maurices exceeds first quarter sales and profit goals

Duluth-based maurices experienced a comparable sales increase of 7-percent and saw solid gains in margin, operating income and EBIDTA in the first quarter ending November 2.

“Our traffic and customer base continues to grow, and we have exceptional talent who executed well throughout the quarter,” said maurices president and CEO George Goldfarb. “We are pleased with our momentum and first quarter performance which speaks to the strength of our brand, our strategic initiatives and our loyal customers.”

Goldfarb also attributed the strong results to hitting key new fashion trends, greater size availability, competitive pricing and exceptional shopping experiences — both in stores and online.

“Our traffic and customer base continues to grow, and we have exceptional talent who executed well throughout the quarter,” Goldfarb said. “In addition to impressive results, we remain connected to our communities and have continued to build our talent base. I’m excited that not only are we promoting from within, we are also bringing new talent and capabilities into the organization. We appreciate the partnership of our new ownership, OpCapita, and they remain committed to our growth.”

Hunters boy’s hockey head coach Dale Jago. Howie / HowieHanson.com

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS — Already-legendary Duluth Denfeld boy’s hockey coach Dale Jago on the state of his upstart program: “We have a nice group of bantams moving up, with good numbers overall. We also return some good players, including our scoring leader (forward Griffin Lehet) and one of the best junior forwards in northern Minnesota (Kade Shea).” Read more.

Connor and Cooper McClure and the Denfeld hockey team participated in their first two-a-day preseason practices Monday. The twin brothers are elite sophomore forwards and Division I prospects on a young, talented Hunters team which figures to compete for a Section 7A championship later this season. Source: Duluth Public Schools Facebook page

Duluth Denfeld hockey career scoring leader Jake Johnson is serving as a Hunters’ assistant coach again this season. Howie / HowieHanson.com

ESSENTIA HEALTH — Grand Rapids resident Emilie Zasada initially planned to have shoulder-replacement surgery, so when the 81-year-old learned there was a problem with her heart that first had to be resolved, she was disappointed. Even more so when Zasada thought she would have to travel to the Twin Cities for a procedure known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). “I said no way — I’m not driving down to the Cities,” she recalled. Read more.

DOWNTOWN DULUTH — Phase II of the Superior Street Reconstruction Project will be completed on Friday, November 15, the City of Duluth announced today. The roadway will reopen following a celebration scheduled at 10 a.m. in front of Pizza Luce. Read more.

The recently-poured cement roadways on East Superior Street are still covered with insulated tarps. Howie / HowieHanson.com

FAMILY HEALTH — A simple, 15-minute test is proving vital when it comes to preventive care for serious health events such as heart attacks. Cardiac calcium scoring relies on a CT scan of the chest to determine how much plaque, or calcium, has built up in the heart. Depending on the test results, patients can better understand their risk of suffering a heart attack over the ensuing 5-10 years. Armed with this knowledge, they can take the appropriate steps to minimize that risk. Read more.

ALLETE NEWS — Allete reported third quarter 2019 earnings of 60 cents per share on net income of $31.2 million. Last year’s results were 59 cents per share on net income of $30.7 million, which included 3 cents per share and $1.7 million in earnings from U.S. Water Services sold in the first quarter of this year.