By Robert Williams Editor Smokie Abrahamson, a three-year-old Dachsund, outran 82 other wieners en route to his first racing championship in Vergas in his third attempt.  Despite making the trip from up north, Smokie is a Vergas native. His owners Thain and Katie Abrahamson found Smokie at Skal three years ago during Looney Days and they have… Read More

Skoyles announced as Thomas Winters’ replacement By Robert Williams Editor The law firm of Ramstad, Skoyles & Bakken will remain the legal representatives for the City of Vergas after former firm member and City Attorney Thomas Winters announced he was venturing out and opening his own firm. Karen Skoyles will take over duties in Vergas. The firm announced… Read More

A Frazee man has died following a single-vehicle crash four miles east of Reva, South Dakota on Friday, July 25. According to preliminary reports, Brian Keith Huber, 58, was driving a 2017 Ford F150 while pulling an enclosed trailer south on South Dakota Highway 79 around 6:37 a.m. The vehicle crossed the center line and entered the… Read More

The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) voted on July 18, 2025, to recommend funding for 109 proposals totaling approximately $103 million to the Minnesota Legislature. The agreement is the result of a competitive, multi-stage process for recommending spending from the Minnesota Lottery-supported Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). LCCMR co-chairs Sen. Foung Hawj, Rep…. Read More

United Way of Douglas & Pope Counties and United Way of Otter Tail & Wadena Counties have officially merged and will now operate as Lakes and Prairie United Way. This new identity reflects the organization’s expanded reach and unified commitment to serve a five-county region in Minnesota, including Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Todd and Wadena counties. “This… Read More

Minnesotans are invited to celebrate the bounty of the harvest season during Farmers’ Market Week, taking place August 3 – 9. This annual celebration highlights the vital role farmers’ markets play in strengthening local economies, supporting small and emerging farmers, and expanding access to fresh, locally grown food. With fun events, programming, contests, and activities, the… Read More

Photos by Robert Williams Above: Downtown Vergas was a sea of customers Saturday with options galore as the popular Looney Days festival attracted 90 street vendors. Right: Dog owners in charge of catching at the finish line brought all kinds of enticing items to get their wiener across the line first from squeaker and favorite toys… Read More

Hunters in antlerless lottery areas reminded to buy licenses by September 4 Hunters can now review the 2025 Minnesota deer hunting regulations, and deer hunting licenses will be available to purchase starting Friday, Aug. 1. Deer season details for each deer permit area and electronic copies of the 2025 Minnesota hunting regulations are available on the DNR deer hunting webpage…. Read More

Aim for daring family adventure at an Archery in the Parks program. Learn how to shoot a bow on Saturday, Aug. 9 at Glendalough State Park. For thousands of years, archery has been a popular sport and important life skill. Beginners can learn this valuable skill from trained archery instructors in a safe, supervised setting. No… Read More

The Minnesota Departments of Administration and Transportation announce grant awardees for the State of Minnesota’s Buy Clean EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) Grant Program. The grants will assist in the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for manufacturers of eligible materials utilized in Minnesota construction, such as concrete and asphalt. The three grantees are the Aggregate and… Read More