Rochester, Minn. — Two bills that would help Rochester and its flagship employer, the Mayo Clinic, expand are making their way through the Minnesota Legislature this session.
Some lawmakers and Rochester residents say they were caught by surprise when clinic officials announced the multi-billion dollar expansion proposal known as Destination Medical Center in January.
We take a look at how the clinic rolled out its plan and who knew what, when.
Winona, Minn. — State lawmakers will hold hearings beginning this week to address the fast-growing frac sand industry and its effect on Minnesota.
Made of silica, the sand is used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract natural gas and oil from the ground.
Although local lawmakers are grappling with how to zone and regulate the industry, rules differ widely throughout the state. Many local officials would welcome streamlined state regulations.
Rochester, Minn. — Some residents in Red Wing say their mayor, Dennis Egan, should not have accepted a job with a lobbying group for the silica sand industry.
Egan is now also the executive director of the newly created Minnesota Industrial Sand Council. It’s a group of companies with interests in silica sand mining — a quickly growing industry that is also creating controversy in a number of cities and counties in southeastern Minnesota, including Red Wing.
Rochester, Minn. — Mayo Clinic’s own market research shows there is something missing, a ‘satisfaction gap,’ before Rochester can become a global medical destination.
The Mayo Clinic, Rochester’s flagship employer, announced this week it will invest billions of dollars over the next two decades to attract more patients, as well as add tens of thousands of new jobs to southeastern Minnesota.
Although the city is in the middle of transition and new developments are going up, Rochester lacks diverse job opportunities and recreational options that some say are needed to attract even more residents and visitors.
