Red Flag Warning issued for 13 northern Minnesota counties
Edit storyA Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday across 13 northern Minnesota counties because of extreme
Howie Hanson
Editor & Publisher of HowieHanson.com
What I Cover
I write about power, business, sports and civic life in Duluth and across Minnesota. My columns examine the people making decisions, the organizations behind those decisions and what their choices mean for the communities they serve.
My Background
My journalism career began in 1971 at the Cloquet Pine Knot. More than five decades later, I'm still reporting and writing from Duluth. I publish HowieHanson.com, an independent site built around original columns, local reporting and Minnesota sports coverage.
My Approach
My work combines reporting, analysis and commentary. I believe in checking facts, asking direct questions and giving readers enough information to make up their own minds. My reporting and opinions are mine, and I stand behind the words I publish.
Contact Me
I welcome story ideas, questions, corrections and tips from readers. Email is the best way to reach me.
Email: GuyHowieHanson@gmail.com
Latest
Minnesota Star Tribune announces initial speaker lineup for 2026 North Star Summit
Edit storyNational and regional leaders will gather Sept. 22-23 in Minneapolis to discuss issues shaping the Midwest and the nation
Rethinking the response: Duluth could cut public safety costs by changing who answers 911 calls
Edit storyHouston uses an emergency telehealth program that allows selected 911 patients to speak remotely with a physician. In one reported year, 92% of the 6,008 people served by the program were directed to transportation other than a Houston Fire Department ambulance.
Duluth searches for budget ‘bloat,’ but labor costs dominate projected shortfall
Edit storyThe city cannot eliminate a multimillion-dollar structural deficit without confronting employee costs, service levels or taxes. That is where the money is — and where the difficult decisions will be.
AI’s Reach Extends From Consumer Tech to Jobs, Finance and National Security
Edit storyArtificial intelligence is moving beyond the familiar cycle of chatbots, smartphone features and corporate marketing claims, becoming a force shaping national-security policy, employment
2026 Duluth Denfeld Girls Soccer Schedule
Edit storyAug. 28 — at Grand Rapids, 2 p.m. Aug. 31 — Roseville, 6 p.m. Sept. 8 — at Two Harbors, 6 p.m. Sept. 10
2026 Duluth Denfeld Boys Soccer Schedule
Edit storyAug. 28 — at Mahtomedi, noon Aug. 29 — at Chisago Lakes, 11 a.m. Sept. 3 — Lakeville South, 4 p.m. Sept. 4 — Lakeville North,
2026 Duluth Denfeld Volleyball Schedule
Edit storyAug. 24 — Cloquet, 9 a.m. Sept. 1 — Aitkin, 7 p.m. Sept. 3 — at Rock Ridge, 6 p.m. Sept. 8 — at Hibbing,
2026 Duluth Denfeld Football Schedule
Edit storySept. 4 — Hermantown, 6 p.m. Sept. 11 — at Two Harbors, 7 p.m. Sept. 18 — Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Sept. 25 — at
2026 Cloquet Girls Soccer Schedule
Edit storyAug. 22 — Bloomington Jefferson, 10 a.m. Aug. 27 — at St. Francis, 5 p.m. Aug. 28 — Two Rivers, 4 p.m. Sept. 3
2026 Cloquet Boys Soccer Schedule
Edit storyAug. 27 — Two Rivers, 4 p.m. Aug. 29 — Columbia Heights, 11 a.m. Sept. 1 — at Chisago Lakes, 6 p.m. Sept. 2
2026 Cloquet Volleyball Schedule
Edit storyAug. 22 — at Hibbing Invitational, TBA Aug. 24 — at Duluth Denfeld, 9 a.m. Aug. 27 — Aitkin, 7 p.m. Sept. 1 — at Duluth
2026 Cloquet Football Schedule
Edit storySept. 3 — at Grand Rapids, 7 p.m. Sept. 11 — Esko, 7 p.m. Sept. 18 — North Branch, 7 p.m. Sept. 25 — at
Howie: The Monsters have unfinished business
Edit storyWillie Howard, the former NFL linebacker recently named the Monsters’ senior consultant, understands that the AF1 carries responsibilities beyond winning. Most of its players are still chasing something. They need film, exposure and an opportunity to demonstrate that they can play professionally.
Nashville secures top AF1 seed; final playoff berth remains undecided
Edit storyCLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Kats completed the Arena Football One regular season with the league’s best record, the defending champion Albany Firebirds secured
Monsters secure No. 3 seed
Edit storyThe six-team playoff format gives Nashville and Albany first-round byes. Minnesota will host Washington or Beaumont in the No. 3-versus-No. 6 quarterfinal, while Kentucky will host Michigan in the No. 4-versus-No. 5 matchup.
2026 Hermantown Volleyball Schedule
Edit storyAug. 24 – Hibbing and six other teams at Princeton, 9 a.m. Aug. 27 -- at Duluth Marshall, 7 p.m. Sept. 1 -- Esko, 7
2026 Hermantown Girls Soccer Schedule
Edit storyAug. 27 – North Branch, 4 p.m. Aug. 29 -- Big Lake, noon Aug. 31 -- at Duluth Marshall, 4 p.m. Sept. 3 -- Proctor, 6:
2026 Hermantown Boys Soccer Schedule
Edit storyAug. 27 – Holy Family, 6 p.m. Aug. 28 -- at Mesabi East, 5 p.m. Sept. 1 -- Duluth Marshall, 6:30 p.m. Sept.
2026 Hermantown Girls Tennis Schedule
Edit storyAug. 24 – at Duluth Marshall, 4 p.m. Aug. 26 -- Buffalo and one other team, 9 a.m. Sept. 1 -- at Grand Rapids, 9
2026 Hermantown Football Schedule
Edit storyAug. 29 – at Esko (scrimmage), 9 a.m. Sept. 4 -- at Duluth Denfeld, 6 p.m. Sept. 11 -- at Proctor, 7 p.m. Sept.
Pez Davila: Our young people need all of us
Edit storyEvery young person needs mentorship, love, structure, discipline and the tools necessary to become a successful adult. Those expectations should be applied fairly, consistently and with a genuine commitment to helping young people change.
Tim Meyer: North Dakota is building its future — and Minnesota should pay attention
Edit storyThe lesson for Minnesota and Midwestern states trying to revive downtowns, strengthen universities and create reasons for young people to stay: progress requires more than announcing a vision. It requires choosing priorities, committing resources and completing projects that people can see and use.
Duluth deserves answers, not another recorded statement
Edit storyMayor Reinert is an experienced and politically skilled communicator. He regularly uses video to promote city projects, explain policy and shape his administration’s message. That makes his reluctance to participate in unscripted questioning during a public-safety scare more conspicuous, not less.
Spirit of Duluth confronts an uncertain arena future
Edit storyIf replacement ice could not be secured at Amsoil Arena or another regional rink, the tournament might have to eliminate teams, reduce divisions or reconsider its four-game guarantee. Any of those outcomes would weaken one of the event’s greatest selling points.
Martin Sleen’s final run could be Hermantown’s greatest
Edit storyThis autumn, northeastern Minnesota won't simply be watching one of the state's best running backs. It may be witnessing the final high school season of the greatest running back Hermantown has ever produced.
Bellisio's earns Wine Spectator award for 27th straight year
Edit storyBellisio's, part of the Grandma's Inc. family of restaurants, opened in Canal Park in 1999 and is known for its Italian cuisine and extensive wine list.
Howard promoted to assistant general manager
Edit storyThe Minnesota Monsters have promoted special teams coordinator Jaysen Howard to assistant general manager, expanding his responsibilities as the Arena Football One franchise continues
The Cloquet Invitational remains one of Northeastern Minnesota's greatest traditions
Edit storyFew amateur tournaments survive nearly a century. Even fewer remain as meaningful after 95 years as they were when they began. The Cloquet Invitational has accomplished both because it has never forgotten what made it special in the first place.
We didn't just lose Sid Hartman. We lost the conversation that started every morning.
Edit storyGreat newspaper columnists don't simply report the news. They become part of their readers' lives. They greet us over breakfast. They
The newspaper that started it all
Edit storyMore than five decades later, I am still chasing the same goal I had as a 15-year-old sports reporter in Cloquet. Earn the reader's trust. Everything else is just ink.
The next television revolution won't arrive with louder marketing. It will arrive with better light.
Edit storySports fans, in particular, stand to benefit. A brighter, more color-accurate display helps preserve the small visual details that make sports enjoyable, particularly on today's increasingly popular 75-, 85- and even 98-inch screens.
