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Howie: The 10 people who helped reinvent Duluth
The modern Duluth enjoyed by residents and visitors did not emerge by accident. It was built by people willing to invest their talent, resources and leadership in a city they believed could become more than its industrial past.
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Construction to begin Aug. 24 on 40th Avenue West in Duluth
St. Louis County Public Works and the city of Duluth are partnering on the project, which will eventually reconstruct nearly a half-mile of 40th Avenue West and add a mini roundabout at Grand Avenue. The city also will replace utilities beneath 40th Avenue West as part of the project.
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Howie: Duluth Schools’ credit downgrade is serious
Duluth does not have one governmentwide financial crisis. It has a school district in a precarious position and a city government that is beginning to encounter some of the same cost-versus-revenue pressures.
3 MIN READ
Max Plante’s Hobey season changed everything for the Bulldogs
Plante has already given UMD a great season, another Hobey and a place back among the country’s serious programs. What he has not yet delivered is the one thing that would separate his Bulldogs career from nearly every other individual masterpiece.
4 MIN READ
Scott Sandelin remains the foundation of Bulldog hockey
The Bulldogs’ championship window is open because they have Max Plante, high-end talent and unusual roster continuity. It is believable because Sandelin is still standing behind the bench.
5 MIN READ
Howie: The Bulldogs are built to win now
Championship opportunities are temporary, particularly now. Max Plante will not remain at UMD forever. Neither will Zam Plante, Shaugabay or Hanson. Professional hockey will come calling, and the roster eventually will be pulled apart by the realities of the sport.
5 MIN READ
Moody’s downgrades Duluth school district’s credit rating as reserves decline
The agency lowered the Duluth's issuer rating and several debt ratings from A3 to Baa2. Moody’s also reduced the rating on the district’s annual appropriation certificates of participation from Baa1 to Baa3. The district had about $184 million in outstanding debt as of October 2025.
3 MIN READ
Howie: Minnesota’s primary map points to Klobuchar, but gives Demuth a path
"All signs, including the huge turnout in Tuesday's DFL primary, point to a strong year for Democrats in Minnesota. If that proves to be the case, then Senator Klobuchar should have a smooth path to the governor's office." -- Former Duluth city councilor Joel Sipress
5 MIN READ
Vikings name Kyler Murray starting quarterback for 2026 season
Murray, who turned 29 on Friday, signed a one-year contract with Minnesota in March after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
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The stories drawing the largest audiences at HowieHanson.com this month.
Howie: Reinert must answer Duluth’s $4.5 million budget question
The City of Duluth administration cannot warn taxpayers about a projected $5.5 million deficit while refusing to explain a recurring $4.5 million funding stream redirected from general operations. The account now has nearly $9 million.
5 MIN READ
Don Ness and the reinvention of Duluth
Ness convinced Duluth to stop speaking about itself like a city waiting for the next economic funeral and start speaking about itself like a place with a future worth competing for nationally. Not perfectly. Not without backlash. Not without legitimate criticism. But undeniably.
8 MIN READ
Howie: John Fedo turned Duluth toward the lake
Modern Duluth continues wrestling with the same tensions Mayor Fedo governed through decades ago. Tourism success created new economic pressures. Summer weekends increasingly made portions of Canal Park feel disconnected from the working-class identity that shaped Duluth for generations.
6 MIN READ
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Howie: Rewertz is the Northland’s preseason hockey standard
Hibbing/Chisholm defenseman named 2026-27 Howie Prep Hockey Preseason Player of the Year
3 MIN READ