Quote Me, Howie: Phill Homere
"I can see him playing at the D2 level. But to get to D1, if he works on some small things, I think he could play at that level, too." -- Duluth Denfeld boys basketball coach Phill Homere on ultra-elite senior point guard Marnaries Ferguson
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Plante, Gajan lead Bulldogs’ 2025-26 award recipients
Howie's daily column is sponsored by Lyric Kitchen Bar. University of Minnesota Duluth honored six players with its 2025-26 men’s hockey team awards Wednesday, headlined by sophomore forward Max Plante, who capped a historic season as the Bulldogs’ most valuable player. Plante, a Hermantown native, received the
Howie: Hobey in hand, unfinished business ahead for Plante and Bulldogs
A group that could have fragmented chose to remain intact, and that continuity alters expectations in a meaningful way. Teams that stay together tend to become harder to play against, not just because of talent, but because of familiarity and shared understanding.
Howie: Max Plante wins Hobey Baker
Plante said he plans to return to Minnesota Duluth next season, with the opportunity to play alongside his brothers, Zam and incoming freshman Victor.
Howie: The 10 most important people in arena football right now
If arena football stabilizes, history will trace it back to whether Jerry Kurz succeeds. Kurz understands the league’s past because he lived it. His challenge is preventing nostalgia from becoming policy. Expansion discipline, ownership vetting and media credibility all run through his office.
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Tim Meyer: Hermantown needs a city center
Hermantown continues to grow. Whether it chooses to define a physical center or not, its role within the larger metropolitan area will continue to evolve.
Howie: FOX 21 surges as Northland news habits shift online in real time
In March 2026, the newly redesigned FOX21Online.com saw nearly 100 percent growth in web traffic compared to March 2025. That number is the kind that doesn’t happen by accident. It happens with volume, speed and a willingness to treat digital not as a side product, but as the front door.
Howie: After 50 years, I’m asking — what do you want to read?
After 50 years, the only thing that still matters is whether the work connects. And the best way to make sure it does is to listen — even now. Especially now.
Howie: In Duluth, the bills keep climbing — and the people can’t keep up
Howie's daily column is sponsored by Lyric Kitchen Bar. eMail Howie There’s a quiet kind of panic that doesn’t show up in ribbon cuttings or glossy tourism campaigns. It lives at the kitchen table, in the pause before a credit card is swiped, in the slow