By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent In 1898 a group of black families known as the “First 85” moved from Kentucky to Otter Tail County and settled in Fergus Falls. They left the Jim Crow South and sought a better way of life in Minnesota. This past month members of the Tate family boarded… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher A Facebook post last month sparked quite a bit of debate online about the water quality and safety on West Leaf Lake in rural Henning. The post questioned the presence of blue green algae on West Leaf Lake. While no confirmed lab reports have been found for West Leaf Lake, representatives… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher One of the final big celebrations of the summer will be held on the front lawn of the Landmark Center on Thursday night.  ¶  The annual corn, brat and burger feed will be held at the Landmark Center from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday night. The night will include local products like… Read More

House explodes in rural Henning By Chad Koenen Publisher A Henning woman received life threatening injuries when the 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada she was driving crashed into a 2008 Toyota Tundra on Highway 210 west of Henning on Wednesday afternoon.  Danielle Charmaine Kopp, age 38 of Henning, was traveling westbound on Highway 210 when her vehicle collided… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners, in late July, passed resolutions in support of programs in both Rothsay and Pelican Rapids. The five-person county board authorized county government participation in the City of Rothsay Single-Family Tax Rebate Program as requested by the City of Rothsay. This will support housing goals within their… Read More

Centers housed in NY Mills, Pelican Rapids By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners, on Aug. 11, heard reviews of upgrades to buildings in Pelican Rapids and New York Mills which house Family Resource Centers. One of them is the Bridge Center, a former church building in Pelican Rapids, and the other is a… Read More

Community invited to experience the future of surgery at September open house Lake Region Healthcare (LRH) has reached a major milestone in advancing surgical care close to home, successfully performing its first procedures using the new Intuitive da Vinci 5® Surgical System this week. The first patients underwent robotic-assisted surgery performed by Dr. Ryan Herold-Ordonez last Monday, marking… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Two Henning seniors recently participated in the MMEA (Minnesota Music Educators Association) All-State choir. The choir is  considered the top program of its kind across the nation as it develops high school musicians and school music programs. Elliot Severson, who is the son of Amy and Eric Severson of Henning, as… Read More

Paul Revere and the Raiders performed at Balmoral Pavilion By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The first wave of baby boomers in Otter Tail County who were born from 1946 to 1954 recall the good old days during the 1960s when rock bands came to this area to perform their hit songs. Among them… Read More

The Lake Region Arts Council is now accepting applications for the FY27 Artist Cohort Program, a 10-month professional development experience designed to help artists build sustainable, thriving creative careers. Open to artists working in all creative disciplines, the cohort provides individualized support to help participants grow their artistic practice and professional goals. Six selected artists… Read More