Good morning, Mankato.

Mankato Fire Marshal Sean Hayes shares home fire prevention tips during National Fire Prevention Week and advises residents to use safe charging and attentive cooking practices.

He recommends checking smoke alarms (using manufacturer guidelines) and practicing escape routes for family safety.

MY Place Mankato hosts the MY Pace Mile on Saturday at 10 a.m. at 1315 Stadium Road.

The event invites locals to walk, run or stroll while exploring free youth programs (arts, athletics, and more) during guided tours at Wings Over White Oak Park and the MY Place facility.

The Blue Earth County Historical Society is hosting its third annual Flashlight Tours at Hubbard House on Saturdays throughout October starting at 7 p.m. and offering historic lore, a pop punk performance by Mzyum, oracle readings, and trick-or-treating on Oct.

31; tickets cost $25 with limited seating.

Local band The Divers is celebrating 35 years with two reunion concerts at Bethany Lutheran College on Wed, Oct.

14, and Thurs, Oct. 15 (all seven members performing). The Oct. 15 show is sold out while $27 tickets remain for Oct. 14.

Jack McGowan, the longtime History Fest organizer for 31+ years, announced he will step back due to vision loss and is planning to move into a Mankato apartment while working with officials to safeguard the event’s legacy; a public day on Saturday may be his final offering.

Colin Scharf’s annual Halloween series debuts in Saturday’s Free Press with the first installment, Part 1: Unveilings, and new chapters will appear each Saturday this month.

Rasmussen University pinned 19 nursing graduates on Thursday, honoring their entrance into a healthcare field with high demand; one graduate, Michelle O’Connor (a lifelong farmer from Austin), celebrated a unique role reversal with her daughter and will nurse part-time while running her farm.

MSU held its Career and Internship Expo at Myers Field House on Thursday, Oct.

8, where 280 employers offered internships and jobs to students. Attendees explored roles in tech, marketing and business as they navigated a job market reshaped by AI, including opportunities with firms like Kwik Trip in Mankato.

At a Blue Earth County Commissioners meeting, residents expressed their concerns about the Rapidan Dam removal project and the replacement of the adjacent bridge by questioning details in the environmental assessment worksheet (the comment period remains open until Oct.

29).

Maverick Insider reports that the No. 5 football team remains unbeaten and that former hockey coach Mike Hastings — noted for his MSU tenure — will lead his Wisconsin Badgers squad into Mankato this weekend as the hockey team opens its season.