The Rochester village board took care of a brief agenda at Monday’s 35 minute regular meeting. 

The month-long investigation into the robbery of the Head West Sub Shop has culminated in an arrest. Officers from the Rochester Police Department, with assistance from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department, arrested the suspect Friday, January 10. 

The Rochester Rockets Robotics FIRST LEGO League team #12893, The Squad Crafters Rising, will be advancing to the Tesla State Championship competition held in Champaign Saturday, January 25. The Squad Crafters Rising qualified from the Regional competition held December 8.

Representatives from the James Orlandini Foundation were at the Bruce Hays Administrative Center last Thursday to present a donation of $20,500 to the Rochester Education Foundation to benefit the students of Rochester CUSD 3A.

The Rochester Public Library will no longer charge overdue fines on children’s materials. Library trustees approved the changes, which will take effect January 1, 2020, at the November 14 meeting.

The Rochester Board of Education held its regular meeting for December this past Monday night at the Bruce Hays Administrative Center. 

The Rochester village board took action on two separate motions on the topic of cannabis legalization at the board’s 30 minute regular meeting Monday with all trustees present.

Darrell Maxheimer, Highway Commissioner for Rochester Township, was unanimously elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Township Officials of Illinois during the Association’s 112th annual Educational Conference held November 10-12 in Springfield. 

 The Illinois Student Assistance Commission has announced this year’s Illinois State Scholars, outstanding high school seniors who are recognized for their superior academic achievement.

Officers from the Rochester Police Department responded to the report of an armed robbery at the Head West Sub Shop in Rochester at approximately 5:25 p.m. Friday.

Santa Claus will be arriving on a fire truck for a visit at the Rochester Public Library from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, December 14. Games, snacks and crafts will be available while children wait for a chance to visit with Santa.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rochester will hold its annual Live Nativity from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, December 21.

The Rochester Board of Education met in regular session for just under 90 minutes Monday night at the Bruce Hays Administrative Center. 

The Rochester Cooper Jets 4-H Club is now meeting on the fourth Sunday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Rochester United Methodist Church.

Actions involving the police department highlighted the agenda at the November 12 regular meeting of the Rochester village board.

The Rochester school board held a special meeting Monday afternoon to approve the hiring of Dan Cox as the new Superintendent of Schools beginning with the 2020-21 school year. Cox was unanimously approved by the board and received a three-year contract starting July 1, 2020.

Village of Rochester residents now have the option of paying their utility bills online.

Rochester High School will be conducting Veterans Day activities on the morning of Thursday, November 7.

A community scrap metal collection is scheduled for Saturday, November 2 from 8 to 11 a.m. in the Rochester United Methodist Church parking lot. The public is invited to bring unwanted metals and aluminum to the site for recycling.

The Rochester village board needed only 35 minutes to complete a light agenda at its regular meeting held Tuesday, October 15.

The public is invited to the annual Rochester Fall Festival, coordinated by Operation Hometown Santa. The festival will be held Sunday, October 20 from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rochester Fire Protection District, 700 East Main, Rochester.

The Rochester Board of Education held its regular meeting for September Monday night at the Bruce Hays Administrative Center. All board members and Interim Supt. Russ Clover were in attendance.

The Rochester Fire Rescue Department and Rochester Police Department will host the first Boots vs. Badges community blood drive Saturday, September 21 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the Rochester Christian Church, 325 South Walnut Street.

The Rochester village board approved seven different ordinances granting zoning amendments for portions of the Catholic Diocese property on the village’s southern edge at Monday’s 40 minute regular meeting.

The Rochester Sesquicentennial Celebration will be held September 13-15 at Rochester Community Park and Rochester Historical Park.

Rochester area students from pre-K to those who have completed 8th grade can compete in the 12th annual Rochester Fishing Derby Saturday, September 14 at the Village Park Pond.

The Rochester Historical Preservation Society will hold an open house at the Old Stone House in the village’s Historical Park Sunday, September 1 from 1 to 4 p.m.

This year’s Rochester High School Homecoming Parade will be held Wednesday, September 18 at 5:30 pm. The parade route will be the same as previous years, with line up at the Rochester Baptist Church, going right on State Street, left on Main Street, right on North Walnut Street and ending in…

The dedication of the McCoy Plaque, honoring the earliest settlers in Rochester, will be held Sunday, September 8 at 1 p.m. at the Rochester Cemetery.

The search process for a new superintendent for the Rochester School District is underway, and an update was provided by board president Randy Hawkins at Monday’s regular school board meeting at the Bruce Hays District Administrative Center.

The Rochester village board took action on several items at Monday’s 55 minute regular meeting but decided to table taking moving forward on one major issue, an excavation project on State Street being mandated by the Illinois Envrionmental Protection Agency.

The Village of Rochester and the Rochester Lions Club are again sponsoring the Citizen of the Year Contest to recognize a person making an outstanding contribution to improving the quality of life in Rochester.

Rochester High School will have an official enrollment of 770 for the next two sports seasons, following the release of next year’s enrollments by the Illinois High School Association. The IHSA has altered its enrollment policy for the start of the current school year and will now use a scho…

David Randall Western of Rochester graduated with honors during commencement ceremonies held May 17-18 at Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla. Western graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering.

The Rochester village board voted 4-0 to approve a petition for grant of special use at a brief special meeting Tuesday.

The Rochester Board of Education held its regular meeting for July Monday night at the Bruce Hays Administrative Center.

The Rochester village board sped through a brief agenda in just 30 minutes at Monday’s regular meeting.

The New Generation Singers will be performing a free concert at Rochester United Methodist Church Saturday, July 13 at 7 p.m.

One of the events at this year’s Rochester Sesquicentennial Celebration will be the 5K/10K Walk-Run to be held Saturday, September 14. The event will start and finish in Rochester Community Park.

The Rochester Sesquicentennial Committee, along with Sloan Implement Co., will present “Prairie & Farm Fields - A Salute to Agriculture” Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rochester Firehouse.

Rochester Cub Scout Pack 40 will take to the sky again this year with Rocket Day Saturday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rochester Community Park.

The Rochester school board’s regular meeting lasted only 30 minutes Monday but that was enough time to complete a lengthy agenda that included approval of a new two-year contract with the Rochester Education Association.

The Rochester village board voted 6-0 to amend the village’s burning ordinance at the board’s regular meeting held June 10.