaboration there and ways to make those systems easier. So, people don't have to go three different places to get the services they need," said Port.

One place in Rochester does just that, the Jeremiah Program.

JP provides housing to single mothers and their kids while also getting them access to a college education, financial services and childcare.

"I think that really is the future when you think of affordable and supportive housing. It has all of those pieces connected," said Port.

The two senators are excited for the next legislative session to discuss housing and use Rochester as an example.

"I really think our focus is impacting housing for folks. Making sure everyone across the state has accessible, stable housing and the work that we are doing here in Rochester to make that reality for more people I think is a model and a process that can influence communities across the state," said Sen. Boldon.

The next legislative session starts on Feb. 12, 2024.

(ABC 6 News) – Here at ABC 6 News, we will honor one of our local teachers every month this school year, recognizing the excellent things they do to help our kids.

The first ABC 6 News Excellence Award of the 2023-2024 school year was awarded to a fifth-grade teacher at Alden-Conger Elementary School Tuesday, Ms. Joy Bryson.

Excitement filled the air as students and teachers celebrate homecoming week at Alden-Conger public schools, but emotions ran even higher in Ms. Bryson’s classroom.

In this class, these fifth-graders say laughter is heard all through the halls.

That’s why families in the district knew this teacher of 25 years deserved to be recognized for all she does for her students.

“I love that the parents did that, it’s hard to believe it’s little old me,” said Ms. Bryson. “The feeling is so great because as an educator you don’t get to hear it that often.”

However, these kids say it really was not hard to believe.

“She’s a great teacher and I’m not surprised at all that she got it,” said Laila Ignaszewski, one of Ms. Bryson’s students. “I love just being with her, she’s the best teacher that I’ve had this far.”

Other students in the classroom agree.

“She makes things really fun, there’s some teachers that make it boring, but she makes it a game out of it,” said Jaxxon Farris, another student of Ms. Bryson’s.

Ms. Bryson is not just a smiling face for her students. She has also been a helping hand for her fellow teachers.

“She will do whatever it takes in her power to help our kids and to be able to help one another and she’s been just wonderful for me. Just a very dear friend,” said Stephanie Hallman, a fourth-grade teacher at Alden-Conger Elementary School. “As a teacher, you just kind of have it and don’t see yourself doing anything else. I don’t see Joy doing anything else, she’s very good with our children.”

While the school year is just beginning, these kids say they are happy to have Ms. Bryson by their side.

(ABC 6 News) – Earlier this month the Minnesota Supreme court ruled that the smell of marijuana in a vehicle does not give law enforcement enough probable cause to search a vehicle.

And local law enforcement officials believe this ruling makes their jobs more difficult.

On Sept. 13 the Minnesota Supreme Court not only ruled that law enforcement can’t search vehicles just because they smell marijuana coming from them — they also can’t use visible paraphernalia as probable cause either.

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson says the ruling has complicated things as deputies have to be more attentive to impaired driving behaviors when they are pulling someone over and can smell marijuana in the car.

And as Torgerson sees it, that puts public safety at risk.

“I question the mentality of that. The whole idea on our end of it is public safety. Kicking the impaired drivers off the road. They’ve taken those away but obviously the deputies, the officers have to pay particular attention to other signs and symptoms, and they’re still there,” he said.

Despite these changes — there still are some instances where marijuana products can result in a search.
That includes open containers of marijuana or edibles that are visible inside a vehicle.

(ABC 6 News) – For the next two years, RPU is looking to increase their rates.

They listed various reasons for this like inflation, aging infrastructure, and the growing population of Rochester.

“That’s a good thing in the city of Rochester, but it comes with a cost as well, you need to have quality, reliable utilities for that growth,” RPU communications coordinator Tony Benson said.

The proposed electric rate increase would be 3.2% and for water, RPU is looking to increase that rate by 5.5%. For the average residential customer, their electric bill would increase around four dollars a month under this proposed hike.

The study conducted by 1898 and Co., suggested RPU should increase residential rates by 4.5% each year of the next three years.

For industrial customers, they’re looking at an increase of 3.2%, something that some board members had questions about.

“It does look like just over time, we’re collecting more of our fees from our residential and less from our industrial and I want to get comfortable with that,” City Council Liaison for RPU board Patrick Keane said.

Nothing official has been finalized yet as the RPU board would still like to hear from customers on the proposed hike. Their main concern is assuring customers they’re getting what they pay for.

“We’re trying to keep it as simple as possible, as straightforward as possible, and at the end of the day we want to make sure that we’re incentivizing conservation so that if you are using less electricity, you’re also charged less as well,” RPU Board Member Brian Morgan said.

The board is looking to approve the rate increase for 2024 and 2025.

They’ll hold a public hearing for community members to share any questions and concerns they may have on October 24th.

(ABC 6 News) – The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) released more information on Tuesday regarding a crash that involved an SUV and Amish buggy on Monday morning that killed two people and injured two others.

The FCSO said the crash occurred shortly before 8:25 a.m. when an SUV traveling southbound on County Road 1 collided with a southbound 2-wheeled horse-drawn Amish buggy, south of the intersection with County Road 102 near the Sumner Center Church.

The buggy was carrying four juvenile passengers at the time of the crash. Wilma Miller, 7, and Irma Miller, 11, were fatally injured. Alan Miller, 9, and Rose Miller, 13, were both transported to St. Marys Hospital with unknown injuries, according to the FCSO. All four victims are siblings and residents of Stewartville.

The driver of the SUV was 35-year-old Sarah Petersen from Spring Valley.

The FCSO said no arrests have been made at this time, as the cause of the crash continues to be investigated by the FCSO with assistance from the Mower County Sheriff’s Office, and Minnesota State Patrol.

An account has also been set up at First State Bank in Spring Valley for anyone to donate to the family.

Some Like It Hot Cakes and Catering are accepting food donations. People can drop off any items that do not need to be heated or refrigerated by noon on Wednesday.

The family will have a visitation at their home off County Road 1 Wednesday at 7 p.m. They say all are welcome to attend.

(ABC 6 News)- The Heritage Preservation Commission met on Tuesday to discuss Soldiers Memorial Field Park’s historical significance and to hear from the public.

The park’s development first started back in 1926 but most of the structures and objects currently in the park weren’t built until closer to the 90’s.

While people agree that the park is a key part of the city, there are questions on whether it meets the eight-part criteria to be a historical landmark.

“For our existing program and the categories that we have, it does not have the historical integrity that matches with the historic significance, the criteria,” said Molly Patterson-Lundgren, Historical Preservation and Urban Design Coordinator.

For some, the fact that the park has been a major part of the community for so long is reason enough for it to be a claimed a historical landmark.

“I’d say it is a landmark already, it’ll just be official as a landmark and it’ll make the community happy that it is recognized for what is has been for a very long time,” said Barb Hudson.

The HPC is recommending to the city council, the park be designated as an historical landmark based on the criteria that it has remained the same, in terms of location, since it was first developed.

The city council will have final say but the date for the decision hasn’t been set.