Shay Scanlan Report for Minnesota Minnesota’s housing shortage has hit areas outside the Twin Cities particularly hard, because low rents and high construction costs have limited developers’ profits and stalled projects. Two bills heard in state House and Senate committees aim to expand housing-related infrastructure, including sewers and water lines, and support workforce housing through grants to… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent A motion by County Commissioner Wayne Johnson of Pelican Rapids and seconded by Commissioner Sean Sullivan of Fergus Falls was unanimously carried to approve the addition of one full-time equivalent Assistant Finance Director to the county structure to support the finance department. This position is included in the 2026 county budget…. Read More

Contributed photo Henning School students graduating from DARE include: Kneeling: Johanna Saari, Piper Greenwaldt, Willow Beattie and Tristan Nilsen. Standing: Justice Keeley, Hannah Weller, Makayla Menze, Jakob Olson, Svea Hanson, Korie Koenen, Kyleigh Larson, Naomi Kodadek, Koli Torgerson, Caleb Weiss, Brody Iliff, James Ziehm, Reggie Emter, Calahan Koep, Mac Dilly, Jens Peterson, Reed Grieger, Preston… Read More

Abbey Mulcahy Report for Minnesota In 2021, Dustin Roy and other members of the White Earth Nation learned that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had been issuing aquatic plant management permits within their reservation for years. One of these permits allowed a lakeshore owner on McCraney Lake to use mechanical equipment and chemicals to clear aquatic… Read More

Contributed photos Henning School celebrated World Autism Awareness Day on Thursday, April 2. The students enjoyed coloring Easter eggs, participating in an Easter egg hunt with residents at Willow Creek and included a number of activities to celebrate kindness, inclusion and connection. 

Eleanor Steffen Report for Minnesota Minnesota lawmakers delayed action on a bill April 8 that would require state health insurance plans to cover infertility treatment. The bill by Rep. Carlie Kotzya-Witthuhn, DFL-Eden Prairie, would require state-funded programs including Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare to cover the costs of infertility health care such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF,… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) announced a new contract with Teaching Strategies to support the design and implementation of the new Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA). The creation of a new assessment was signed into law by Governor Walz in 2023 and represents an investment in our future that will help give young learners… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Former Fergus Falls Daily Journal Media reporter Heather Rule, today a freelance sports journalist in the Twin Cities, has our sincere support after losing Jessi Pierce, her close friend and colleague in sports journalism. Jessi and her three children, Hudson, Cayden and Avery Hinrichs, lost their lives in a house… Read More

The Astera Health Board of Directors announced today that Joel Beiswenger will be retiring from his role as Chief Executive Officer as of July 1, 2026. Beiswenger has had some lingering health issues and will focus on his wellbeing and self-care.  Beiswenger said, “I am honored to have had the privilege over the past years to… Read More

The annual OTC COLA lake water monitoring program Kick Off will be on April 16 at the Ottertail Community Center in Ottertail MN from 4-6 p.m. The annual event has evolved over the years from an opportunity to take part in an educational seminar on how to properly obtain water samples to what might resemble the… Read More