Majority of $10 million project to be covered by state grant By Chad Koenen Publisher A new water treatment facility could soon be coming to South Point in New York Mills. During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the NY Mills City Council approved a task order to complete the final design and send the expansive water… Read More

Polar Plunge on Otter Tail Lake set for Feb. 7 By Tucker Henderson Reporter Each winter, the Otter Tail Polar Plunge is held on Otter Tail Lake to help raise funds to support Special Olympics Minnesota. The organization provides training and services to those with intellectual disabilities across the state. The Otter Tail Plunge has raised over… Read More

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is pleased to announce the 2026 Great American Think-Off question: Is the pursuit of happiness making Americans unhappy? Now entering its 33rd year, the Great American Think-Off invites all people from across the country—from truck drivers to teachers, grandparents to graduate students—to engage with timely philosophical questions rooted in everyday life…. Read More

By Tucker Henderson Reporter The New York Mills Civic and Commerce Association is starting off the new year with their annual Community Kick-Off event which is slated for next Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the NY Mills Regional Cultural Center. The event is intended to inform the community about what the Civic and Commerce has… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor Todd Finkelson, of Ashby, was commended for his outstanding actions on October 24, 2025 by the County Assessor Heather Jacobson, Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons, and the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Jan. 13. On October 24, 2025, while working in the field, Finkelson, an Otter Tail County Appraiser, stopped at a rural… Read More

The Fargo and West Fargo Police Departments are requesting the assistance of residents, businesses and property owners in Otter Tail County. Authorities are investigating the disappearance of 25-year-old West Fargo resident Isadora Wengel. In addition to previous requests for residents and businesses in the Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo area to review camera footage (which remain active), police… Read More

Izak Schermerhorn has been sentenced in a drunk driving crash that killed 18-year-old Blake Unger just days after the latter graduated from high school last spring.  Schermerhorn was sentenced on Monday, Jan. 12 to six months in the Otter Tail County Jail and up to 10 years of supervised provation after pleading guilty to one count… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Otter Tail County, as approved Jan. 13 by the county board of commissioners, has joined the Northern Counties Coalition on a one-year trial basis.  “Of possible benefit to Otter Tail County is assistance from other area counties in the formulation of land use plans and formulation of general policies needed for… Read More

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, a total of 26 members of the New York Mills Business Professionals of America traveled to Detroit Lakes to compete against 17 schools in various business competitions. Fourteen talented members are now advancing to the State Leadership Competition in Minneapolis, Minn., held March 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency. In team and judged… Read More

Wolf Lake makes annual appointments, designations for new year By Matthew Johnson Reporter Wolf Lake Fire Chief Brock Anderson reported to the Wolf Lake City Council during its first regular monthly meeting of the year Tuesday, Jan. 13, that the Wolf Lake Fire Department (WLFD) responded to 66 total calls for service in 2025. That is 30 calls… Read More