Pickleball fundraising surpasses $200k By Robert Williams Editor Pickleball funds, moving Turkey Days to June and increasing membership were the three main topics of the annual meeting of the Frazee Area Community Club Thursday, March 19, at the Event Center.  ¶  Three new board members were also added: Police Chief Tyler Trieglaff, Owner of Mama’s Pizzeria… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor The Vergas Economic Development Authority (EDA) / Housing Redevelopment Authority (HRA) continued discussions on the group’s primary goal of providing sustainable daycare in Vergas at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 18. Discussions included multiple options for creating the building that will house the daycare(s), with the most useful proposition being to move… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor On Tuesday, March 17, the Vergas Street/Sidewalks/Yard Waste (SSYW) Committee addressed yard waste operations following a recent fire at the disposal site and made a recommendation to the city council to permanently eliminate the allowance of brush disposal at the yard waste facility. The discussion revealed multiple and ongoing challenges with the… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor Residents from Lake Park to rural Menahga spoke strongly in favor of Becker County keeping the auditor-treasurer position an elected one rather than changing it to being an appointed position at a public hearing Tuesday, March 17. “This has been brought to the county before; this was discussed a dozen years ago,” Commissioner… 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

Assistance to help with damage caused in June 20 storm The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Becker and Mahnomen Counties are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to address damages from high winds that occurred June 20, 2025.  EFRP provides cost-share and technical assistance to restore nonindustrial private forestland (NIPF)… Read More

Pete Levijoki’s one-of-a-kind art made with drywall compound By Matthew Johnson Reporter Northwest of Wolf Lake along the southwest shoreline of Toad Lake in rural Detroit Lakes lives an artist who creates a unique type of wall sculpture art using drywall compound.  ¶  Peter “Pete” Levijoki, originally from Ironwood, MI, was born the seventh of seven children…. 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

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

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