With upcoming elections, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reminds campaigners that state law prohibits placement of political signs or any advertising on highway right-of-way. These areas include driving lanes, inside and outside shoulders, ditches, sight corners at intersections, and boulevards in urban areas. It also includes displaying flags or other signs on bridges over traffic…. Read More

By Robert Williams Editor A conditional use permit (CUP) for a 190-foot guyed tower with a nine-foot lightning rod and accompanying equipment in rural Frazee was approved by the Becker County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 4, after passing the planning commission on Wednesday, July 29, with no opposition. The permit was requested by… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor orld War II Veteran Alwyn Martinson’s 100th birthday was celebrated at an open house at Vergas United Methodist Church Sunday, July 26. Martinson is a Breckenridge native and current resident but he and his family moved to rural Vergas in the early 1960s. The family farmed, but Alwyn had other jobs… Read More

Spadgenske Dairy, Mark and Kristine, and Mike and Jean of rural Menahga received the Red River Valley Outstanding Farm Leaders Award for Becker County at the County Fair’s Agriculture Awards program on Saturday, Aug. 1.   The Spadgenske’s are one of 16 families from the 14 counties along the Red River Valley to receive this… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor A month ago, Kerry Ingberg was hired to fill the manager opening at the Vergas Liquor Store.  “This is a totally new challenge for me,” Ingberg said. Ingberg is a Vergas native via her mother Janet (Moe) Scott, having spent much of her childhood in the village, but grew up and… Read More

Organizers hosting family friendly, ‘Out for Fun’ event  By Matthew Johnson Reporter A teen dance and a “Firemen’s Obstacle Course” are new additions to the annual Wolf Lake Harvest Fest coming up this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14-15, in Wolf Lake. Enjoy traditional fun festivities, as well, at the 43rd Annual Wolf Lake Harvest Fest “Out for… Read More

Residents of Pickerel Lake were seeking wakeboat ban By Robert Williams Editor Becker County Commissioners elected to not move forward and hold a public hearing on banning wakeboard usage on Pickerel Lake. Chair Erica Jepson, Commissioners Barry Nelson, Richard Vareberg and David Meyer all spoke against a ban on wakeboats. Residents of Pickerel Lake submitted… Read More

Finding funding for a farm or food business can be one of the biggest barriers to turning ideas into reality. To help address that challenge, the West Central Minnesota Food Council, in partnership with Mezclada, is launching Funding Forward: Practical AI for Farmers and Food Businesses, a free interactive workshop designed to help participants find… Read More

With lower-than-normal rainfall and higher-than-normal temperatures in the last few weeks, persistent drought and lower lake levels have become common across a large portion of the state. Much of north-central Minnesota is experiencing storage drought. In years of significant drought, long-term water storage is depleted in lakes, soil and groundwater to a degree that typically… Read More

CWD affects white-tailed deer, moose and elk in Minnesota A deer near Stillwater has been confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease. The female deer was reported to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources by a landowner who observed it for several days and noted it was unafraid of people and appeared emaciated. On July 16,… Read More