By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  In early January the Otter Cove Children’s Museum in downtown Fergus Falls hosted members of the Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club with a tour of their facility.  “We learned what Otter Cove is all about and saw the fishing vests and other fishing-related supplies that our club recently donated,” said… Read More

Otter Tail County welcomes new Deputy Administrator By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent The new chairperson of the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners for 2026 is Bob Lahman of Parkers Prairie, assuming duties from outgoing chairperson Wayne Johnson of Pelican Rapids. The new vice chair for 2026, approved at the first meeting of the new… Read More

Several local communities have both been part of the solar project By Greta Hentges West Central Initiative  Robert Williams Editor Communities across the region, including Frazee and Vergas, are taking bold steps toward a more sustainable and resilient future through the Municipal Solar Cohort. West Central Initiative (WCI) created the cohort to help communities develop project proposals… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Many older residents of Otter Tail County remember watching Fargo native and New York Yankees star Roger Maris play baseball against the Minnesota Twins during the early 1960s at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, south of the Twin Cities, today the location of the Mall of America. It was 40… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Gift card scams, despite repeated warnings, continue in Otter Tail County. The most recent scam was reported by sheriff deputies on Jan. 6. A county resident, near Rush Lake, lost close to $5,000 in this latest scam. Sheriff deputies said the scam victim had originally been contacted through Facebook by a person… Read More

By Tucker Henderson Reporter A three-year old child was killed on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 11 after an attack by an adult American Bulldog at his grandmother’s home west of New York Mills. According to a report from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, the child, who had climbed into an outside enclosure where the dog… Read More

Otter Tail County has welcomed Liz Mickelson as Deputy Administrator of the Finance, Property and License Management Services Team, as County Administrator Nicole Hansen introduced her to the County Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting. Kris Vipond administered the oath of office to Mickelson as County Auditor-Treasurer, as required by Minnesota statute. Mickelson brings 10 years of public… Read More

Picture this: Your house is on fire. You grab your phone, dial 911, and your mind goes blank. What’s your address? How many people are inside? Where are the kids’ bedrooms? In that terrifying moment, you don’t have to remember. If you’ve signed up for Smart911, first responders already know. “When someone calls 911, they’re often at… Read More

Jesse and Bethany Mitchell, of Perham, are happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Quinn Beth Mitchell. Quinn was born on January 2, 2026, at 5:22 p.m. She weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  Quinn is welcomed home by siblings Emery, Hayden, Sutton, Lennox and Warren; and grandparents Charlie and Mary… Read More

January in Minnesota may feel like a gardening lull, but it’s actually prime time for one important task: dormant pruning. When trees and shrubs are bare, it’s easier to see their structure and make clean cuts that promote health and productivity. But before you grab the pruners, here’s what you need to know about what… Read More