Howie Hanson is Duluth's first and only full-time blogger (HowieBlog.com).

He cut his print journalism teeth as a high school sophomore writing sports columns for his hometown weekly, the Cloquet Pine Knot -- sometimes covering the Lumberjacks teams he played for.

Hanson has enjoyed a 40-plus year, full-time independent journalism career in the Duluth-Superior area. His sports and community news columns have appeared in nearly every newspaper and magazine in the market, including the former Twin Ports People free monthly tabloid he founded and edited for over 18 years, and the Duluth News Tribune, Superior Evening Telegram, Duluth Budgeteer News and Hermantown Star.

Hanson, 56, is generally regarded as Duluth's 'most-connected' journalist and active community-builder. He recently developed and continues to operate a daily news and activities site for Duluth Public Schools (www.goduluthschools.com) and was actively involved in the development of the new $17.2 million Duluth Heritage Sports Center.

In his spare time, Howie plays competitive, noontime adult hockey six days a week, 52 weeks a year at the Center, and really breaks a sweat playing bocce on a team consiting of his wife Beth and children Ben and Emily. Hanson offices in an historic building in the recently redeveloped Clyde Park warehouse district in Duluth, and is powered by Dell laptops and Nikon bodies and glass.

Hanson can be reached at Duluth@aol.com.