HowieHanson.com Section
Homeowners are absorbing insurance increases, utility bills, groceries and taxes from multiple jurisdictions. Retirees must consider whether their income can support the accumulating cost of remaining in their homes. Parents supporting schools are also paying for the children attending them.
A high school football game should be one of the easiest promises a community keeps to its children: Show up, cheer for your classmates
Across the country, declining enrollment and mounting financial pressures are forcing school districts to reconsider their futures. But the price of closing a neighborhood school cannot be measured in dollars alone.
For Hermantown and Hibbing-Chisholm, the road to a state hockey championship runs through each other. For Proctor, it runs through a demanding Class 2A basketball field that will have months to prepare for Chloe Johnson.
I'm approaching my 72nd birthday, and I've been thinking lately about the thousands of athletes, hundreds of coaches and countless
HERMANTOWN — Hermantown already had the makings of one of Minnesota's most dangerous offensive teams entering the 2026-27 boys high school hockey
Muck Rack's 2026 State of Journalism report found that 82% of surveyed journalists had used at least one AI tool during the previous 12 months, up from 77% in 2025. ChatGPT was used by 47%, while substantial numbers reported using AI transcription tools, Grammarly and other applications.
Most of the development would consist of studio apartments, with additional one- and two-bedroom units. Titanium said the project is designed largely for college students and young professionals, putting a new concentration of housing immediately adjacent to LSC.
Minnesota's offensive identity under Fleck has traditionally been strongest when its running game controls down-and-distance, shortens the game and keeps an opposing offense on the sideline.
“Our community is older than average and less wealthy than average. And property taxes don’t care about ability to pay. We can’t look to solve ongoing budget deficits at the expense of our residential property taxpayers.” -- Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert
There is an even more fundamental point in Bob Grytdahl's argument, and this one deserves considerably greater attention from the Duluth School Board: The most effective juvenile crime intervention may occur years before anybody calls a police officer. It begins with literacy.
Is the $4.5 million retiree health care savings included in the projected deficit? How much is being redirected to the West Duluth maintenance facility? Is that commitment legally binding or discretionary? And why should that money not be considered before Duluth asks property owners to pay more?
Community Action Duluth's current work includes free tax preparation, food access, employment training, financial coaching and assistance with public benefit programs.
Francisco's greatest investment may have been in the future of his own community. The finest evidence of that investment is not found in an old hockey record book, a client portfolio or a Hall of Fame plaque. It can be heard inside the Heritage Sports Center on a winter afternoon.
UMD is closer to the championship standard than it has been in years. It possesses the scoring, experience, coaching and roster depth required to win nationally. The 2026-27 team has earned the right to be measured against UMD’s champions. It has not earned the right to stand beside them.
The advice columns differ from Strib Voices’ opinion commentary, but both initiatives reflect the Star Tribune’s increasing use of contributors with strong individual identities and defined areas of expertise.
