Otter Tail County is larger in size than the state of Rhode Island, 1,062 miles of paved roads By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Otter Tail County, since 2016, has administered a half-cent sales tax. Money from this tax is used for road and bridge maintenance. Also taking effect in 2016 was a county charge of… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent A motion by County Commissioner Wayne Johnson of Pelican Rapids and seconded by Commissioner Dan Bucholz of Perham was unanimously carried to approve an agreement Jan. 13 between Otter Tail County and Wilkin County for the new Prairie Lakes Community Health Board.  The agreement includes data practices, records management, clerical updates,… Read More

Stout finds a calling in a job she has been interested in since high school By Matthew Johnson Reporter Rachel Stout, former minister of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Sebeka along with a number of other area Lutheran churches over 20 years, is finally working at the job she’s been interested in since high school.   That… Read More

Contributed photo Owen Honebrink, Reegan Hoelscher and Hadley Anderson participated in the District Elks Hoop Shoot on Saturday, in Baxter. All three of these individuals represented Henning very well and brought some hardware home. Honebrink placed fourth in the 12-13-year-old boys division, Hoelscher placed second in the 10-11-year-old boys division and Anderson placed second in… Read More

Facility serves residents from four area counties 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… Read More

Township elections set for Tuesday, March 10 in OTC By Tucker Henderson Reporter Townships across the state are gearing up for their local board elections which will take place on March 10 for a majority of townships. Local community members from around the area have filed for office and intend to fulfill this civic duty for… Read More

Otter Tail Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) members will gather on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at one of the seven sites around the County to learn about this year’s candidates, debate resolutions for the Party Platform, elect new precinct chairs and select delegates for the upcoming conventions.  “Our precinct caucuses signal the start of the 2026 elections in Minnesota, which… Read More

Concordia College and its Concordia Language Villages program in Bemidji, Minn., are expanding opportunities for students to earn academic credit through new dual credit and college-level language and cultural programs, beginning this year. These offerings build on Concordia Language Villages’ renowned immersive education model and Concordia College’s liberal arts academic foundation. “Global connection begins with communication, and… Read More

A new study shows that Minnesota waste-to-energy facilities, like the Perham Resource Recovery Facility (PRRF) operating in Perham, effectively destroy harmful chemicals called per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, found in everyday trash. Members of the Minnesota Resource Recovery Association (MRRA) voluntarily paid for the independent study. Barr Engineering worked with Eurofins… Read More

West Central Initiative is accepting applications now through Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. for grant funding to support environmental sustainability, social change and civic-engagement projects in our region.  West Central Initiative’s Grants Officer, Amanda Quam, emphasized the importance of these grant opportunities in promoting a healthy and resilient region.  “Environmental sustainability, social change, and civic engagement are… Read More