Newspapers need community support to stay in business By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The decline of community newspapers across the United States is a reminder that many newspapers are struggling.  In recent years there has been a dramatic shift in the traditional business model for newspapers. “We see changing readership trends as people increasingly rely on online… Read More

September is National Preparedness Month Otter Tail County Emergency Management is joining Minnesota’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) and communities nationwide in observing September as National Preparedness Month, encouraging residents and visitors to take steps to prepare for potential emergencies and disasters. Emergency Manager Patrick Waletzko said the annual campaign provides an important… Read More

The Youth Outreach scholarship committee of Lions District 5M9 is offering up to $12,000 in college scholarships for the 2026 school year. The application deadline is November 15, 2025.   Students must be in the last year of an accredited college 2-year program, final two years of a degreed college program or the final year of… Read More

Otter Tail County announces the hiring of Natalee Yates as the new Public Information and Education Officer (PIEO) in the Solid Waste Department. Yates brings extensive environmental expertise and a passion for community education to the county’s recycling and waste reduction programs. Yates was born in Virginia and earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Conservation… Read More

Justin Moen has joined West Central Initiative as the new Rural Democracy Network Coordinator. In this role, Moen will help lead efforts to strengthen civic engagement and empower residents across rural Minnesota to shape the future of their communities.  Moen made Otter Tail County his home in 2023 and began working with the United Way of… Read More

5 years ago Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 Citizen’s Advocate There is perhaps no place in Otter Tail County that more closely resembles Cheers than BigFoot Gas, Grocery and Deli—well minus the actual bar of course. The bustling gas station located on Highway 210, in a town of just 80 people, is a hub of traffic throughout the… Read More

Photo by Chad Koenen The Henning High School Class of 2026 continued a time-honored tradition of welcoming the incoming kindergarten to school on the first day of classes. This year’s senior class has 34 students including: Myiesha Antoni, Demitri Beattie, Emmalyn Bergstrom, Madison Buchanan, Breanna Bunkowski, Dawson Bushman, Gabriel Coy, Ryan Despard, Jenna Domier, John Emarine… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Twin Cities-based Capital City Construction and Remediation has expanded to Fergus Falls. The owners, Chad and Mark Harrington, know this area very well. Their parents, Gary and Karalyn (Schulz) grew up on area farms. After working in the Twin Cities where Chad and Mark were raised, Gary and Karalyn retired… Read More

Event to feature five polka bands through Sept. 5-7 By Chad Koenen Publisher Accordions will be working overtime under the bright yellow tent near the Ottertail water tower from September 4-6 for the 15th annual Polka Daze celebration.  Each year the Ottertail Lions host the event and highlight several national acts at its annual Polka Daze celebration. This… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Bathrooms may not be the first thing that comes to mind when someone brings up the town of Henning, but a second mural project is bringing toilets to the forefront in the town of 850 people. A mural project was completed last week on the new bathroom at Amundson Park. The mural project… Read More