Schneider, Watt give Bulldogs hockey a distinctly Duluth voice
Edit storyDULUTH — Bulldogs hockey sounds different when the two men describing it have spent much of their lives around the game in Duluth. Zach Schneider
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
Bulldogs clip Long Island in season, home opener
Edit storyDULUTH — Minnesota Duluth spent Friday night honoring college hockey’s best player from last season, then showed why the fifth-ranked Bulldogs may have
Marshall, Stella Maris announce five-program cooperative agreement
Edit storyDULUTH — Marshall School and Stella Maris Academy will combine students in five athletic and extracurricular programs beginning with the 2026-27 school year under
Meyer Group lands Fond du Lac project, adds to growing tribal portfolio
Edit storyDULUTH — When the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa broke ground Thursday on its new downtown Duluth cannabis development, the architectural assignment
Cold Weather Rule takes effect, but Minnesota Power customers must act to avoid shutoffs
Edit storyDULUTH — Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule takes effect Oct. 1, but the winter protection is not an automatic ban on electric shutoffs. Minnesota Power
Opinion: Essentia’s merger raises a bigger question: Why give up independence?
Edit storyThe central question surrounding this transaction should therefore not be why HealthPartners isn't writing Essentia a check. The better question is what Duluth, Essentia’s patients and its employees receive in exchange for surrendering the institution’s independence.
Plante brothers bring a lifetime of hockey together on one Bulldogs line
Edit storyThree Hermantown brothers who once battled in the basement, three NHL draft picks who traveled different developmental paths and three Bulldogs now beginning the season shoulder to shoulder at AMSOIL Arena.
Scott Sandelin’s message to his players: Prove it
Edit story“Nothing's going to be handed like college hockey, our league, everything is some really damn good teams right now. And I'm just excited that we have a group that's being considered in that mix, but we got to go prove it. We got to go work.” -- Scott Sandelin
Opinion: Duluth schools tout cuts, but a $15 million spending variance demands answers
Edit storyIf General Fund expenditures exceeded the final budget by approximately $15.27 million, voters deserve to know exactly where the difference occurred, why it occurred, who knew the district was exceeding its budget, when they knew it and what corrective action followed.
Opinion: Duluth schools need more than a successful referendum
Edit storyBefore Nov. 3, the district needs to bring the same clarity to its recovery plan: what went wrong, what has changed and how approximately $112.6 million in additional operating revenue over a decade would produce a sustainable budget.
Stella Maris cross country grows to 37 runners as Gilbertson brothers set the pace
Edit storyDULUTH — Stella Maris Academy’s largest cross country team is giving coach Elizabeth Nygaard reasons to look forward to October. With 37 runners, a
Grandma’s Marathon registration opens Oct. 1 after record sellouts
Edit storyDULUTH — Registration for the 2027 Grandma’s Marathon weekend opens at 7 p.m. Central time Thursday, Oct. 1, with organizers urging runners to
St. Louis County to present Midway Road improvement recommendations Tuesday
Edit storyDULUTH – St. Louis County Public Works will present recommendations for improving safety and traffic flow along a two-mile stretch of Midway Road during
Built to contend: Bulldogs bring veteran firepower, national expectations into season opener
Edit storyDULUTH — Minnesota Duluth enters the 2026-27 men’s hockey season with the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner, an experienced core that came within
Hawks give Zagelmeyer plenty to like and build on
Edit storyMike Zagelmeyer has good reason to like his Hermantown football team, and the reasons extend well beyond an unbeaten record and a running back
Martin Sleen scores four touchdowns as Hermantown beats Cloquet 35-6 on homecoming
Edit storyHermantown produced 316 yards of offense on just 31 plays, with Sleen accounting for most of its ground production and four of its five touchdowns.
One Roof plans move to Lincoln Park, seeks funds to renovate new headquarters
Edit storyDULUTH LINCOLN PARK — One Roof Community Housing plans to move into a building it owns in the Lincoln Park Craft District by the end
Hermantown, Cloquet meet in pivotal Northeast Red homecoming test
Edit storyHERMANTOWN — Hermantown has spent September demonstrating how quickly it can change a football game. Cloquet has spent the past two weeks demonstrating how quickly
Quote Me: Dan Hartman
Edit storyDuluth Entertainment Convention Center Executive Director Dan Hartman on the DECC Arena naming rights sponsorship opportunity: "At today's Duluth Entertainment Convention
Duluth City Council faces Sept. 30 levy deadline, lodging overhaul and new Minnesota Power fee
Edit storyThe meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday in council chambers at City Hall, 411 W. First St. Public comment periods are scheduled for agenda and non-agenda matters.
DECC adds fried PB&J, pickle pizza to AMSOIL Arena menu
Edit storyPizza rolls are joining the menu as the DECC marks its 60th anniversary. The DECC highlighted the connection to Duluth businessman Jeno Paulucci, whose company invented pizza rolls and whose support helped make the Duluth Auditorium and Arena possible in 1966.
Duluth schools seek $112.6 million while spending growth outpaces revenue
Edit storyPassing both questions would give the district approximately $112.6 million in additional operating revenue over 10 years before inflation adjustments. The district’s own projections show that even then, cuts and further financial repair would still be necessary.
I-35 tunnel work to begin in Duluth
Edit storyDULUTH — The Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin grinding concrete in the Interstate 35 tunnels in Duluth on Monday. Drivers should expect intermittent single-
St. Louis County offers free property-record alerts
Edit storySt. Louis County property owners can now sign up for free email alerts when a document is recorded against their property. The county recorder’
Minnesota Star Tribune offers subscribers one year of New York Times access
Edit storyMINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Star Tribune subscribers can receive one year of complimentary digital access to The New York Times under a new offer available to
Hermantown volleyball returns home after competitive tournament
Edit storyHermantown’s volleyball team went 2-2 at Saturday’s Duluth East Invitational, beating White Bear Lake and Irondale before pushing Forest Lake to
St. Louis County sets 6.25% maximum levy increase for 2027
Edit storyCOOK, Minn. — St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday set the county’s maximum 2027 property tax levy increase at 6.25%, a $12.67
Flo Rida to headline Whistle & Whiskey Tour stop at AMSOIL Arena
Edit storyThe Whistle & Whiskey Tour is promoted as “A Country Party, A Hip-Hop Legend, One Unforgettable Night,” pairing Flo Rida’s catalog of crossover hits with two rising voices in country music.
Zagelmeyer likes Hawks’ growth, but Cloquet brings another demanding test
Edit storyHermantown’s unbeaten start has been powered by explosive plays, increasingly physical defense and the return of an experienced quarterback. Yet coach Mike Zagelmeyer
Illikainen, Mundle inducted into Hermantown's Hall of Fame
Edit storyTwo of Hermantown’s most accomplished three-sport athletes, Darin Illikainen and Dale Mundle, will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame
Hermantown’s power running game faces resurgent Cloquet in homecoming test
Edit storyHERMANTOWN — Hermantown has spent the first three weeks of the high school football season turning games into track meets. Cloquet, after a disastrous opener,
Michael Schintz builds a solid reputation and trust through customer-first approach at Kolar Hyundai
Edit storyApproaching five years at Kolar, Schintz is building a record measured by more than the number of vehicles sold. The larger test is whether customers believe they were heard, treated fairly and properly served. For Schintz, that remains the standard that matters.
