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Howie: Minnesota at the edge of authority

Minnesota’s strength, historically, has been its preference for problem-solving over posturing. That tradition is being tested now. This is not the moment for reflexive outrage or performative reassurance. It is the moment for clarity.

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Howie: Minnesota has outgrown its stories

Minnesota does not need more outrage. It needs clearer accounting. It needs fewer slogans and more follow-through. It needs to revisit old assumptions with open eyes and accept that a reputation earned decades ago does not guarantee results today.

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Howie: Something is breaking inside Minnesota’s justice system

Something significant is being examined, something consequential has gone wrong inside the process, and the people most familiar with that process decided they could not continue as if nothing had changed. In federal law enforcement, that is as close to an alarm bell as it gets.

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Just released: Stop Managing Media Decline: How Legacy Media Gave Up Its Communities

My first-ever book, Stop Managing Media Decline: How Legacy Media Gave Up Its Communities, is now available for purchase on Amazon. The book – available in paperback or Kindle, is a clear-eyed, deeply reported look at what happens when local journalism fades — and what it takes to build something

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Howie: Minnesota Monsters, AF1 in the news

“Meadow Lemon represents exactly what we want this franchise to stand for. He understands leadership, brand, and community. This is not just about football. This is about building something that lasts." -- Monsters owner Jake Lambert

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Howie: Duluth isn’t in a recession yet, but our people are

Retirees are feeling it in an even more unforgiving way. Social Security doesn’t rise with property taxes. Pensions don’t adjust for water and sewer increases. Utility bills, groceries and insurance all climb while fixed incomes stay fixed. So seniors tighten up.

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Howie: Indoor Football League Notebook

Note: The Indoor Football League is the longest-running continuously operating indoor football league in the United States and the second-longest-running professional football league overall, behind only the NFL. Founded in 2009, the IFL will enter its 18th consecutive season in 2026, firmly established as the sport’s

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Howie: Minnesota Star Tribune often first and only in the Twin Ports

Howie: Minnesota Star Tribune often first and only in the Twin Ports

Veteran print journalists Jana Hollingsworth and Christa Lawler, elite writers formerly with the legacy local newspaper, don’t parachute in. They don’t rewrite press releases. They don’t treat northern Minnesota as an afterthought or a curiosity.

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Howie: How AF1 is quietly building its 2026 season

Howie: How AF1 is quietly building its 2026 season

The looming television and streaming announcement may become the league’s most visible milestone yet. It will not just determine how fans watch games. It will determine how sponsors value the league, how players view its legitimacy and how teams recruit talent.

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Albany, Nashville and Minnesota top three in AF1 preseason poll

Albany, Nashville and Minnesota top three in AF1 preseason poll

Defending Arena Football One playoff champion Albany Firebirds collected the No. 1 ranking in the annual 50YardFootball.com AF1 preseason poll, released Tuesday. The Nashville Kats, the 2025 playoff runner-ups, ranks second. The Minnesota Monsters are third in as they transition after capturing The Arena League championships in 2024

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50 Yard Football: Inside a typical arena football team budget

Howie Hanson is editor & publisher of 50-Yard Football, which covers arena/indoor football leagues. While every arena football team operates with slightly different resources, league officials and front-office executives say the financial pressures are largely the same across the sport. Travel, payroll and arena expenses consume most

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50 Yard Football: In Las Vegas, the Knight Hawks found a way to matter

Howie Hanson is editor & publisher of 50-Yard Football, which covers arena/indoor football leagues. Las Vegas has never been short on sports, but that abundance has a way of swallowing smaller teams whole. The Golden Knights dominate the winter calendar. The Raiders own Sundays. The Aces have become

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50 Yard Football: Monsters joining the big leagues of arena football
Jerry Kurz (left) officially welcomed the Minnesota Monsters and new owner Jake Lambert to the AF1. Submitted, Duluth Monsters.

50 Yard Football: Monsters joining the big leagues of arena football

Howie Hanson is editor & publisher of 50 Yard Football, which covers arena/indoor football leagues. The Minnesota Monsters enter 2026 not as a curiosity, but as one of the most intriguing franchises in arena football’s newest era. Just two seasons ago, this team was born in Duluth as

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Homicide suspect arrested after pursuit in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. (HH) — A homicide suspect wanted in Ramsey County was arrested Saturday after a pursuit that began in the Lakeside neighborhood and ended north of the city. At about 8:30 a.m. Jan. 10, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office received information that a homicide suspect may

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