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

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent County collections is an ongoing process that includes recouping money related to public assistance, long-term care medical assistance and other cases related to various county-assessed fees such as jail and detox.  Otter Tail County employees, in 2025, recovered $1.78 million. A year earlier, in 2024, a total of $970,012 was recouped… Read More

Contributed photos The “Marsh” team won the New York Mills Community Ed Co-Ed Adult volleyball league for 25-2026. Games were played at the school from December to March for 12 weeks. Marsh’s won both the regular season and the tournament that concluded March 11. The team consists of Rachel Marsh, Peter Anderson, Fletcher Nelson, Mallory… Read More