Howie: FOX 21 promotes Maria Vollom, reinforces market-leading evening newscast
“The Northland is home to me, from my hometown of International Falls to the Iron Range and rural areas of northwestern Wisconsin." -- Maria Vollom
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Howie on local prep hockey
I’m not handing Hermantown a boys hockey state trophy in January. I’ve been around too long for that. But when the Section 7A tournament begins and the pressure turns real, I know who I’m riding with. I’ve seen this movie before. It usually ends with everyone else wondering how they missed it.
Howie: Tryon and the quiet power of continuity in the Indoor Football League
Tryon oversees America’s longest-running indoor football league, and that detail matters. Longevity in this sport is not accidental. It is earned. The IFL’s continued stability under his watch has come from a narrow but demanding focus: franchise health, controllable growth and revenue.
Howie: The Indoor Football League finally becomes visible
Under the agreement, select league games — including playoff contests and the championship — will be carried on FanDuel Sports Network, while a broader slate of regular-season and postseason games will stream nationally on Yahoo Sports Network.
Howie: In arena football’s cycle of hope, the IFL chooses reality
The IFL has also benefited from institutional memory. Arena football has lived through enough boom-and-bust cycles to fill a bookshelf. Many leagues fail not because they’re poorly run, but because they convince themselves they’ve outgrown the fundamentals.
Dougherty Funeral Home Obit: Barbara Kennedy
Barbara Jeanne Kennedy, age 91 of Mahtowa, died on January 16, 2026 at the Cloquet Memorial Hospital with her family by her side. She was born in Minneapolis on May 6, 1934 to parents, Harry and Mabel Pearson. She was raised in Northeast Minneapolis where she graduated from Edison High
Meadow Lemon: Chasing the same dream, now in Duluth
As the Minnesota Monsters prepare for their Arena Football One debut, our goal is simple: deliver elite football, unforgettable live entertainment and a welcoming environment where fans of all ages feel connected to the team on the field.
Howie: The great AI panic is about power, not journalism
The loudest voices warning that artificial intelligence will “destroy journalism” are almost never talking about journalism. They’re talking about control. Newsrooms are entering a period they’ve avoided for two decades: a genuine reckoning with what readers actually value. And the uncomfortable truth is this — readers do not care
Howie: Hockey Notebook
Hermantown boys hockey team has once again chosen the hard road. The Hawks entered the season playing one of the most demanding regular-season schedules in Minnesota high school hockey, with the clear intent of being at their best when the Section 7A tournament begins. With seven games remaining in the
Howie: Minnesota at the edge of authority
Minnesota’s strength, historically, has been its preference for problem-solving over posturing. That tradition is being tested now. This is not the moment for reflexive outrage or performative reassurance. It is the moment for clarity.
Howie: Minnesota has outgrown its stories
Minnesota does not need more outrage. It needs clearer accounting. It needs fewer slogans and more follow-through. It needs to revisit old assumptions with open eyes and accept that a reputation earned decades ago does not guarantee results today.
Howie: Something is breaking inside Minnesota’s justice system
Something significant is being examined, something consequential has gone wrong inside the process, and the people most familiar with that process decided they could not continue as if nothing had changed. In federal law enforcement, that is as close to an alarm bell as it gets.
Just released: Stop Managing Media Decline: How Legacy Media Gave Up Its Communities
My first-ever book, Stop Managing Media Decline: How Legacy Media Gave Up Its Communities, is now available for purchase on Amazon. The book – available in paperback or Kindle, is a clear-eyed, deeply reported look at what happens when local journalism fades — and what it takes to build something honest in
Howie: Minnesota Monsters, AF1 in the news
“Meadow Lemon represents exactly what we want this franchise to stand for. He understands leadership, brand, and community. This is not just about football. This is about building something that lasts." -- Monsters owner Jake Lambert
Howie: Duluth isn’t in a recession yet, but our people are
Retirees are feeling it in an even more unforgiving way. Social Security doesn’t rise with property taxes. Pensions don’t adjust for water and sewer increases. Utility bills, groceries and insurance all climb while fixed incomes stay fixed. So seniors tighten up.
Howie: Las Vegas Knight Hawks return most of their championship core
In a league defined by movement and volatility, Las Vegas remains steady, disciplined and dangerous. And that is why the road to the IFL title still runs through Henderson.