PODCAST · news
Rochester Rundown
by Med City Beat
Each week reporter Isaac Jahns hosts the Rochester Rundown, a podcast featuring news recaps, in-depth interviews, event previews & more.
Episodes
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What can Rochester do to revive retail downtown?
Prior to the pandemic, many of the retail spaces in the downtown area had been filled with bustling small businesses — the kinds that are vital for a thriving destination area. But downtown Rochester, like many other city centers, has seen its restaurant and retail industries decimated by…
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Eight Rochester musicians on the rise in 2021
This list goes through the heart of the Rochester music scene — no matter the genre, there is a local artist trying their hand at it. We reached out to local recording studios and music-makers to see who they were excited for, while doing research of our own — scouring DIY music sites like...
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Local youth are turning protests into action with the Rochester Community Initiative
Today on the Rochester Rundown, we check in with the students behind the Rochester Community Initiative. The group came together in the wake of the George Floyd protests last June, and has since grown in size and stature, adding roughly three dozen new members and creating programs for students…
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Rochester event organizers are preparing for the return of live entertainment
As the proportion of Minnesota residents to receive at least one vaccine dose approaches 25 percent, Gov. Tim Walz released sweeping rollbacks to Covid-19 restrictions Friday morning. Businesses like restaurants, gyms and salons can welcome more people into their shops, but perhaps the biggest...
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Four Rochester high schoolers reflect on their experiences in distance learning
We’ve heard from so many voices on the debate over reopening schools: frustrated parents, worried teachers, administrators and board members looking for a solution, but today on the show, we’re giving the spotlight to the students. Specifically, we’ll hear from four RPS high schoolers, who have...
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Sellers holding all the cards in Rochester's 'absolutely crazy' housing market
So, how did things get like this, where a house gets snapped up by a feeding frenzy of buyers within hours of hitting the market? It’s partly thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, but not entirely — more a multitude of factors that have been coalescing since the end of the Great Recession.
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Inside Olmsted County's first mass vaccination clinic
Today on the Rochester Rundown, we head to the RCTC Fieldhouse, where things have been quieter than normal thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic — until now. Olmsted County Public Health, with assistance from Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center, has taken over the space for the next two days, with…
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Annie Mack joins us on the podcast to discuss the release of her new EP, 'Testify'
Plus, we take you inside the two-man workshop building dozens of desks for elementary schoolers, preview another new track from a Rochester artist that released Friday, and check on what the latest Covid-19 case numbers look like.
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What to expect from new Rochester City Administrator Allison Zelms
Today on the Rochester Rundown, Isaac sits down for a socially-distanced conversation with new City Administrator Allison Zelms, who assumed office earlier this week. In this week's episode, we hear her thoughts on transitioning the city out of the pandemic and the future of downtown, plus her...
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Think Ahead Olmsted song submissions
On this special holiday edition of the Rochester Rundown, we hear from the 10 local musicians who contributed to the Think Ahead Olmsted song contest, put on by Med City Beat and Olmsted County Public Health.
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The story of the medical breakthrough that won two Mayo Clinic researchers a Nobel Prize
According to Matt Dacy, director of Heritage Hall, Mayo Clinic’s museum, the story does not begin and end with two people at a ceremony — in fact, their discovery took the work of dozens of people, over thirty years of research, and as always, a little bit of luck.
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Rochester music industry adapts as pandemic puts a pause on live performances
We talk with people from all corners of the industry to see how they think growth can be sustained in Rochester’s creative scene, and what the future of music will look like in this city.
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What does a post-pandemic downtown look like?
Nobody knows exactly what the next few months will bring. Good news on the effectiveness of various vaccines brings hope, but a lack of federal aid leaves small businesses without a safety net when they need it the most. Inevitably, some of our favorite businesses will not survive the winter. For...
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Carlson seeks new opportunities for community engagement, collaboration
On today’s episode of the Rochester Rundown, we have a conversation with Brooke Carlson, president-elect of the Rochester City Council. We touch on her top priorities in the first months of her term, plus the advice she received from her late father, Dr. David Ahlquist.
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One in three Olmsted County voters have already cast their ballots
In a recent county board meeting, it was reported that the election office expects about half of Olmsted County’s ballots to be cast prior to Election Day — be it through mail-in voting, drop-off balloting, or in-person absentee voting. Katie Smith, Olmsted County’s elections director, says her...
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Our debates with the candidates for MN Senate
Fourteen forums, 16 races, 32 candidates — it all Came to an end Thursday evening, with the last two installments of Med City Beat’s online forum series. The three-week lineup concluded with the candidates for Minnesota State Senate, pitting two sitting GOP Senators against ascendant DFL...
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Do police belong in Rochester schools? The local school board candidates weigh in
On this week’s edition of the Rundown, we continue our coverage of Med City Beat’s town hall debate series. Thursday night, the six candidates vying for a spot on the Rochester School Board joined Sean for a 90-minute forum on topics ranging from distance learning and Covid-19 precautions to…
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Recapping the four debates with the candidates for Rochester City Council
This week, Med City Beat hosted the first four of sixteen town hall debates in preparation for Election Day — all for the four Rochester City Council seats up for grabs in 2020. On the latest episode of the Rochester Rundown, we'll sift through the debates to bring you the issues where candidates...
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A closer look at the City of Rochester's proposed 2021 budget
On this week's episode of the Rochester Rundown, Isaac talks with city administrator Steve Rymer about the city's 2021 proposed budget. With revenues down and city construction slowing after a huge 2020, Rymer and his team had to find millions of dollars in cuts. What's being cut — and why your…
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Why some parents are opting to keep their kids home this school year
Back-to-school season has always been a time of preparation and excitement for young families. While that feeling is still there this year, the persisting pandemic adds a layer of uncertainty, and raises a tough decision for many parents of Rochester's elementary schoolers: send my child back to...
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Where would we be without vaccines? A Mayo Clinic expert weighs in
On the latest episode of the Rochester Rundown, we have a conversation with Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, chair of infection control at Mayo Clinic, on the role vaccines play in a modern society. With the world on edge waiting for the eventual Covid-19 vaccine, where would we be if vaccines didn't…
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Encouraging trends in Olmsted County's battle against Covid-19
On this week's edition of the podcast, we hear from Graham Briggs and Meaghan Sherden — director and lead epidemiologist, respectively, at Olmsted County Public Health — about the latest Covid-19 numbers for our area. New case numbers have dropped to levels not seen since May, leading both...
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Local primaries met with surge in absentee voting
This week on the Rochester Rundown, we hear from Olmsted County election officials about the results from Tuesday’s primary. The percentage of votes from mail-in absentee ballots shattered previous records and blew past the initial expectations of those in charge of counting the ballots. What…
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Staying creative through a pandemic: Best of Rochester music so far in 2020
Covid-19 has upended the music community at large — on the local, statewide and national levels. Today on the Rochester Rundown, though, we take a look at what Med City musicians have been able to do in the first half of 2020 — without live shows to play, it’s been all about recorded music. It’s…
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Pandemic exposes the immense health disparities playing out in Olmsted County
This week on the Rochester Rundown: a report on racial disparity in Rochester, specifically how it relates to this pandemic. Public data shows people of color, Black people in particular, are taking on a disproportionate share of Olmsted County’s Covid-19 cases. It is a microcosm of a much larger...
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An improbable rise to fame: How two Mayo Clinic surgeons became musical stars
In 2015, two hopeful orthopedic surgeons arrived in Rochester for the first time. In the past two years, they have become famous for something completely different. After a meteoric rise to stardom, however, it’s come time for them to move on — but not before giving one final shout out to the…
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Thinking about casting your ballot by mail this year? Here is what you need to know
With early absentee voting for the upcoming primaries set to begin one week from today, Olmsted County election officials are preparing for an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots due to the pandemic. For this upcoming election cycle, the county expects somewhere around 50 percent of voters to…
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'We're in a changed society': Five Rochester businesses on reopening to a new normal
This week on the Rochester Rundown, Isaac takes a look at the path forward for small businesses across five different industries, as the state of Minnesota cautiously begins to re-open most facets of life. The five entrepreneurs quoted here, just like every other business owner in Rochester…
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'We don't have the option to stay silent': Inside the push for police reform in Rochester
Seven students organizing against injustice; a police chief seeking to build trust; and a mayor reconciling past wrongs with the hope of a better future. This week on the Rochester Rundown, we hear from a chorus of local voices on policing, racial justice and the shortcomings of the city we call...
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Is it time to rethink DMC's priorities?
This week on the podcast, we bring you the comments and context from the latest Destination Medical Center Corporation board meeting. Thursday’s board meeting was the first since Covid-19 threw the global economy into chaos, and the conversation quickly turned to the very future of the initiative...
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Facing yet another hurdle, Rochester's restaurant industry races to find ways to survive
On this week's podcast, Isaac takes a look at the state of the local restaurant industry, which will be allowed to return in outdoor spaces only starting June 1. The new guidelines issued by Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday were intended to give restaurants some relief, but it’s caused quite the…
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Pandemic forces political campaigns to find new ways to reach voters
After taking a two-month hiatus to focus resources on daily reporting related to the pandemic, reporter Isaac Jahns is back hosting the Rochester Rundown. For the reboot of the podcast, he dives into campaigning through Covid-19: what political candidates are doing to keep the ball rolling toward...
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How life in Rochester is changing under the cloud of the coronavirus
This week on the Rochester Rundown: closures, cancellations and precautions — we examine how news of the area’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 is affecting daily life in Rochester. Hear from the leaders of the Mayo Civic Center and Rochester Downtown Alliance, as well as one local business…
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Art in the Schools series introduces students to new sounds and new cultures
This week on the Rochester Rundown, Isaac Jahns heads to Riverside Central Elementary School to experience traditional Tuvan throat singing; and more importantly, explore the impact music can have in connecting students with other cultures. Plus, we have an update on what local officials are…
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Her official title is dance instructor, but most of the kids just call her 'Mama Rhonda'
It’s easy to see the impact Rhonda has on these kids — a sweet, knowledgeable woman imparting her wisdom and kindness on the next generation is something to be celebrated. But this relationship is more symbiotic than you’d think. Reporter Isaac Jahns has the story in this week’s episode of the...
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5 Rochester artists to watch in 2020
It’s been incredibly interesting to watch Rochester’s music scene grow over the past few years. Options for shows were pretty limited, especially for younger music fans, when I first poked my head around the music scene in 2014. Fast forward to now, and there’s a genuine venue ladder and scores…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Each week reporter Isaac Jahns hosts the Rochester Rundown, a podcast featuring news recaps, in-depth interviews, event previews & more.
HOSTED BY
Med City Beat
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Rochester Rundown have?
Rochester Rundown currently has 55 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Rochester Rundown about?
Each week reporter Isaac Jahns hosts the Rochester Rundown, a podcast featuring news recaps, in-depth interviews, event previews & more.
How often does Rochester Rundown release new episodes?
Rochester Rundown has 55 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Rochester Rundown?
You can listen to Rochester Rundown on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Rochester Rundown?
Rochester Rundown is created and hosted by Med City Beat.
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