Meeting included time for residents to ask questions On Monday March 31, the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners hosted a well-attended open house in Henning, bringing together residents and county staff for an evening of meaningful discussions and community engagement. Representatives from multiple county departments shared updates on services and upcoming projects. Bob Ehlert from… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent A social worker pilot program was approved March 25 by the five-person Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners. The service aims to avoid the need for commitment and to enable the proposed patient to voluntarily engage in needed treatment.  The action by the county board follows 2024 legislative approval of a… Read More

Enforcement to cover cannabis, low-potency hemp edibles By Chad Koenen Publisher The City of Henning has handed off regulating cannabis sales within the city limits to Otter Tail County officials. During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the Henning City Council approved a resolution to allow Otter Tail County to be in charge of licensing and regulating… Read More

Program to provide free single sort recycling for 18 months By Chad Koenen Publisher A new free program could provide an even easier way for residents in the southeast portion of Otter Tail County to recycle. No longer will residents be required to bring their recyclable materials to one of nearly 30 blue collection bins in the… Read More

OTC resident scammed out of close to $80,000 By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent On March 27 a county resident, sadly, called a scammer who the county resident believed was an actual Microsoft employee. Personal bank information was given out and the resident of Otter Tail County lost close to $80,000. If a computer is locked up,… Read More

Funding package to include a $5 million grant, nearly $2.3 million in loans State Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) announced today that the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) has approved more than $7 million in funding for two critical water infrastructure improvement projects in the City of Henning.  “Congratulations to the City of Henning for securing… Read More

Last week’s article entitled “Ottertail day care, community center inches closer to a reality”needs further clarification. In the article Ottertail Mayor Ron Grobeck said he was quoted as stating he would not be in favor of the day care project if a community center was not included in the project. However, Grobeck stated he would… Read More

Audrey Weller, Lucey Minten, Ella Horn, Caroline Schwantes and Maggy Weller were crowned as the 2025 East Otter Tail County Midwest Dairy Association Dairy Princess Ambassadors.  The coronation was held at Mills Lanes and Lucky Strike Grill on March 30th. Thank you to Chad Rudolph for the delicious meal. Audrey is the daughter of Brad and Bridget… Read More

By Samantha Siedow Report for Minnesota A pilot program that aims to address a shortage of cancer care in rural Minnesota would receive funding under legislation being considered at the State Capitol. The “rural cancer gap” describes a trend in preventable deaths from cancer being higher in rural areas than in urban communities. Though death rates for cancer… Read More

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has named the West Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as the Minnesota Small Business Development Center of Excellence 2025. The West Central SBDC was chosen for its excellence and innovation in training, counseling and advisory board engagement and strategic partnership best practices. The West Central SBDC, hosted by the… Read More