A Classic Street Clock Is Headed to the Municipal Lawn
Austin, MN · October 10, 2026
An unseasonable 83 degrees and clear skies mean nobody has an excuse to stay inside today. Take your morning coffee straight to the porch before heading out to the trails or downtown.
The Lead
Duane Rasmussen, longtime former publisher of the Austin Daily Herald, is presenting the city with an enduring civic centerpiece: an ornate decorative street clock bound for the municipal grounds. City leaders formally accepted the gift, approving site plans to install the clock in the public green space immediately south of City Hall, nestled between the building and the street-side walkway along 4th Avenue NE.
For downtown pedestrians and visitors conducting business at the municipal center, the timepiece adds a stately, old-world touch to a campus that has seen steady streetscape modernizations. The installation coincides with City Hall’s broader push to weave more local heritage and public art into civic spaces, which also includes framing and mounting two newly selected paintings from the Austin ArtWorks Festival in the main corridors. Public works crews will pour the concrete footing this fall before the clock structure arrives on site.
Local Pulse
Election Equipment Accuracy Test Set for Monday City Hall Election officials will test voting tabulators at the Mower County Government Center to ensure ballot machines count votes accurately.
Police Department Updates Dedicated Non-Emergency Numbers Safety Residents calling for non-emergency assistance should dial the new administrative numbers after city dispatch separated from county phone lines.
Today's Outlook
- High 83°F · Low 59°F — Clear
- Ditch the jacket and pack sunscreen for an unseasonably warm, sun-drenched Saturday outdoors.
What's On Around Town
Today
Kids Studio: Pumpkin Mickey Mouse Austin ArtWorks Center (300 Main St N), 10:30 AM–12:00 PM Guided oil pastel class where young artists craft colorful pumpkin characters.
Austin Pride Festival Bandshell Community Park, 11:00 AM–3:00 PM · Free Outdoor family celebration featuring live music, food, and local maker booths.
The Addams Family (1991) Historic Paramount Theatre (125 4th Ave NE), 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM · Paid Spooky seasonal comedy screening on the historic downtown big screen.
Tomorrow
- Carlos Mencia: Keep Me Out of Jail Tour Lansing Corners Bar and Grill (27017 US Highway 218), 7:00 PM · Paid
Monday
General Election Public Accuracy Test Mower County Government Center (201 1st St NE), 9:00 AM–4:30 PM · Free
Austin School Board Regular Meeting Austin High School Annex Recital Hall (301 3rd St NW), 5:30 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Hormel Historic Home
- When George A. Hormel purchased this 1871 Italianate house in 1901 for just $3,000, he quickly invested in stained glass and Classical Revival pillars. Today, its 14 restored rooms and quarter-sawn oak woodwork preserve early industrial elegance along 4th Avenue NW.
Austin Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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