Bill would prohibit local governments from entering into NDAs with private companies Shay Scanlan Report for Minnesota Lawmakers are moving to require big technology companies to provide more information to the public when they plan to build data centers in Minnesota communities. One measure would prohibit local governments from entering into non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, with… Read More

Eleanor Steffen Report for Minnesota Some mental health professionals in Minnesota are wary of the use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy services. State legislators advanced a bill on March 18 to regulate it. The House Health Finance and Policy Committee approved a bill by Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, that would manage the ways mental health providers in… Read More

On Saturday, March 14, the New York Mills speech competed in Bertha-Hewitt. Elijah Geiser advanced to the final round in both of his events. He placed second in Poetry Interpretation with excerpts from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, and third in Humorous Interpretation with a cutting from the film Barbie (2023), directed by Greta Gerwig. Payton Lausten… Read More

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has begun temporarily closing some DNR-managed roads and motorized trails as seasonal melting makes them too soft to support vehicle traffic without causing damage. The duration of the temporary closures in state forests, state parks, recreation areas, and wildlife management areas depends on local weather and surface conditions, which… Read More

Anglers fishing on Upper Red Lake during the 2026 open-water season that starts Saturday, May 9, will have a five-walleye possession limit, with only one walleye longer than 17 inches allowed. This is the same regulation that was in place for the 2025 open-water season. “Upper Red Lake walleye have been managed at a level that,… Read More

Contributed photo The New York Mills mock trial team went 2-2 this year and made great strides as a team. The NY Mills team recently honored award winners for the past season, including: Most Valuable Teammates: Dylan Selander and Ella Holmes; Most Improved: Tiffany Hoefs and Anastasia Stout; Best Newcomer: Brigid Stout and Aubrey Usleman;… Read More

Awarded for advancing patient care and the optometric profession Minnesota Optometric Association is proud to announce Senator Jordan Rasmusson as a recipient of the Healthcare Champion Award. “The Healthcare Champion Award is given to those who recognize that scope of practice is truly about patient care,” said Dr. Tate Herman, president of the Minnesota Optometric Association…. Read More

Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons congratulated Corrections Sergeant Myrna Budke and Corrections Officer Mike Wentzel on their retirements from the Otter Tail County Detention Facility Monday, March 16.  “With over 56 years of combined experience between Sgt. Myrna Budke and Corrections Officer Mike Wentzel, we are losing an incredible amount of knowledge and dedication.Thank you both for your… Read More

If you’ve spent any time around the Douglas County Master Gardener Program over the past two decades, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Lewis Struthers. And if you have, you probably walked away having learned something about bees, berries, gardens, or simply the joy of being curious. This year, the program is honoring Lewis with… Read More

The Community Cantata singers, under the direction of Adam Tervola Hultberg, have been working for six weeks to prepare this year’s Community Lenten Cantata,   “On a Hill Too Far Away.” The choir is excited to be sharing the dramatic events of Holy Week in song on Sunday, March 29, at 3 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran… Read More