The public is invited to learn about the Southeastern Minnesota Freight Rail Capacity Study at an open house on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. The meeting is at the Commons Area of the Heintz Center, Rochester Community and Technical College, 1926 Collegeview Drive SE.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Olmsted County Regional Railroad Authority are hosting the open house, which includes a presentation beginning at 6 p.m.

The event is an opportunity for the public to hear about the rail service scenarios that are being modeled as part of the study. Once modeled, the results will provide information on what changes or improvements, if any, are needed to meet various capacity scenarios. Staff will also share information about grade crossings and railroad operations analyses for the current rail corridor. 

Twenty local and national politicians got to meet with a handful of county agencies Tuesday morning.

Olmsted County administrators have held their “Issues and Answers Fair” for the past three years.

The idea is to give politicians a behind the scenes look at several county agencies.

"Anybody that shows up is welcome. It’s kind of an open house atmosphere. We tell them what is important to countries now, what's happened in the past and what can they do in the future,” Olmsted County Commissioner Ken Brown says.

Some groups that showed up for the fair include representatives from public safety, public works, and nearly a dozen other agencies.

     President Obama's Minnesota campaign is already planning five months ahead of this fall's election.
On Friday night dozens of supporter showed up at the Rochester campaign office's grand opening. The office is right off seventh street northwest and eleventh avenue. People signed up to help with door-knocking, phone calls, and other ways to engage the community. The state's campaign director, Jeff Blodgett, says this election is all about a grassroots effort just like in 2008.
     "Since it's such an important election and the stakes are so high we expect to have a kit if volunteers doing this work," says Blodgett.
     The office will employ several full time staff members but mostly be made up of volunteers.