Brother of Ole amazed by community support By Robert Williams Editor Tom Barten turns heads whether he’s relaxing on a barstool at Billy’s or walking around Vergas before Ole’s Ride gets underway. People stop, say hello, wave and point. Tom is Ole’s brother, one of 14 siblings in the family that grew up in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, a small… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The mission of the Office of the State Auditor is to oversee local government finances for Minnesota taxpayers by helping to ensure financial integrity and accountability in local governmental financial activities.  To that end, finances of Otter Tail County and the other 86 counties in Minnesota are audited on an annual basis…. Read More

Koenen encourages local residents to visit museum By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent There’s a message to county residents who plan to attend this year’s Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul.  The message comes from Chad Koenen, co-owner of Henning Publications and co-publisher of the Citizen’s Advocate in Henning, New York Mills Dispatch and Frazee-Vergas Forum…. Read More

Photo by Tom Hintgen State Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, right, met with Otter Tail County constituents Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 22, at Spies Riverfront Park, Fergus Falls. At left is Jim Hammers of Perham and center is Jim Espeland, Henning.

Contributed photos The Willow Creek dog park had some of its first visitors last week as a pair of dogs stopped by the new dog park in the South Point development. The dog park features a fenced in area for the dogs to play, as well as a growing number of toys and activities for… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  A home under construction and nearly complete was destroyed by fire on Aug. 17 northeast of Dalton, near Stalker Lake. Firefighters were called to the scene of the fire shortly before 4 p.m. “The house was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived,” said a sheriff deputy. “Fire crews extinguished the… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Transportation spent nearly $174 million dollars to clear highways during the 2022-23 winter season, the most ever spent for snow and ice operations and nearly 25% higher than the most recent five-year average. MnDOT crews also faced the most severe weather conditions in Minnesota in more than a decade, according to… Read More

The VFW Post 3289 Auxiliary met August 10 with 15 members and one guest present. Minutes from the July 13 meeting were approved, and the July 31 Treasurer’s Report was filed subject to audit. The General Orders Bulletin for August 2023 from the Department President was read and discussed.  Our Auxiliary received a National Legislative Award for… Read More

Radniecki wins a pair at tournament By Chad Koenen Publisher The Perham/New York Mills tennis team competed in an early season Highway 10 Queens of the court on Tuesday. The tournament featured Staples-Motley, New London-Spicer, Rocori, Little Falls, Wadena-Deer Creek and Detroit Lakes, as well as the Yellowjackets. The Yellowjackets took fourth place in the tournament.  Perham/NY… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher If there is an event or activity going on in New York Mills there is a good chance that an employee at Farmers and Merchants State Bank is in attendance. They are at sporting events, organization and non-profit meetings, local fundraisers and frequent many of the businesses that make up the greater… Read More