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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.

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Dougherty Funeral Home Obit: Barbara Kennedy

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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Howie: Indoor Football League Notebook

Note: The Indoor Football League is the longest-running continuously operating indoor football league in the United States and the second-longest-running professional football league overall, behind only the NFL. Founded in 2009, the IFL will enter its 18th consecutive season in 2026, firmly established as the sport’s top indoor league.

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