Entering the final week of the year, 2,726 babies were born at Essentia Health hospitals in Minnesota. That includes 452 at Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes. Of those beautiful babies that joined us in 2025, here are the most popular names for Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes. TOP BABY BOY NAMES Hudson — 5 Miles or Myles — 4 TOP… Read More

Brady Crabtree, of Frazee, Minnesota, was named to the Fall 2025 Dean’s List at the University of Jamestown in Jamestown, North Dakota. Crabtree was among 421 students on the Dean’s List. Students are named to the list when they earn a 3.5 GPA while taking at least 12 credit hours for the semester. University of Jamestown is… Read More

By Amanda Quam West Central Initiative The Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes, Inc., now has an outdoor classroom, a hydroponic farm, and endless opportunities for plants and youth to grow year-round. The Hydroponic Farm  A boy smiles and point to a green plant in the hydroponic garden The hydroponic farm education program is a unique program that not… Read More

Next court appearance set for Feb. 9 By Robert Williams Editor Police Chief Tyler Trieglaff reported on the murder in Frazee in the early hours of Saturday morning from reporting to the incident with Officer Scott Luhman and joining the investigation with the Becker County and Otter Tail County Sheriff’s departments. “We assisted and I learned a… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor The Frazee City Council completed a positive annual evaluation of City Administrator Stephanie Poegel at the final council meeting of the year on Monday, Dec. 22, at the Event Center. Council members had an evaluation form to complete prior to the meeting, if desired, along with a near-hour of conversation with Poegel Monday… Read More

By Louis Hoglund Pelican Rapids Press Every year, Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Minnesota recognize a local individual or group for their outstanding conservation efforts.  This year, the West Otter Tail SWCD has chosen siblings Marshall Ohe, Landon Ohe, and Allison (Ohe) Berg of the rural Rothsay-Erhard-Pelican Rapids area as the “Conservationists of the Year.” They farm corn,… Read More

New reading challenge kicks off January 2 As the temperatures drop, Lake Agassiz Regional Library is inviting local bookworms to turn the chilly season into a reading marathon with their annual Book Blizzard winter reading challenge for adults. Designed to help readers tackle their “To Be Read” (TBR) lists, the program encourages participants to explore new… Read More

By Chad Koenen Publisher A detached garage was determined to be a total loss after a fire was reported in the morning of December 20 near Vergas. According to a report from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, a fire in a detached garage was reported around 10:45 a.m. at 27854 425th St. near Vergas. The fire… Read More

Otter Tail County has announced that its Empowered Worker Program has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Economic Development Award by the Minnesota Association of Professional County Economic Developers (MAPCED). The award was presented on December 9 at the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Annual Conference in Bloomington. MAPCED is a professional association… Read More

On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Minnesota Housing board of directors selected 51 housing developments totaling more than $166.4 million in state investments. The developments will support the creation and preservation of 1,424 single-family homes and apartments. The projects represent more than $550 million in total development costs and will support 4,700 jobs. “These resources are helping… Read More