The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on four dates in 2023. The Free Park Days will be Saturday, April 22; Saturday, June 10; Saturday, Sept. 9 and Friday, Nov. 24. With the support of the state legislature, the DNR offers Free Park Days… Read More

By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent Many male baby boomers who attended schools throughout Otter Tail County in the 1950s and 1960s recall rope climbs as part of physical education, especially during their middle school days. Today, girls also take part in rope climbing. Physical education teachers taught the reach, lift and clamp technique in order to… Read More

City council to hold public hearing on new ordinances By Chad Koenen Publisher The New York Mills City Council reviewed four new ordinances that will help to regulate everything from private wells to utilizing water during a time of critical water usage. The new ordinances will be subject to a public hearing as soon as next… Read More

New event to resemble a game of life By Tucker Henderson Reporter A new opportunity for New York Mills students will have its maiden event on Tuesday, March 28 at the NY Mills School during the first half of the day. Farmers and Merchants State Bank will be hosting a Reality Fair for students in grades 9-12. The… Read More

City council to seek bids for community center alley project By Chad Koenen Publisher An expansive child care center with a full size basketball court could be coming to the city of Ottertail in the near future. During its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday night, the Ottertail City Council heard a presentation from Alex Rupe about a… Read More

NRECA honored co-op leaders with seven prestigious awards at PowerXchange this week. Lake Region Electric Cooperative in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, is the winner of the Electric Cooperative Purpose Award, which recognizes co-ops that have made meaningful contributions to their communities and exemplified the cooperative purpose. The co-op is led by CEO Tim Thompson. “Tim has guided… Read More

Feedlot could add up to 250 cows north of Perham By Robert Williams Editor, Frazee-Vergas Forum Twin Spruce Farm North owner Arnold Gruenes spoke to the Otter Tail Board of County Commissioners Tuesday, May 14, stating his farm meets the requirements to house additional livestock and is hopeful a permit allowing the expansion will be approved by… Read More

OTC resident a new scam victim By Tom Hintgen Otter Tail County Correspondent  Two roadway accidents with injuries were reported March 15 in Otter Tail County. The first, along Interstate 94 in the southwestern section of the county, took place at 6:26 a.m. A man lost control of his vehicle which rolled and landed on its roof. The… Read More

By Dee Goerge Special to the Dispatch Two quilts will be traveling between Catholic churches in the Wadena area over the next couple of months. With special fabric based on photos of earth taken from space, the quilts won’t travel as far as the photographer did. But members of Mary’s ACC Quilters hope that astronaut Karen Nyberg’s… Read More

Pre-registration underway for March 23 event By Tucker Henderson Reporter In a world that’s constantly occupied with thoughts of public health and obsessed with the prevention of the spread of illness, the New York Mills Public Library is hosting a presentation on public health in Otter Tail County throughout the years to share medical history.  Missy Hermes,… Read More