Johnson, Gontarek advance to general election By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Now that the primary election is over, the field of county board candidates for the general election in November is set. On Aug. 9 incumbent District 2 Commissioner Wayne Johnson of Pelican Rapids was the top primary vote getter among five candidates. Johnson will now face the second-place… Read More

Shows to be held Friday at NYM VFW, Saturday at Finn Creek Festival The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center has announced its 13th annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant, a large-scale community street theater experience taking place in New York Mills this weekend.  All are invited to the two culminating performances on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at… Read More

Construction on garages at Pelican Rapids, Battle Lake expected to be finished by mid-November By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Construction of new county garages at Pelican Rapids and Battle Lake is on schedule, said County Engineers Charles Grotte to members of the county board of commissioners on Aug. 9. “All work is proceeding well and we… Read More

Currently 761 people are members of 4-H in OTC By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County board members, in late June, heard an update on the Otter Tail County 4-H program, highlighting programming and membership.   “4-H inspires youth to become leaders and is committed to empowering youth,” noted Regional Director Cecelia Amadou.   There are four focused… Read More

No water restrictions have been put in place to date As drought conditions continue in parts of the state, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is carefully monitoring the situation and taking steps as outlined in the Minnesota Statewide Drought Plan.  Regarding the overall situation in Minnesota, the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday, Aug…. Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen Ottertail was abuzz during the annual OtterFest celebration on Friday and Saturday. The day featured a large parade with plenty of candy on Saturday, as well as a magic show by ImagiNick on Saturday afternoon. Saturday also included a car show, fireworks, arts and crafts fair and a street dance. OtterFest got… Read More

Photos by Tucker Henderson The Beyond the Call of Duty Ride to Remember 2021 caravan rolled into New York Mills last Wednesday and stopped in front of the police station to remember fallen officer Ron Smith. Smith’s widow, Janet reminiced with Police Chief Bobby Berndt about their favorite memories of Smith.

Town team baseball has been a family traadition for Geisers By Tucker Henderson Reporter If you attend a Bluffton Braves game, you’re sure to notice someone who has been a staple of local baseball for decades. Terry Geiser’s children and grandchildren can be seen cheering on from the stands, as well as running the bases in… Read More

By Kathryn Wilkowski Reporter With a budget of merely $26,000, Ottertail added a pickleball court to their city park with the help of many volunteers. “There has been a few hundred hours of volunteer work done for this whole project,” Darold Woessner, project manager explained. “It’s amazing. The majority of the contracting that took place here was… Read More

Photo by Tucker Henderson The Cultural Center in New York Mills hosted its second annual National Night Out event on Aug. 2. The event featured art and tie dye projects, food vendors and the unveiling of the new Positive Sign Project. For more information about National Night Out check out page 10.