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
Debt service alone — bond redemptions and permanent improvements — is north of $65 million a year. Legacy pension obligations for police and other retirees tack on another $10 to $15 million. That’s before you fund a single squad car or snowplow.
Duluth Schools' levy creep isn’t an accident. It’s a feature of the system, baked into Minnesota law, and the district has leaned on it harder than any of its neighbors. The taxpayers? They’re the audience at a rigged show, asked to clap politely while the board insists there’s no other way.
The DTA’s union contract, signed in 2022, runs through 2026 and requires $2.5 million a year in pension contributions. That wasn’t fine print. That was bold type. They knew it, signed it, and now pitch it like an act of God.
On a night packed with pageantry, history and a homecoming crowd that filled Corey Veech Field, Hermantown stumbled early and never fully recovered. Grand
Respect the game? That would mean staying home, keeping the shield where it belongs, and remembering that football is supposed to be a sport, not a traveling carnival. But the owners can’t hear you. They’re too busy counting the money.
Hermantown Events to Watch Next Week Football Hermantown visits Esko at 5 p.m. Friday. Boys Soccer The Hawks play two matches on the
Howie's column is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar For half a century, the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault has
The city expects test results over the weekend and will share updates when available.
And the only voices that still carry weight are the hyper-locals, the independents, the ones who refuse to let their towns go silent. That’s where the future is. That’s where the trust is. That’s where the eyeballs and ears are. And no rebrand, paywall, or quarterly reorg will ever change that.
Lake Superior College is a two-year community and technical college in Duluth, offering more than 90 programs. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
Stella Maris Academy swept the top three singles matches, but Hermantown took all three doubles and a split at No. 4 singles to earn
“From streets and utilities to parks and libraries, housing, public safety and economic development, the inaugural resident survey will shape decisions that impact every Duluthian.” -- Mayor Roger Reinert
Halestorm earned a Grammy Award in 2012 for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for “Love Bites (So Do I).”
“The senior population is expected to increase by nearly 24 percent by 2035. Duluth will need 1,437 new senior units by 2030 and nearly 2,500 by 2035.” – 2025 Comprehensive Housing Needs Analysis
And if you’re asking me, the next time somebody wonders where the best 4-H dog handlers come from, just tell them: start in Duluth, keep heading north, and you’ll find out.
Regional economists note that health care remains one of the most resilient sectors in northern Minnesota. Essentia’s presence is expected to stay central as Duluth pushes for downtown revitalization, expands housing options and attracts new residents.
The only thing risky in Duluth politics was that a bumper sticker could beat substance. Unless Reinert forgets how to plow snow or suddenly decides levy hikes are fun, he’ll keep winning. Risky Roger? The only risk is running against him.
Hermantown defeated host Rock Ridge in straight sets Tuesday, earning a 26-24, 25-18, 25-20 victory in volleyball. Setter Anna Bergerson fueled
Maple Grove held steady at No. 1 in the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Strib Varsity statewide football rankings, while Minnetonka, Forest Lake and Eden
Can Minnesota’s governor break the third-term curse, or will a weak GOP field finally stumble into competence? County by county, the map still favors the DFL.
But it could also be the season the Kenny Linsemans of college hockey put Duluth back on the map. And if you’re a fan of old-school, pot-stirring hockey, that’s the script worth betting on.
Howie's daily column is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar We’re watching the best individual football player in northeastern Minnesota since the
If J.J. Jefferson starts giving us Marvin the Martian looks after failed third downs, the locker room is about one Acme dynamite stick away from full implosion.
Hermantown’s girls cross country team turned in a strong showing at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis on Saturday, finishing third overall in
Advocates describe the proposal as part of a broader trend in U.S. cities adapting to hybrid work and shifting housing needs. For Duluth, they say, it may offer both a solution to a tight housing market and a strategy for long-term downtown revitalization.
Monday, Sept. 22 * Girls Tennis: Cloquet at Superior, 4:15 p.m., NBC Spartan Sports Complex, Spartan Tennis Courts * Football: JV, Cloquet at Duluth
Admission is free, with donations accepted to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Cloquet Educational Foundation.
Hermantown High School teams face a busy stretch this week with contests across tennis, volleyball, football, soccer, cross country and swimming. Here’s the
The Bulldogs have struggled, but Joey Pierce has been a constant: reliable, heavy, smart, and steady. He has given the program a player to lean on in difficult times, and now, with the captain’s letter, he’ll be asked to lead them out of the struggles and into contention.
Hunter Nelson buried the game-winner with just 26 seconds remaining to lift Hermantown past Grand Rapids 2-1 in a Lake Superior Conference
Marsh Nelson, affectionately known as “Mr. Sports in the Twin Ports,” set the standard against which Daniel Chiarelli is now measured. For decades he anchored CBS 3's sports desk, covering everything from high school rivalries to Bulldogs championships.
“I want kids that really want to play here. We’re not in the $700,000 sweepstakes, nor do I want to be. We’ve always had that focus — high-character kids. That’s been our M.O.” -- Scott Sandelin
