by bob garver The dialogue-free Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons are my favorite of the Looney Tunes. No jokes centered around annoying accents or speech impediments, just pure physical comedy about a hapless carnivore and his Ahab-like obsession with catching and eating a skinny flightless bird. Although the cartoons are ridiculous, they follow strict rules,… Read More

New York Mills School Superintendent Adam Johnson is planned to meet and hold a listening session with the following townships, community events, community meeting spaces and city councils concerning the upcoming school building project referendum.  September 14: Bluffton at 1 p.m., Newton at 6:30 p.m., Otto at 7 p.m., Leaf Lake at 7 p.m. (near… Read More

The prairie spy I remember a time when the Post Office delivered a box the size of a six-pack of beer that had 16 baby chicks inside, each one of them as happy as if they had a brain, cheeping and peeping merrily inside a world that barely measured six inches to a side. Then—two… Read More

5 years ago Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021 Have you ever wondered what some of New York Mills’ most important landmarks look like carved in corn? Well, the Otter Berry Farm in rural NY Mills has spent the better part of 2021 planning just how it will carve a giant Lund boat and the iconic farmer… Read More

Question: I am seeing more and more of these “J-turns” in Minnesota. Can you explain those to people who might not be familiar? Thank you.   Answer: J-turns are used to decrease fatalities and injuries caused by broadside crashes on four-lane divided highways.   At a J-turn, drivers on the side street approaching the divided… Read More

5 years ago Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021 Eric Roggenkamp was told that he was born with a wrench in one hand and an accordion in the other. The rural Bluffton resident is known for polka and fixing all things farm related. His polka life began when he teamed up with Carl Bauck and Larry Selander… Read More

Sheriff and County Commissioner  Candidate Forums to be held in the City of Ottertail To the Editor Voters in Otter Tail County are invited to get to know this year’s commissioner and sheriff candidates at the Candidate Forums on September 26, 1-4 p.m. at the Ottertail City community room (near the current firehall) at 103… Read More

by Bob Garver It takes a very generous suspension of disbelief to enjoy “One Night Only.” The film is set in a not-too-distant future where premarital sex is outlawed, save for one night a year. Comparisons to “The Purge” are inevitable, which to me raises an interesting question: Which would lead to more violent crime… Read More

By Jesse Grabow Ask a Trooper Question: Can you talk about how people need to make proper turns? I see a lot of unsafe maneuvers when it comes to turning.   Answer: Drivers who turn improperly cause many traffic crashes. Move safely into the correct lane well ahead of the place where you will make… Read More

5 years ago Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021 Larger-than-life puppets will return to New York Mills this weekend for the 12th annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant. A unique play based on the characters and tales from the Kalevala, the Finnish book of legends, will be told by local residents through puppet costumes, stilt-walking, songs and music by… Read More