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HowieHanson.com has introduced a redesigned homepage built around a new identity for its top news presentation: Inside the Howie Newsroom.
The new masthead combines large, traditional newspaper typography with the tagline “Duluth’s Finest News Source.” The design uses black type on a clean white background, with a restrained maroon accent on the words “Inside the.”
The presentation is intended to give readers the feeling of looking inside the active local newsroom, where breaking developments, community institutions and sports coverage are monitored and edited throughout the day.
On full-size computer screens, the top of the homepage is organized into three clearly defined columns.
The left column begins with current Duluth weather information, followed by the latest Duluth Public Schools story. The placement reflects the school district’s importance to families, taxpayers and the broader community while pairing it with another frequently checked source of local information.
Breaking News occupies the center position, giving the day’s most urgent or consequential story the strongest visual placement on the page.
The right column features Bulldogs hockey coverage, followed by the latest regional sports story. Keeping those sections together creates a dedicated sports lane for readers following the University of Minnesota Duluth, northeastern Minnesota high schools and other teams of regional interest.
Below those upper features, the Duluth Public Schools, Breaking News and Latest Sports story boxes begin and end at the same height. Their matching dimensions create a balanced newsroom presentation across the page.
The styling establishes a clear editorial hierarchy. Category names appear in small uppercase type. Story headlines are bold, while the two-line descriptions beneath them remain in regular-weight type. Reading-time information is smaller and lighter so it remains useful without competing with the journalism.
Dates and decorative red rules were removed from the three story boxes to reduce clutter. The restrained gray backgrounds distinguish the sections from the rest of the page without making the homepage feel crowded or overly promotional.
Readers using tablets will see the same editorial priorities in a more compact presentation. The modules tighten, headlines scale down and spacing adjusts to the available screen width while preserving the distinction among news, schools and sports coverage.
On phones, the homepage shifts to a simplified single-column experience. Breaking news and the main story stream receive priority, while the wider desktop side modules are removed from the masthead area to avoid cramped text and excessive scrolling. School and sports reporting remains available through the regular story feed and site navigation.
The redesign does not change the central purpose of HowieHanson.com. It is intended to make the site faster to scan, easier to understand and more distinctly local. “Inside the Howie Newsroom” gives that approach a name — and gives readers a clearer view of how Duluth’s news day is organized.
