Howie: Duluth's housing needs built on fiction
Duluth’s most significant population story of the last 60 years is not growth — it is survival. That alone deserves credit. But it does not justify the current narrative.
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Obit: Suzie Cavallin Stokes
Susan “Suzie” Margaret Cavallin Stokes of Esko, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on December 5, 2025, surrounded by family, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born April 4, 1946, in Two Harbors to Swaney Carl Benjamin and Margaret Eleanor Driscoll Cavallin. A graduate of Two Harbors High School Class
Obit: Jan Borg
The HowieHanson.com publishes obituaries free of charge. For decades, obituary pages have served as a true community record, a place to honor lives, share stories and preserve local history. We are committed to keeping this tradition available to every family. Submit obituaries to: Duluth@aol.com.
Howie: Class of 2028 the most anticipated college women's basketball guard class in years
Tatianna Griffin, Chloe Johnson, Amel Cook and Ella Peper are rising faster than the sport around them — and college basketball is taking notice.
Obit: David Malzahn
The HowieHanson.com publishes obituaries free of charge. For decades, obituary pages have served as a true community record, a place to honor lives, share stories and preserve local history. We are committed to keeping this tradition available to every family. Submit obituaries to: Duluth@aol.com.
Hermantown Sports Notebook
Beau Christy and Ford Skytta each scored twice to lead Hermantown to a 7-2 victory over Mahtomedi on Friday night at the St. Croix Valley Recreation Center. Hermantown scored three goals in both the second and third periods. Kole Lendzyk and Bode Madill each contributed a goal and an assist
Justice North, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota merging
"The merger between the northeast and northwest Minnesota legal aid organizations can only provide more resources and help impoverished Minnesotans with serious civil legal problems involving health care, housing, financial and domestic relations." -- Fred Friedman, Justice North board chair
Howie: Monsters' QB Ja’Vonte Johnson poised to have another big season
“Winning changes the city. When you see jerseys on kids, when people are stopping you at the grocery store, when you feel that excitement start to build every season — that’s when you understand why this matters.” -- Ja’Vonte Johnson
Monsters hire special teams coordinator
The Minnesota Monsters have hired legendary veteran football executive and longtime coach Jaysen “Yogi” Howard-Smith as the team’s special teams coordinator. Howard-Smith arrives with a uniquely broad resume across the 50-yard game and the football industry, having served in roles ranging from player personnel manager and head coach to
Howie: How the City of Duluth learned to live on borrowed time
The City of Duluth now spends roughly $1 of every $7 in the general fund on debt service. That’s money that can’t pave streets, fund libraries, or expand housing programs. And yet the answer to each new challenge is the same: another bond.
Obit: Judy Sandstrom
The HowieHanson.com publishes obituaries free of charge. For decades, obituary pages have served as a true community record, a place to honor lives, share stories and preserve local history. We are committed to keeping this tradition available to every family. Submit obituaries to: Duluth@aol.com.
Monsters hire prized line coach
With Derrizett Croop coaching both offensive and defensive fronts, Minnesota also gains a unified voice — consistent technique standards, shared terminology and a system built around player development rather than roster churn.
Obit: Peter Niss
The HowieHanson.com publishes obituaries free of charge. For decades, obituary pages have served as a true community record, a place to honor lives, share stories and preserve local history. We are committed to keeping this tradition available to every family. Submit obituaries to: Duluth@aol.com.
Howie: Why arena football struggles with public perception -- and how leagues try to fix it
Stability is the real product. If teams stay in their markets, if players get paid on time, if the community sees the league year after year, the perception changes. But you can’t fix 30 years of history overnight.
Obit: Dean Gagne
The HowieHanson.com publishes obituaries free of charge. For decades, obituary pages have served as a true community record, a place to honor lives, share stories and preserve local history. We are committed to keeping this tradition available to every family. Submit obituaries to: Duluth@aol.com.
Monsters sign DL, release WR
The Minnesota Monsters AF1 team reshuffled its roster this week, signing a Division I defensive lineman and releasing a wide receiver. Minnesota signed Shaki Holines, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman from UMass, on Dec. 3. Holines played four seasons at UMass, working primarily along the defensive line and producing steadily