Dan Hartman’s bold vision reinvigorates DECC
With strategic growth and bold imagination, the DECC and Bayfront could become the heartbeat of a city redefining itself—not just as a gritty port town, but as a premier northern destination for arts, entertainment and innovation.
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Howie: The Great Duluth Spin Parade: Everyone’s cheering, nobody’s buying it
It’s civic theater, and everyone knows their lines. The officials announce. The media nod. The television anchors beam. The advertisers clap. And the citizens — the actual audience — sit at home wondering if they’ve accidentally tuned into satire.
Howie: This isn’t a scam. It’s just a smart utility deal.
This isn’t a hostile takeover or a backdoor privatization scheme. This is a well-structured financial agreement that delivers capital, safeguards ratepayers, and pushes the utility deeper into the renewable energy era without turning it into a monopoly Frankenstein.
Howie: Duluth's billion-dollar hospitals — and the neighborhoods left behind
Duluth’s health care transformation didn’t come free. It was paid for with public subsidies, neighborhood sacrifice, and long-term tax invisibility. The systems at the center of it all proudly proclaim their commitment to the community — even as the community quietly disappears around them.
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Howie: The Broadband Health Gap
Telehealth, Dr. David Herman insists, is not a shortcut but a lifeline. The proof is already visible: fewer hospitalizations, lower costs, and improved patient outcomes. What’s missing is the will — and the infrastructure — to finish the job. “Broadband is the new stethoscope,” Herman said.
Minnesota Star Tribune introduces MN Rising – sharing stories of community good
The Star Tribune, founded 158 years ago, is Minnesota’s largest news organization and has earned seven Pulitzer Prizes. Its parent company describes its mission as “building the leading model for local news in America.”
Howie: How Minnesota is quietly rewriting the rules of rural health care
The next era of rural health depends on designing systems that reward results rather than codes, that measure well-being rather than billing.
Howie: The Great Scanlon Data Center caper
We headed down to the bridge for what we called a “feasibility study.” Translation: three guys staring at the water with thermoses. “Looks cold enough to me,” Dale said. “Yep,” Roger nodded. “Perfect for servers.”