Howie: Gov. Tim Walz leans on Hennepin, Ramsey dominance as third term looms
Can Minnesota’s governor break the third-term curse, or will a weak GOP field finally stumble into competence? County by county, the map still favors the DFL.
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Howie: Vision for live-work housing targets wide range of residents
Advocates describe the proposal as part of a broader trend in U.S. cities adapting to hybrid work and shifting housing needs. For Duluth, they say, it may offer both a solution to a tight housing market and a strategy for long-term downtown revitalization.
Howie: Sandelin admits, "It’s been a little bit harder than I thought.”
“I want kids that really want to play here. We’re not in the $700,000 sweepstakes, nor do I want to be. We’ve always had that focus — high-character kids. That’s been our M.O.” -- Scott Sandelin
Howie: Vikings, Jefferson marriage already in trouble
Minnesota is being snuffed out for deception. The “quarterback lab” is nothing more than cheap business theater. The Wilfs chose accountants over ambition. Jefferson deserves better, and deep down, he knows it. We all know it.
Howie: Vikings in the hot seat, Perich in the doghouse
The Vikings are dangling hope like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown. Perich was a turnover waiting to happen in Berkeley, costing the Gophers the W.
Howie: Duluth election forecast cloudy with a chance of change
Incumbents might sneak by if the weather is lousy. If it’s bright and clear, expect a few surprise names on the winner’s list. Either way, don’t expect voters to rediscover patience suddenly. Because in Duluth, sunshine doesn’t just melt the snow — it melts incumbents too.
Howie: Aspirus St. Luke’s hits 500th heart valve milestone
Howie is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar 1:55 p.m. Aspirus St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Care has completed its 500th Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a minimally invasive procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not candidates for open-heart surgery. “Reaching this milestone means our incredible
Howie: Minnesota math still doesn’t add up for Republicans
A governor nobody loves but nobody can topple, against a Republican bench that looks like the Twins’ middle relief corps. Jensen is the blown save, Qualls is the preseason hype, Robbins is the protected rookie, and Stauber is the guy smart enough to stay in the dugout.
Howie Blog: Innovation is invisible to those guarding the legacy media gate
The Howie Blog isn’t the end. There’s another frontier ahead — bigger than this, bolder than this, something the legacy media gatekeepers will never see until it’s too late.
Howie: Finally, tourism marketing is returning home
Duluth doesn’t need outsiders to tell its story. It never did. The lake tells it. The bridge tells it. The sports teams tell it. The old bars tell it. People tell it every time they complain about the snow in April and brag about the sunset in July.
Howie: Boldly, Reinert holds the line while others play catch-up
But here’s the bet: Duluthians are sick of the excuses. They’re sick of levy hikes passed off as inevitabilities. They’re sick of being told to feel guilty if they say no. And they’re ready to support someone who actually treats their money with respect.
Howie: Consultant’s plan aims to redefine Duluth’s downtown
On Superior Street, the contrast remains: laughter spilling from one door, papered windows a few steps away. The Imagine Downtown plan will not erase that reality overnight. But it offers a vision, backed by community and guided by outside expertise, that says decline is not destiny.
Howie: Readers don’t want content. They want columnists.
Minnesota publishers aren't listening to readers when they cut print or redesign their websites for the hundredth time. The future isn’t in the layout. It’s in the personality. It’s in having columnists embedded in every neighborhood, every small town, every city council chamber, every rink and gym.
Howie: Neal Pionk and the Olympic dream
So here’s Neal Pionk, sitting in the back row of orientation camp, probably wondering if anyone will remember that winning hockey games requires more than highlight-reel goals and “branding initiatives.” If history holds, they won’t.
Hermantown rolls past Denfeld in Northeast Red opener
“Overall it was a beautiful night for football … a big crowd, a new flag pole dedicated to a tremendous man and coach (former Hawks coach Gary Bowen) and a Hermantown win … really couldn’t ask for much more than that.” -- Hermantown Coach Mike Zagelmeyer.
Thielen’s back, Ham’s 'injured,' and the Vikings cash in on the hometown discount
Picture it: Ham in sweats, headset strapped on, coaching up young backs on the sideline like he’s been auditioning for the job all summer. He’s never been the rah-rah type in uniform, but suddenly he’s Mr. Clipboard? This isn’t rehab. This is a trial run for the next phase of his career.