Event to feature five polka bands through Sept. 5-7 By Chad Koenen Publisher Accordions will be working overtime under the bright yellow tent near the Ottertail water tower from September 5-7 for the 14th annual Polka Daze celebration.  Each year the Ottertail Lions host the event and highlight several national acts at its annual Polka Daze celebration…. Read More

By Tucker Henderson Reporter Everybody likes a good story, but not everyone has the ability or the know-how to tell one. A new storytelling workshop series through the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is assisting the process from August 21 through October 2 where any aspiring storyteller can learn from beginning to end how to… Read More

Contractor has not started project, city council weighs delaying project to 2025 By Chad Koenen Publisher As the clock ticks down to the substantial completion date of the city’s water tower project, the Deer Creek City Council continues to wait for the project to not only be completed, but started in the first place. During its regularly… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners have approved the following changes to the Solid Waste hours of operation effective Oct. 1, 2024: • Fergus Falls Transfer Station: open first Saturday of each month 8 a.m. to noon • Pelican Rapids Transfer Station: open Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon • Fergus Falls HHW, Re-Use and Redemption Center: open… Read More

Local group focuses on growing waterfowl population By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Thursday evening, Aug. 29, was a perfect evening for the Fergus Falls Area 2024 Ducks Unlimited walleye dinner and annual fundraising gathering. The event, with many residents of Otter Tail County on hand, took place at Elks Point on Wall Lake east of Fergus… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The Minnesota Inter-County Association (MICA), which includes Otter Tail County, is a voluntary, joint powers organization of 15 Minnesota counties. This includes most of Minnesota’s larger and faster growing counties. MICA gave its annual report on Aug. 27 to members of the Otter Tail County  Board of Commissioners at the County… Read More

Fire destroys garage near Pelican Rapids By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  Sheriff deputies, on Aug. 27, reported that a county resident has received scam calls from a person claiming to be from Medicare. Some information was provided to the scammer. Medicare will not call you to ask for personal or financial information, sell you anything, or… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, thanks to funding from U.S. Forest Service Inflation Reduction Act, is committed to fostering the next generation of tree care professionals. As part of this effort, the DNR is making available $2.3 million of federal funds through competitive grants aimed at recruiting, training and retaining youth and adults from… Read More

Contributed photos Caitilin Reitmeyer, rural New York Mills High School senior, was the first to enlist as an E-3 Comms Signals Intelligence Alpha at the Fargo Air National Guard base last Tuesday, Aug. 27. Reitmeyer attended NY Mills for several years and will graduate from Menahga High School next May. Below: She is pictured next… Read More

New feature to allow residents to find permits more quickly Otter Tail County has announced a new enhancement to its Geographic Information System (GIS) map. This feature allows residents and stakeholders to search for permits more easily and efficiently, representing a significant step forward in the county’s commitment to improving public access to vital information. The… Read More