25th anniversary recognition Saturday of Turkey Days By Robert Williams Editor One event that will be special to this year’s Turkey Days festival is the recognition of the 25th anniversary of the burning of Big Tom the Turkey. Chaired by Denise Fett, the event will highlight the festival’s busiest day with an afternoon Burning of the Turkey… Read More

‘It’s A Vergas Thing’ running August 10-13 By Robert Williams Editor The Looney Days planning committee held its final meeting on Monday, July 17, and are prepared to announce new events and a special dedication during this year’s event. The festival is getting an early start on Monday, Aug. 7, with a kickoff to Looney Days Loon… Read More

A total of 2,500 archery hunt permits to be available Hunters can apply for the regular archery deer hunt at Camp Ripley near Little Falls. The application deadline is Friday, Aug. 18. This year, the three-day hunt will occur on Oct. 27-29 (Friday through Sunday, application code 668). A total of 2,500 permits will be made… Read More

Advisory group to help distribute settlement funds Otter Tail County invites community members and stakeholders to apply to the Opioid Settlement Advisory Council. The advisory council is a multi-sector group that will advise the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners on how to spend the opioid settlement funds awarded. In August 2021, the Office of the… Read More

Color run to kick off busy Saturday in Frazee By Chad Koenen Publisher As the summer heats up the Frazee area will be heading “Under the Sea in 2023” for the 69th annual Turkey Days celebration. While the event will feature a number of classics like the car show, queen pageant and demolition derby, there will be… Read More

The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office released the name on July 18 of a rural Perham man who was arrested in connection with the death of a woman on July 17. The death occurred east of Perham on Big Pine Lake. Formal charges were expected to be filed against Paul Edward Mart, 79, related to the… Read More

Minnesota’s ruffed grouse spring population counts are up again from last year and are similar to other recent peaks in the 10-year population cycle of grouse—a pattern recorded for 72 years, according to a study from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The DNR and its partners use spring drumming counts to help monitor the ruffed… Read More

Local poker player takes 751st place in WSOP Main Event By Chad Koenen Publisher Otter Tail County might not be known as the poker capital of the world, but Joel Smith did his part in putting the area on the map at the annual World Series of Poker Main Event. Smith, who lives in rural Henning,… Read More

Photo by Chad Koenen First responders, emergency personnel and area residents lined Highway 10 on Saturday morning as the late Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin passed through town. Wallin was killed in the line of duty on Friday, July 14. A small group of vehicles and two buses escorted Wallin from Fargo enroute to Wallin’s funeral… Read More

The Otter Tail County Commissioners would like to thank those residents who attended the open house community event at Perham City Hall on July 19. The audience was captivated by Chuck Johnson’s performance of his three-act play “The Night Before Gettysburg.”  Many residents took the opportunity to engage with commissioners and learned about Otter Tail… Read More