By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners, on Sept. 8, approved a plan for needed enhancements at the lobby of the county jail which is attached to the courthouse complex in Fergus Falls. “Our county jail public lobby is not currently a secure entrance,” said Chief Deputy Sheriff Reed Reinbold. “We have applied… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent More residents of Otter Tail County than usual are visiting Medora in western North Dakota this fall. That’s in light of the opening of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.  Roosevelt, who was raised in New York state, lived and ranched near Medora from 1883 to… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources advises boaters to take extra care at public water access sites throughout Minnesota, where ongoing drought conditions continue to cause low water levels. Nearly all of the state is experiencing some level of drought, with conditions ranging from moderate to extreme drought and 48 percent of Minnesota in severe… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher New York Mills will be hosting its third annual Welcoming Week Street Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in the heart of downtown NY Mills. The street fair will be held from 4-7 p.m. The goal of the street fair is to bring together newcomers and the long-time residents of the community… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Itasca State Park, 20 miles north of Park Rapids and the headwaters of the Mississippi River, offers freedom from mental stress, anxiety and replaces this with serenity and a true sense of peacefulness. At Preacher’s Grove a visitor can stand among red pine trees that create a natural… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Accordions will be working overtime this weekend as the Ottertail Lions Club hosts its 16th annual Polka Daze celebration. The event typically attracts some of the biggest names in polka music, as well as hundreds of people from across the country.  Featuring a large wooden dance floor, five bands will perform… Read More

Capital project to renovate,  expand New York Mills facility The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center (NYMRCC) has announced a $100,000 grant from the Blandin Foundation. This grant brings the organization’s Cultivating Community Capital Campaign to more than 75 percent committed toward its $2.3 million goal, representing significant momentum toward preserving and expanding this important… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for help collecting red pine cones and has increased its payment to $95 per bushel for clean, ripe and closed cones. This year’s crop is expected to be the best the state has seen in a decade. Cones will be ready for collection from early… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher The Deer Creek City Council reaffirmed its support of city clerk/treasurer Miriam Steuck, but acknowledged there may be some personality clashes and some things to work on moving forward. As part of a special, and somewhat contentious meeting at times between approximately a dozen people in attendance and the city council,… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher Despite coming off a down season in which the Eagles won just four games, there is a renewed sense of energy inside the Sports Center walls at New York Mills High School. Seven seniors and a new coaching staff have been hard at work throughout the summer and fall as they… Read More