By Chad Koenen Publisher With all of the uncertainties due to COVID-19 and nine open rooms, Willow Creek is on track to have one of its better financial years since at least 2007. That was the message received by the Willow Creek Commission on Tuesday night.  According to figures presented by the Willow Creek Commission, the facility… Read More

Erlandsons named as 2020  Outstanding Foster Care award winners By Chad Koenen Publisher For nearly 20 years, Ken and Toni Erlandson have been providing a warm home and meals to children during their time of need—sometimes with not more than a few moments notice. As foster parents, the family has opened their home to children from… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Rising from an otherwise vacant lot in-between Deer Creek and Wadena, the new Joyful Spirit Church is beginning to take shape.  The possibilities are endless and the plans are still being finalized about what the new church could look like for another generation.  Perhaps it’s a bit symbolic that just the foundation of the… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Stephen and Brittany Springer will never forget Christmas Eve 2020—for all of the wrong reasons. A fire destroyed a barn with over 1,000 goats, 2-3 tractors and hay nearby in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. The family operates Cornerstone Farm, which includes a goat milking operation, pasture raised chickens and pork,… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher While COVID-19 created uncertainties like never before, the Henning School District was able to grow its general and reserve funds a bit last year.  During its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night, the Henning School Board heard its annual audit report from Luke Evanson of Eide-Bailly. According to the audit, the school district received… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Over the past decade Jerry Moen has seen just about it all at his body shop in rural Deer Creek. There were deer playing chicken with cars, pheasants who flew up in front of the wrong kind of a grill, vehicles colliding with one another, rocks and even a few baseballs that… Read More

Truck to replace 1984 tanker, serve as a back up engine for Deer Creek FD By Chad Koenen Publisher Christmas came a little early for the Deer Creek Fire Department. The department purchased a used 1999 Freight liner FL80 pumper/tanker truck to replace an old 1984 tanker.  Deer Creek Fire Chief Travis Collins said the new truck… Read More

Stephanie Jorgenson’s third grade class put together a surprise for a fellow classmate.   Jaeger Sapp’s dad, Jeremiah, is in the United States Coast Guard and the Henning third grader likely won’t get to see him for Christmas.   Jorgenson and the rest of the class decided that they would surprise Sapp with a special Patriotic Pillowcase… Read More

Despite a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, Henning School will continue with in-person classes for the foreseeable future. Last week Otter Tail County’s 14-day COVID-19 number per 10,000 residents jumped from 8.79 from Aug. 9-22 to 11.9 from Aug. 16-29, which is above the guidelines set forth by the state for in-person learning at the… Read More

Even the smallest gesture can bring a sense of calm in the face of tragedy. That is the hope of a stuffed animal program by local fire, police and ambulance departments. The program provides a free stuffed animal when emergency personnel respond to a call with young children.The program received a big boost recently as… Read More