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Howie: The city budget they don't want you to understand
Local Government Aid alone covers nearly $35 million, about one-third of the budget. It’s the difference between black ink and red. Lose even 5 percent of that aid, and Duluth’s “balanced” budget implodes by millions. That’s not financial strength — that’s dependence disguised as stability.

AT THE DECC – Hosted by a celebrity guest host, Wheel of Fortune LIVE! brings the excitement of everyone’s favorite TV game show to life, giving fans the chance to solve puzzles, win prizes and possibly become a Wheel of Fortune® TV contestant.
Hanson receives weekly honor
Bullogs sophomore defenseman Ty Hanson has been named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Defenseman of the Week for the second time this season. The Hermantown native led all NCHC players with seven blocked shots in last weekend’s series against No. 8 North Dakota, including four in Friday’s 4-3
UMD earns highest NCAA II Super Region ranking since 2018
The University of Minnesota Duluth football team earned its highest NCAA Division II regional ranking in seven years, coming in at No. 6 in this week’s Super Region Three poll. The Bulldogs (8-1), ranked No. 13 nationally by the AFCA and No. 10 by D2Football.com, last cracked a
Howie: Here comes Duluth Public Schools Red Plan Jr.
Debt service already consumes about 60 percent of the school levy. With this addition of $38 million in bonding debt, Duluth is entering a decade in which the school system will spend more paying off debt than teaching future students.
Howie: George Thorogood still bad to the bone
Thorogood isn’t one of those legacy acts coasting on streaming royalties and casino circuits. He’s a lifer — one of the last truly American showmen still pounding the boards the old-fashioned way: loud, sweaty, and swinging like rock & roll still matters.
Howie: Bulldogs split at North Dakota, UMD-UWS men's hoops exhibition Monday
UMD sophomore forward Max Plante continues his strong start.
Take a bow, Hermantown football team
Hermantown’s 2025 football season came full circle Friday night — ending against the same team that handed the Hawks their first loss of the fall. Grand Rapids, physical and efficient from the start, again proved too much, defeating Hermantown 41-0 in the Section 7, Class 4A championship game to end
Hawks advance to Section 7AAAA football final
Hermantown led 14-8 at halftime and 28-16 after three quarters before Sleen’s third touchdown in the fourth extended the margin to 35-20.
Howie: We’ve seen this movie before. Same script, different salesman.
The old fellas at the café won’t need a study to understand it. They’ve seen this dance too many times before. They’ll sip their burnt coffee, shake their heads, and say what they always say when the next “big thing” blows through town: “Should’ve just built another rink.”
Hermantown blitzes North Branch, rematch Saturday in playoff semifinal
“I thought we were the most physical we have been to date. We did a pretty darn good job bottling up that power-T offense that North Branch runs — which has notoriously caused us problems in the past.” -- Hawks coach Mike Zagelmeyer
WDIO's Danielson to retire
The end of the year brings the finale of a longtime legacy, as Darren Danielson is set to retire from the WDIO anchor desk after almost 15 years. Danielson began his journalism career in 1981 at KMOT in Minot, North Dakota. He covered Duluth news beginning in 1986 at both
The Minnesota Star Tribune announces return of The Wrap
MINNEAPOLIS — The Star Tribune will host the second annual edition of The Wrap on Saturday, Jan. 3 at the newspaper’s Heritage printing facility in Minneapolis’ North Loop. The immersive year-in-review event offers a look back at Minnesota’s most defining stories of 2025 through interactive exhibits, live music, food,
Howie: Laura Lee the next television anchor voice of the Northland
You can sense Lee's broadcast discipline the moment the red light clicks on. Her voice carries polish without pretense, her cadence deliberate but not cold. She has that calm, centered presence that suggests she’s not there to perform — she’s there to communicate.
Howie: Darren Danielson, WDIO's statesman
That perfectionism has made WDIO what it is — the region’s dominant newscast for years running. Viewers know exactly what they’ll get: no chaos, no stunts, just clean, confident journalism. Danielson’s the face of that brand, but also its conscience.
Hanson receives weekly honor
Bullogs sophomore defenseman Ty Hanson has been named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Defenseman of the Week for the second time this season. The Hermantown native led all NCHC players with seven blocked shots in last weekend’s series against No. 8 North Dakota, including four in Friday’s 4-3
Howie: Gophers men's hoops rebuild won't happen overnight
No one’s saying a banner’s coming soon — heck, we’d settle for a .500 record and a home win over Iowa. But watch closely. You’ll see something forming here, underneath the dust and the growing pains. A plan. A pulse. A program.
UMD earns highest NCAA II Super Region ranking since 2018
The University of Minnesota Duluth football team earned its highest NCAA Division II regional ranking in seven years, coming in at No. 6 in this week’s Super Region Three poll. The Bulldogs (8-1), ranked No. 13 nationally by the AFCA and No. 10 by D2Football.com, last cracked a
Take a bow, Hermantown football team
Hermantown’s 2025 football season came full circle Friday night — ending against the same team that handed the Hawks their first loss of the fall. Grand Rapids, physical and efficient from the start, again proved too much, defeating Hermantown 41-0 in the Section 7, Class 4A championship game to end




