By Cliff Buchan  Special to the Advocate hen you talk about basketball history around Henning, the Bjorklund name appears often spanning more than 100 years. It was the 1914-1915 school year when Henning High School played its first boys basketball season and Robert Bjorklund was among the handful  of boys on the team.  ¶  The… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Tucked away in an otherwise desolate prairie just outside of New York Mills is a place where vegetable plants grow as far as the eyes can see. Sprinkled in-between the large green vegetables are speckled shades of red from approximately 200 tomato plants, while large raised plant beds and unique greenhouses… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The counties of Otter Tail, Becker, Clay, Todd and Wadena comprise the Prairie Lakes Municipal Solid Waste Authority which operates a waste-to-energy facility in Perham. This resource recovery facility includes solid waste reduction and disposal, recycling and household hazardous waste management. Employees at the facility in Perham process… Read More

Veteran residents and spouses at the Minnesota Veterans Homes – Fergus Falls Campus were recently presented with a beautiful bench made from recycled plastic bags collected by the club. “The bench will be a wonderful addition to our Home and will be placed in one of several shaded areas where residents often visit with family… Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen School pride was on full display on Friday as part of the annual homecoming week celebration at Henning School. Friday’s festivities included a pepfest in the morning, as well as a parade that rolled through downtown Henning in the afternoon. Students who didn’t participate in the parade lined the streets to… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor The Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners signed a 2026 proclamation noting October as Manufacturing Month. The manufacturing industry is a critically important part of Minnesota’s and Otter Tail County’s diverse economy. “It continues to be a very large part of the economy, almost $250 million in wages are paid in… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Many county residents visiting the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, are stepping into the rear platform of a recreated Pullman-style railcar modeled after Roosevelt’s famous train whistle-stops. The term whistle-stop comes from the railroad practice where a train signaled small town depots with a… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher False information about elections has proliferated online and on social media since 2020. With the November 3 midterm election now less-than one month away, local election officials continue to see misinformation spread online that is meant to undermine public faith in elections, as well as risk interfering with voters’ ability to… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent This is the time of year when Otter Tail Lakes Country, an organization that promotes this area of west central Minnesota, emphasizes Maplewood State Park near Pelican Rapids as one of Minnesota’s most stunning locations for fall color. “The rolling hills at Maplewood State Park turn brilliant with… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher As he sits at a desk just a few feet away from the chapel where some of the most epic games of indoor football took place as a child in New York Mills, Greg Karvonen reflected not only on what his family’s business has meant to the community, but to the… Read More