Sixteen students from New York Mills participated in the annual Minnesota Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference held March 5–7, at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency, with more than 1,200 members in attendance. During the school year, over 2,000 Minnesota BPA members took part in the organization’s competitive events program, allowing them to compete in… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher The City of New York Mills is seeking the help of local residents to potentially secure funding to continue the development of the community. In order to strengthen NY Mills’ case for a pair of grant applications, the city is asking residents and property owners to fill out one of two surveys… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher A new boiler system will soon be installed at the City Center in New York Mills. During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the NY Mills City Council approved a low base bid of $218,275 from Essers Plumbing and Heating to replace the aging boiler system at the City Center, along with a… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners, on March 10, gave support to a grant application made to the Minnesota Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) for construction of a 10-foot-wide, five-mile multi-use bituminous segment trail as part of the Glacial Edge Regional Trail in Otter Tail County.  This trail will run from the county garage… Read More

MFIP program includes nutrition, housing support By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County commissioners, in late February 2026, approved three Employment Services Specialist positions to support the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and its work to assist families throughout Otter Tail County. MFIP in Otter Tail County provides cash, food assistance and employment services to low-income families with children… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Former astronaut Harrison (Jack) Schmitt, a retired geologist and resident of New Mexico, oftentimes stayed at a family cabin at West Battle Lake during the summer months. Schmitt was 37 when he landed on the moon in December 1972. Schmitt’s late father grew up in southern Minnesota and purchased property at… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher A garage is a total loss and significant damage was reported to a home following a large fire at 106 N Walker Ave. in the early morning hours of Thursday, March 12.  According to a release from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, a fire was reported at approximately 4:29 a.m. on Thursday… Read More

On Saturday, March 7, the New York Mills speech team competed in Battle Lake. Elijah Geiser advanced to the final round in both of his events. He was the champion in Poetry Interpretation with excerpts from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.” Though Whitman wrote the poem in the 1850s, Geiser’s performance reclaims it for today,… Read More

Contributed photo Rep. Backer and Rep. Tom Murphy met with the Otter Tail County Commissioners and department heads to discuss property tax, the Perham Resource Recovery Facility, Human Services, and other important matters.

Seasonal road restrictions in accordance with Minnesota Statute §169.87 went into effect on Friday March 7, for Becker County Highways that are South of US Highway 10.  Seasonal road restrictions will go into effect on Becker County Highways that are North of US Highway 10 at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, March 18.  The weight restriction signs shall govern… Read More