Event to be held at Operations Center in Ottertail By Chad Koenen Publisher Safety will take center stage during an open house at the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday. The event, which is being hosted by the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office at the Ottertail Operations Center in Ottertail, will include representatives from a number… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Resorts in Otter Tail County are popular with both locals and visitors. Such was the case Friday evening, May 31, when this writer traveled with family members from Fergus Falls to Bell’s Resort on the northwest side of Star Lake to enjoy the resort’s popular chicken dinners. The restaurant and bar,… Read More

Photo by Chad Koenen The 23rd annual Ronald McDonald House Ride is set for Saturday in New York Mills. The event raises money for the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo, N.D. By Chad Koenen Publisher As the ground rumbles and the engines roar down Centennial 84 Drive in New York Mills on Saturday, participants in the 23rd annual… Read More

Otter Tail Power transforms Hoot Lake Plant to solar energy By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Customers of Otter Tail Power Company, on May 22 and May 23, attended an open house at the Hoot Lake Solar facility east of Fergus Falls.  The 49-megawatt solar generation complex has nearly 130,000 solar panels that generate enough energy to… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners, on May 21, approved the hiring of an additional Communications Sergeant for the County Sheriff Office. “With the two Communications Sergeants, each will be responsible in overseeing 6 to 8 staff which is more in line with supervision recommendations,” said County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons to the five-person county board…. Read More

Assistant Solid Waste Director is committed to public service Otter Tail County has announced the hiring of Scott Bjerke as the new Assistant Solid Waste Director. Bjerke, an educator with extensive experience, brings a wealth of leadership and community engagement skills to his new role. Bjerke grew up in Moorhead, Minn. and attended Concordia College, where… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  Sheriff deputies, on May 23, reported that a structure near Elizabeth was damaged by fire. This was an outbuilding fire with no injuries reported. The fire was called in to authorities at 10:07 p.m. The fire was believed to be weather related. Responding to the scene of the fire were fire… Read More

Contributed photo Deputy Colton Odash, left, recently completed all four phases of the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association Institute for Credible Leadership (ICLD). The ICLD is a four phase, online, leadership learning system offered through the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association. The Minnesota Sheriff’s Association and the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office believe that every person who works in… Read More

With strong bipartisan support, the Minnesota Legislature recently passed a $30 million aid package for rural emergency medical services (EMS), which includes more than $4 million for West Central Minnesota. This legislation, authored by Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) and a bipartisan group of legislators, provides $24 million in emergency aid for EMS providers who… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is encouraging families to use the Women, Infants and Children supplemental nutrition program (WIC), which has successfully improved maternal and child outcomes for 50 years. The WIC program helps pregnant women, new mothers, babies, and young children get a healthy start through nutrition education, nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and… Read More