By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Many of us who enrolled in college oftentimes refer to “positive lifelong impacts” that continue to shape who we are as individuals long after attending classes on college campuses. These include lifelong friendships. Two students who impacted my life at Moorhead State College (today MSUM) in the late 1960s and early… Read More

Santa Claus to visit Ottertail during annual OtterDazzle celebration By Chad Koenen Publisher Henning will become a bit brighter on Saturday as one of the largest lighted parades in the region will roll through town and kick off a festive holiday season.  The annual Henning Santa Day event will be held in Henning on Saturday and feature… Read More

Scandinavian dish makes appearances  in rural Minnesota By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Barnesville, for many of us, was round two for attendance at church lutefisk feeds the final three months of 2025. The Barnesville lutefisk and meatball feed held on Nov. 20 followed the same menu Oct. 31 at Richland Lutheran… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  Sheriff deputies, on Nov. 22, said fire destroyed three lake cabins on the west side of Otter Tail Lake. Firefighters were called to the scene at 2:53 a.m. The location was Augustana Trail in Amor Township. Responding to the scene of the fire were fire departments from Battle Lake, Ottertail, Underwood,… Read More

Over 166,000 deer already harvested in 2025 season The preliminary deer harvest numbers are closing in on the 2024 total of 170,679 harvested last year. As of Wednesday, Nov. 26, this year’s total is at 166,176 deer with nearly 60 percent of that total being male adults (99,455). Female adults make up 28.6 percent of the… Read More

Abdirashid Bixi Dool, 36, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Between March 2021 and February 2022, Dool reportedly claimed to serve 6,000 meals a day to children in Pelican Rapids, more than twice the town’s total population. Most of the $1.1 million… Read More

Fisher, martin, bobcat trapping opens December 13 Hunting pheasants, ruffed grouse, squirrels or rabbits offers opportunities to enjoy the Minnesota outdoors as winter begins. “Winter is a fun time to get out in the crisp air and hunt small game,” said Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “These hunts can… Read More

Minnesota DNR has over $1 million in available funding for local causes The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has up to $1,060,000 available to local entities such as lake associations, watershed districts, cities, and counties, as well as Tribal governments, for the management of curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, flowering rush and/or starry stonewort. Funding comes from… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has released a study of state trail visitors. The survey engaged more than 2,200 trail visitors during the 2024 summer season, with surveyors talking with trail visitors on site at paved state trails throughout Minnesota. There were also 900 post-visit surveys collected. The survey showed a high level of satisfaction… Read More

Application openDec. 1 to Jan. 15 for $10,000-$50,000 grants On December 1, West Central Initiative, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), will launch an application for PROMISE Act Grants to support businesses and nonprofits in west central Minnesota. This is the second and final year of the PROMISE Act… Read More