By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The former Fergus Falls newspaper building on the east side of Fergus Falls near Minnesota Motor Company on Pebble Lake Road continues to be occupied, temporarily, by county employees who work for the Motor Vehicle and Land and Resource departments. This is the temporary location while remodeling the Motor Vehicle and… Read More

Elevate program was created by Perham Health By Tucker Henderson Reporter In recent months a new Otter Tail County based campaign was created by Perham Health to help adults in a 30-mile radius of Perham who are in the middle to later years of their lives. “Elevate partners with area organizations to both promote existing and create… Read More

Rural Solutions Services to offer services for rural leaders By Tucker Henderson Reporter A new consulting business has recently started in the New York Mills area. Rural Solutions Services is owned and operated by Pam Mahling, rural New York Mills, and will be offering services for rural leaders. Mahling has worked in fields of economic development, grant writing, and… Read More

Year-long repairs finished at historic county park By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The year-long foundation repairs at Phelps Mill have been completed by Eagle Construction Company of Little Falls. The total cost was $926,388. In early 2022 the five-person Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners approved the foundation restoration and repair work in order to retain… Read More

Contributed photo Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons, right, congratulates deputy Pat Pickar who recently completed all four phases of the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association Institute for Credible Leadership (ICLD). The ICLD is a four-phase, online, leadership learning system offered through the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association. It is an educational journey designed as a comprehensive introduction to… Read More

Accident occurred in rural Deer Creek By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  Sheriff deputies, on Jan. 11, reported two injuries during the collision of a SUV and an Amish horse and buggy. The accident took place at 10:58 a,m. near the intersection of Highway 50 and 580th Avenue, near Deer Creek in eastern Otter Tail County. The two occupants… Read More

Berndt, Kehn receive felony sentences in OTC court By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Douglas Alan Berndt, 31, of Pelican Rapids, and Matthew Allen Kehn, 31, of Wadena, appeared in county court, Fergus Falls, related to felony charges. The court decisions are summarized in this report. Berndt case Douglas Alan Berndt, convicted of third-degree felony drug possession,… Read More

Proposed pipeline is the first CO2 pipeline to seek a permit in Minnesota By Robert Williams Editor, Frazee-Vergas Forum Otter Tail County is one of two counties that will receive an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a comprehensive review of Summit Carbon Solution’s route permit application for a carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) formally… Read More

Program destroyed over 1,200 pounds of prescription drugs in 2022 The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office collected and destroyed over 1,247.5 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs in 2022. The “Take it to the Box” prescription drug collection program started in 2012 and over 5 tons of prescription drugs have been collected and properly disposed of. There are… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will conduct aerial elk surveys beginning the second week of January. DNR staff will survey the Kittson County and Grygla elk herds in northwestern Minnesota and the border elk herd in both Minnesota and Manitoba. The surveys are typically conducted each year during the winter, weather permitting. Aerial survey information is… Read More