Tim Sommer was approved as the new Rochester Chief of Police by the village board at a brief 32 minute regular meeting Monday.

After a two-year hiatus, the Rochester Sparks in the Park Celebration will return to Community Park July 29-31.

Rochester High School will have an official enrollment of 793 for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 sports seasons.

The Rochester 3A Board of Education held its regular meeting for June Monday night at the RHS Learning Commons, with the proceedings lasting one hour.

The Rochester village board met for just under one hour at its June 14 regular meeting.

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.

The Rochester Public Library Farmers Market will officially re-open starting Sunday, June 6 and will continue every Sunday from 12 to 3 p.m. (rain or shine) through September 26.

Rochester High School graduated 177 seniors at commencement exercises held for the Class of 2021 Sunday evening at Rocket Booster Stadium.

The Village of Rochester has had to change the dates of the 2021 Sparks in the Park Celebration, due to a scheduling conflict with the carnival.

Graduation ceremonies for the Rochester High School Class of 2021 are set for Sunday, May 30, at 7 p.m. at Rocket Booster Stadium. Current indoor gathering restrictions from COVID-19 guidelines have forced a move from the usual site at UIS. 

A Memorial Day ceremony will be held at the Rochester Cemetery Monday, May 31 at 9 a.m. The ceremony will last approximately 30 minutes, and will be followed by a social gathering at the Community Park pavilion. 

The Rochester Board of Education held its regular meeting for May Monday night at the RHS Learning Commons. Superintendent Dan W. Cox and all board members except Kevin Gade were in attendance. 

The Rochester School District is partnering with the Sangamon County Department of Public Health to make COVID-19 vaccines available to the community. 

The “new” Rochester village board held its first meeting Monday, at which the board voted against the continued prohibition of cannabis business establishments in the village.

The Rochester Board of Education held its regular meeting for April last Tuesday night at the RHS Learning Commons, with newly-elected board members seated and outgoing members honored. 

Rochester High School had 23 seniors honored as Illinois State Scholars for 2021-22.

Rochester Superintendent of Public Works James Foster told the village board at its April 12 meeting that the North Walnut Street drainage project has nearly been completed.

The Rochester village board approved an ordinance revising the rates for service for water and sewer in the village at Monday’s 75 minute regular meeting.

Keely A. Williams of Rochester faces three counts of first degree murder and one count of aggravated domestic battery following a stabbing incident that resulted in the death of Joshua Pfeiler, 38, of Rochester.

Incumbents Stacia Munroe and Harry Hendrickson were re-elected to another four-year term on the Rochester village board in Tuesday’s Consolidated Election.

Seven candidates are in the running for five positions on the Rochester Board of Education in Tuesday’s Consolidated Election.

Alex Peddie, a senior at Rochester High School, has been accepted into the Honors College at St. Louis University as a Vice Presidential scholarship recipient. She will be attending SLU next fall studying to become a neuro psychologist.

The Rochester School District is poised for one last learning plan transition for the 2020-21 school year, and it will take place beginning with the week of March 29. 

The Rochester 3A Community Unit School District and the Rochester Education Association have announced a new four-year collective bargaining agreement set to begin July 1, 2021. 

The Rochester village board took action Monday to approve loans for six more local businesses through the village’s Small Business Relief Program.

The Rochester Education Association will host a “Meet the Candidates” forum for school board candidates in the April 6 Consolidated Election Tuesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the forum will be broadcast on Youtube and can be accessed at this link: https:// youtu.be/OC…

The Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education held its regular meeting for February last Tuesday at the RHS Learning Commons.

The Rochester Cemetery Board has scheduled the spring clean-up week for Monday, March 15 through Saturday, March 20. Please have decorations removed by March 15. For more information, contact Steve Taft at (217) 341-4003.

Logan Anguish and Madelyn Hill of Rochester were honored as Students of the Month at the Capital Area Career Center. Anguish was honored in October and Hill in December.

Parents and guardians of children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2021 need to complete online registration to initially enroll their child for kindergarten for the upcoming school year.

The Rochester Sparks in the Park Committee will host another chicken dinner fundraiser Wednesday, February 24 at the village hall. The drive-thru service will be open from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with pickup at the front door to the village hall/library.

The Rochester village board voted 6-0 on two separate actions involving the village’s Small Business Relief Program at Monday’s quick 25 minute regular meeting.

Rochester village president Joe Suerdieck will be unopposed as he runs for a second four-year term in the upcoming April 6 election.

Rochester High School and Rochester Junior High had ten students honored as award winners at the annual Scholastic Art Awards for the Illinois Mid-State Region. Due to COVID-19, a virtual awards ceremony will held Sunday, February 14.

The Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education held its regular meeting for January on Tuesday night at the RHS Learning Commons, with both in-person participants and others listening remotely. All board members and Superintendent Dan W. Cox were present.

The Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education held its regular meeting for December this past Monday night at the RHS Learning Commons. 

Senior United States District Judge Richard Mills sentenced Chase Brown, 21, of the 1000 block of Heathrow Lane, Rochester, to serve 37 months in federal prison for operating a sham medical equipment reseller business that defrauded businesses and individuals from various states.

Eight candidates have filed for five seats that are up for election on the Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education next spring. 

The Rochester School District has acquired 530 BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 as part of a pilot testing program. 

Rochester village trustees voted to approve the 2020 tax levy and an ordinance amending the village code to allow water connections outside the village as part of a busy agenda at Monday’s regular meeting.

The Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education held a brief special meeting Monday, November 30. Two personnel items were approved following closed session.

The filing period for the April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election is December 14 to December 21, 2020.

Deena Powell recently received the Illinois Business Education Assocation Teacher of the Year - Secondary Award for 2020. The announcement was made during the virtual opening session of the IBEA’s 58th annual Fall Conference.

The Rochester Library is opening a StoryWalk® in lieu of the normal Holiday Party with Santa. It will open Friday, December 4 and remain open until Christmas Day, December 25.

Randall Tarr of Rochester, who pleaded guilty in July to making a threat against United States Representative Rodney Davis last November, was sentenced Friday to two years probation.

The Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education held a special meeting Monday night, with officials participating both in-person at the RHS Learning Commons and remotely through Google Meet.

David Henton updated the Rochester village board on the Public Works Department at the board’s November 9 meeting.

There will be five seats up for election on the Rochester CUSD 3A Board of Education during next year’s Consolidated Election on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

Jon Schwartz was honored as the 2020 Rochester Citizen of the Year and the Rochester village board took action to allow the village to move forward with becoming a K-9 police department at Monday’s one-hour regular meeting.