The first day of the new activities season always brings excitement to athletes and coaches. Sometimes, the excitement gets amped up when there is a new face to lead the direction of the team. That is the case with the Perham Yellowjacket girls swimming program. Monday brought change at the top of the Yellowjacket swim… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Rural Otter Tail County native Dick Stigman, raised at Nimrod east of Perham in Wadena County, was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins in 1965. That year the Twins played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, losing four games to three. Stigman and some of his Twins teammates from… Read More

Photos by Chad Koenen Members of the New York Mills Civic and Commerce said thank you to community and businesses on Friday night at the annual corn feed. Free corn was served by representatives from the C&C at the NY Mills VFW as a way to say thank you for another busy summer season in NY Mills. 

New York Mills High School alum operates Perham, Tri-County Stockyards By Tucker Henderson Reporter Not every auctioneer gets the chance to compete in an industry contest, especially in a worldwide competition located out of the country. One local auctioneer did just that, however, and came back home with a fourth place finish under his belt. Mitch Barthel, local… Read More

Picnic to be held on Aug. 14 at VFW By Tucker Henderson Reporter The Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Club is hosting its annual landowners picnic on Thursday, Aug. 14 at the VFW Club in New York Mills. Members, landowners and those who’d like to join the club are all invited to attend. A social hour will… Read More

Annual town celebration kicks off Friday in Bluffton By Chad Koenen Publisher In a town where baseball dominates the weekend schedule throughout the summer, it would almost seem fitting that the Bluffton Braves are honored during the community’s annual town celebration.  Under the theme of Land of the Free, Home of the Braves, the Bluffton Hometown Days… Read More

Final segment links communities, opens 32 miles of scenic trail Otter Tail County celebrated the completion of the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail system with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly opened Maplewood segment, marking the final piece of a project to create a 32-mile trail connecting Pelican Rapids and Perham through Maplewood State Park…. Read More

By Tucker Henderson Reporter Finn Creek Open Air Museum, a longtime project of the Minnesota Finnish American Historical Society, Chapter 13 of New York Mills, is celebrating its 50th year in operation and has a variety of Finnish-American talent lined up for all to enjoy. The festival will kick off on Saturday, Aug. 16 with a pancake… Read More

The Pesch family of Pelican Rapids has been named Otter Tail County’s “2025 Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota. Ryan and Maree Pesch did not come from farming backgrounds. Their inspiration began when Ryan found the organic food movement in college. After two years apprenticing at Foxtail Farm near Osceola, Wis., they… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher As he walked on to stage at the Superdome in New Orleans for the first time, Wadena-Deer Creek High School alum Pastor Brady Finnern summed up his feelings to approximately 20,000 youth from across the country in about as simple of terms as one could imagine. “I started by saying I’m excited, but… Read More