Free watermelon to be served, parade on Saturday By Chad Koenen Publisher The small town of Vining will transform into a watermelon eating, seed spitting paradise over the weekend for the 53rd annual Watermelon Day celebration.  The celebration will kick off on Saturday with the annual Vining Lutheran Church pancake and sausage breakfast at 7:30… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher As he walked on to stage at the Superdome in New Orleans for the first time, Wadena-Deer Creek High School alum Pastor Brady Finnern summed up his feelings to approximately 20,000 youth from across the country in about as simple of terms as one could imagine.  ¶  “I started by saying… Read More

Mural to be featured at new Amundson Park bathroom By Chad Koenen Publisher Calling all artists and community-minded people. Do you want to have a hand in creating a new mural at the new bathroom facility at Amundson Park?  Lana Beck will be in Henning from August 25-28 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher The smell of grills will be filling the air in Henning on Friday night for the annual World Famous Annual BBQ. The event will be held at the Henning Event Center from 4:30-7 p.m. and features everything from pork and turkey, beans, chips, pasta salad, coleslaw and water/coffee. The event is… Read More

Final segment links communities, opens 32 miles of scenic trail Otter Tail County celebrated the completion of the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail system with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly opened Maplewood segment, marking the final piece of a project to create a 32-mile trail connecting Pelican Rapids and Perham through Maplewood State Park…. Read More

Family honored for work at Lida Farm, MANNA Food Co-op, Deep Roots Festival The Pesch family of Pelican Rapids has been named Otter Tail County’s “2025 Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota. Ryan and Maree Pesch did not come from farming backgrounds. Their inspiration began when Ryan found the organic food… Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen The annual Henning National Night Out Festivities was held last Tuesday night at the Henning Event Center. Despite rainy conditions throughout the afternoon, a good turn out of people stopped by the annual event to check out the kids quilt camp creations, emergency vehicles and equipment, vendor booths from non-profit organizations… Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen Ottertail was abuzz over the weekend for the annual OtterFest celebration. The event featured a demo derby, car show, craft fair, fireworks, live music, inflatable rides and a large parade. Among the parade entries was AutoFix, Perham Health and the Ottertail Lions with a t-shirt cannon. Photos by Chad Koenen Candy… Read More

CEO of Otter Berry Farms in New York Mills Kris Huebsch was named the 2025 Minnesota Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year Thursday, Aug. 7, in Redwood County. Farmfest strives to bring together the best in agribusiness from Minnesota and around the country and endeavors to provide one place for farmers to network, experience and… Read More

With preparations for the Minnesota State Fair in full swing, the Minnesota FFA Foundation is also gearing up for another exciting tradition — the sixth annual Great Minnesota Give-Together Telethon. This signature event celebrates the powerful impact Agricultural Education and FFA continue to have on more than 40,000 students in classrooms across Minnesota. The Great… Read More