Good morning, Duluth.

Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging is accepting nominations for its fifth annual Aging Impact Awards; winners will receive $1,000 and a certificate thanks to Duluth Aging Support (Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, St. Louis).

To nominate, email jlanger@ardc.org or call 218-529-7520.

The 2026 Duluth Housing Strategies Conference will be Friday, Nov.

6 at the DECC Harbor Side Ballroom with check-in and coffee 8 to 8:40 a.m. and the program 8:40 a.m. to 4 p.m.; register by Friday, Oct. 30 to attend.

Shopko Optical opened a new eye care center Oct.

26 (320 West Myrtle St.), offering eye exams, contact lens fittings, and disease detection and management. Its Kids in Focus program will partner with the Duluth Lions Club to provide qualifying children with free exams and glasses; call your local Lions Club or visit Shopko.com to book.

Lake Superior College held an open house Tuesday about an expanded PFAS investigation at its Emergency Response Training Center; soil borings and monitoring wells are underway, the firefighting program is suspended (current class of 50 is the final cohort), and private-well sampling is planned later this year.

Minnesota Housing hosted a regional housing forum on Tuesday at the Minnesota Discovery Center that drew more than 150 attendees to discuss expanding housing options on the Range.

Speakers highlighted how state and federal funding and the Iron Range Resources 2024 Housing Grant can help repair aging homes and attract developers (RAMS noted the region’s older housing stock).

MnDOT says the pedestrian bridge over I-35 just south of Mesaba Ave will reopen Saturday, Oct.

31 by 5 p.m.; vehicle access to and from I-35 and Mesaba Ave is open, work will continue into November, and the ornamental railing is delayed until spring with a one week detour planned.