Duluth's homegrown columnist. Since 1971.
Editor & Publisher of HowieHanson.com
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 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 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.
I welcome story ideas, questions, corrections and tips from readers. Email is the best way to reach me.
Email: GuyHowieHanson@gmail.com
You can’t fake muscle in the NCHC. You can’t out-skill everyone forever. Eventually, you have to stand in front of a net and take a beating. That’s when we’ll see if this team has backbone or if they’re just another batch of Duluth waterbugs — fun to watch, easy to squash.
The Bulldogs erupted for four second-period goals and cruised past Augustana 4-1 in the nonconference college men's hockey series opener
“Being accepted into this conference offers our team and student athletes the opportunity to earn all-conference recognition and the ability to compete in conference sponsored events and competitions.” -- Stella Maris activities director Chris Lemke.
The numbers don’t lie: UMD went 7-8-2 at Amsoil last year. The year before? 7-10-1. In 2021-22, they were 8-7-2. That’s three straight years of mediocrity in a building that was supposed to intimidate.
Duluth has a plan. The question now is whether it has the guts — and the will — to knock down the roadblocks standing in the way.
Downtown won’t be saved by consultants, binders or cheerleaders. It will be saved when Duluth faces its most challenging problem — the needles, the psychotic breaks, the encampments in doorways — and chooses to act rather than avert its eyes.
The Imagine Downtown Duluth plan admits that downtowns are not guaranteed. Across the Midwest, cities are racing to reinvent themselves, and Duluth risks falling behind.
Airports are economic mirrors. Strong, growing cities attract more flights, more routes, more airlines willing to gamble. Weak, stagnant economies don’t. Carriers aren’t sentimental; they’re accountants with wings. If you can’t fill the seats, they won’t stick around.
No other program matched Hermantown’s total across both boys’ and girls’ squads, a reflection of the Hawks’ sustained strength in the sport and their ability to develop talent year after year.
Hermantown’s cross country program made the most of its chance to serve as host at one of Minnesota’s premier meets, turning in
Health officials recommend flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics both stress that the vaccine is one of the safest and most effective ways to protect against seasonal influenza.
At the 1948 Democratic National Convention, when many in his party wanted to avoid alienating Southern segregationists, Humphrey, 37, strode to the podium and declared it was time to get out of the shadow of states’ rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.
Plenty of mayors cut ribbons. Ness cut liabilities. He took on the most challenging problems and proved that authentic leadership isn’t about comfort but courage.
That’s Vikings football. Never boring, rarely logical, always exhausting. The highs, the lows, the quarterback merry-go-round, the running game that doesn’t exist, the offensive line held together with medical tape — it’s the same play, different actors.
LONDON (HH) — Carson Wentz threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison with 25 seconds left, lifting the Minnesota Vikings over the Cleveland
Howie's column is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar Hermantown spent the first month of the season feeling a little out of sorts,
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (HH) — Minnesota Duluth rode a strong start and a late insurance goal to secure a 4-1 nonconference college men's
Either way, this is the game that sticks. Years from now, when Koi Perich plays on Sundays or is just another cautionary tale of “what could have been,” folks will point back to the Horseshoe and say that was the night we first knew.
Minnesota opened its men’s hockey season with a 6-3 win over Michigan Tech on Friday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The
The Bulldogs are at a crossroads. They’ve been wandering for three years, and people are wondering if the program has lost its edge. This roster says it hasn’t. But if they can’t prove it against Alaska Fairbanks, then what’s the point?
From Patrick Reusse’s grizzled columns at the Star Tribune to the young lions at the Reformer, here’s who’s shaping the state’s online and print news voice in 2025.
The 2025 DTA operating budget is climbing to $25.8 million — up more than 10 percent in a single year. And with the federal gravy train off the tracks, the DTA is turning to City Hall with its hand out. The levy request? Up nearly seven percent.
Howie's column is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar The hardest part about living in Minnesota isn’t the weather, it’s pretending
Organizers reported nearly 9,000 people waiting online when registration opened at 7 p.m. Central time. Ninety minutes later, more than 17,500 participants had secured entries across the weekend’s events.
Proctor edged Hermantown 2-1 on Tuesday night in a Lake Superior Conference girls soccer match that turned on the foot of one player.
“Our top goals are being local, and that’s a mutual goal. We’re bringing you the information you need from International Falls to Grand Portage, from the North Shore and South Shore, from the Twin Ports to the U.P.” -- FOX 21 News Director Matt McConico
In 2025, for instance, they raised the levy by 1.85 percent but declared it a “0 percent” year for current taxpayers because new development supposedly absorbed the increase. But that’s a shell game. The levy still grew by nearly $800,000.
The Wild got their man. Kirill Kaprizov got security. But the real winners are Uncle Sam and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. They’re the only ones guaranteed to cash in.
A new fall festival will debut on Duluth’s waterfront this weekend, featuring local vendors, food, live animals and autumn-themed activities. The inaugural
Since 2008, Duluth Public Schools has paid more than $300 million toward Red Plan debt service, with $175 million remaining. By the time the bonds are gone, Duluth will have spent half a billion dollars servicing a plan that shrank the district, buried its budget, and doubled property taxes.
“In a single day, students can access resources, build skills, and make connections that support their success throughout their entire college journey and career.” -- Nicola Scott
