Announces new flexibilities for 2023 and 2024 quality losses The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for farmers to apply for Stages 1 and 2 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) to Sept. 30, 2026. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing greater flexibility for farmers who experienced quality losses… Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen The 54th annual Watermelon Day turned out a crowd on Saturday in the tiny town of Vining. The event included a number of activities throughout the day including a 5k/10k run/walk, arts and crafts fair, parade, free watermelon, kids games (above) and the fourth annual Jacob Quam Foundation 3 vs. 3… Read More

Stewart won primary with 992 votes By Chad Koenen Publisher A pair of challengers have advanced to the general election ballot after receiving nearly 73 percent of the vote in the Otter Tail County District 4 primary election last week. Jim Stewart received 992 votes, or 42.12 percent of the primary vote, to lead the… Read More

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