By Chad Koenen Publisher The American spirit will be on full display on Tuesday as Henning School students will present one of the largest Veterans Day programs in the region.  The day will feature a mixture of songs, tributes and a few special wrinkles to honor the sacrifices and contributions made by local veterans. Students in grades… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent On Oct. 28 the county board of commissioners accepted donations of three concrete benches for Phelps Mill Park in central Otter Tail County. The donations come from Friends of Phelps Mill, the Duane and Helen Berry Family and from Paul and Laurie Lekanng. The memorial benches will each include engraving of… Read More

Contributed photos Henning three-year-old preschool recently spent a “day at the farm” by getting up close to see real farm animals at school. The class would like to thank Mrs. Burgess and her FFA students who made this all possible for the three-year-olds. The children were able to pet a horse, cows, piglet, sheep, goats,… Read More

A Horace, N.D. man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for stealing a skid steer in late 2024 from Carr’s Tree Service in Ottertail. The sentencing was part of a plea deal with charges of theft and receiving stolen property related to a string of thefts across Otter Tail and Clay Counties in Minnesota and Cass… Read More

Local non-profit purchases Otter Fitness Garage By Tucker Henderson Reporter The “Ottertail Community Project” has been a development in the works for the past three years and has just recently purchased the Otter Fitness Garage in Ottertail, as part of Phase I of their overarching plan. “This all started about three years ago,” said Executive Director, Alex… Read More

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 in Fergus Falls…. 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 to… 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 Witt,… 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