Applications are now being accepted for a new grant program to support Minnesotans purchasing their first farm. The Down Payment Assistance Grant Program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and offers dollar-for-dollar matching up to $15,000 for qualified small farmers to purchase farmland. The MDA’s Rural Finance Authority (RFA) is awarding this funding… Read More

Photo by Robert Williams Heavy December snows and ideal temperatures for hoar frost the final week of the year in the 20-30 degree range have seasonally-artistic vistas on drives around the area like this snapshot along County Road 54 between Frazee and Detroit Lakes.

Photo courtesy Katie Williams Katie Williams caught this photo of a sun halo on West Wymer Lake Road while visiting her parents’ Jack and Kathy Dretsch. Halos are created when water vapor condenses and then freezes into ice crystals. As sunlight passes through the ice crystals, the geometry of the crystals causes the light to refract,… Read More

Madison Thompson of Frazee was named to the Slippery Rock University dean’s list for the fall 2022 semester. The dean’s list consists of SRU undergraduate students who earned an adjusted semester grade-point average of 3.5 or higher, based on a schedule of at least 12 newly attempted and earned credits. Slippery Rock University, founded in 1889,… Read More

Question to weight importance of the environment, economy The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is pleased to announce the 2023 Great American Think-Off question: Which is more important to protect: the environment or the economy?  Everyone is invited to submit an essay answering this question by April 1. This is the topic put forth by the… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor The Vergas City Council held a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 29 to receive input on slight changes to three ordinances and discuss a variance. Councilwoman Natalie Fischer presided over the meeting with Mayor Julie Bruhn out of town.  The variance is tapped for Lawrence Lake Acres to allow wells and drain fields in… Read More

Haarstick brings wealth of knowledge to council By Robert Williams Editor With all the success that Vergas has seen in the past few years, it is hard to think that city government might need a ringer to come back on board, but after meeting former mayor Dean Haarstick, it’s easy to see why many people prompted… Read More

Annual fundraiser during Frazee basketball games By Robert Williams Editor Frazee-Vergas High School sophomore Sophia Strand’s annual fundraiser Hornets Hoops and Hope will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 3, during the basketball doubleheader with Breckenridge. All funds are donated to support the Stand by Me Foundation, a local charity that provides financial aid through grants to parents and… Read More

D&K Design Center to open, Solberg Insurance to move By Robert Williams Editor City officials, the Economic Development Authority and the local Chamber of Commerce will celebrate a new business and a move in late January. D&K Designs will be a new business owned by Dan and Karen Pifher located on West Main Avenue. “A few years ago when… Read More

Grants to expand broadband coverage in greater Minnesota A pair of Otter Tail County internet providers together have gained more than $4.5 million in grants to expand broadband coverage. Otter Tail Telcom/Park Region is receiving nearly $3.4 million and Arvig is gaining more than $1.1 million from the Border-to-Border Broadband program administered by the Department of… Read More