By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Otter Tail County, according to a press release issued by the Minnesota division  of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has agreed to pay a former inmate $200,000. This follows the inmate dropping a lawsuit which cited, in December 2024, “extreme, punitive treatment” at the county detention center… Read More

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pleased to announce that effective November 2, 2025, Mr. Harold “Brent” Pharis as the Director of the Fargo VA Health Care System. Mr. Pharis is currently serving as the Associate Director of VA Central Iowa Health Care System. “Mr. Pharis has extensive experience and is an outstanding choice… Read More

St. Cloud Technical and Community College congratulates the following students for their academic achievement Summer 2025. They have earned recognition on the President’s List for a grade point average of 4.0 or the Dean’s list for a grade point average of 3.5 to 3.99.  Among the local students named to the Dean’s List includes: Sadie… Read More

Ninth consecutive Aspen Prize honor Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) has been named one of 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program selects colleges based on… Read More

Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are once again stepping up to help Minnesota farmers protect water resources and improve irrigation efficiency. Working closely with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 26 SWCDs across the state will lead on-the-ground implementation of a new five-year conservation initiative… Read More

Schwartz wins conference with 24.1 round average The Henning Hornet trap team concluded an impressive fall trap shooting season with several athletes earning top placements at both the conference and state levels. William Schwartz led the Hornets with an exceptional performance, finishing first overall in the conference with a 24.1 season average. Over the course of… Read More

5 years ago Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 Citizen’s Advocate She may officially be the new pastor of Nidaros Lutheran Church, but Pastor Chantell Lankford is anything but a new face in the community or church congregation. Chantell, who moved to Henning several years ago when her husband Pastor Keith Lankford was called to serve as… Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen Henning School students raised $1,275.70 as part of the Pennies for Presents fundraiser at the school last week. Money raised was donated to Henning HOPE. As part of the fundraiser, students had several challenges to hit along the way as prizes. If the students raised $500 they could crack an egg… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Close to 900 people attended the annual lutefisk and meatball feed, Friday, Oct. 31, near Walcott, N.D.  This annual feed at Richland Lutheran Church is served family style for those coming from near and far. Meals are served from noon until the food runs out. Servers take pride… Read More

Tougas Sanitation in Henning to end garbage service at the end of 2025 By Chad Koenen Publisher A new single-sort curbside recycling program has led to a number of questions for both local residents and waste haulers across Otter Tail County. The questions were amplified by several social media posts and the delivery of new… Read More