September is National Preparedness Month Otter Tail County Emergency Management is joining Minnesota’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) and communities nationwide in observing September as National Preparedness Month, encouraging residents and visitors to take steps to prepare for potential emergencies and disasters. Emergency Manager Patrick Waletzko said the annual campaign provides an important… Read More

The Youth Outreach scholarship committee of Lions District 5M9 is offering up to $12,000 in college scholarships for the 2026 school year. The application deadline is November 15, 2025.   Students must be in the last year of an accredited college 2-year program, final two years of a degreed college program or the final year of… Read More

5 years ago Frazee-Vergas Forum September 8, 2020 In the lakes area, The Cactus is a wildly popular go-to for fun, great food and memory making. Years of hard work went into building the business and Blake Minge knew Lucas Johnson would carry the torch the burns in support of community, customers and the employees. When Johnson… Read More

Justin Moen has joined West Central Initiative as the new Rural Democracy Network Coordinator. In this role, Moen will help lead efforts to strengthen civic engagement and empower residents across rural Minnesota to shape the future of their communities.  Moen made Otter Tail County his home in 2023 and began working with the United Way of… Read More

Hornets improve to 4-0 overall, 1-0 in HOL By Chad Koenen Publisher The Frazee Hornets remained undefeated last week with a pair of wins, including a 3-0 win over Pelican Rapids in their Heart O’ Lakes Conference opener on Thursday night. The Hornets have also picked up wins against New York Mills, East Grand Forks and Lake… Read More

Pittsburgh couple makes exploratory stop and plan to return By Robert Williams Editor Eric and Sandy Frazee, an energetic and affable couple from Pittsburgh, recently completed a trip around the midwest that was all planned to end in their namesake town here in Becker County.  ¶  “We took all kinds of pictures,” Sandy said.  ¶  This… Read More

Negotiations for city-owned property has spanned nearly four years By Robert Williams Editor The ongoing delays of the sale of Eagle Lake Park by the City of Frazee to the Eagle Lake Park Association, Inc., continue, according to a report by new City Attorney Patrick A. Bakken. A revised purchase agreement has been extended to the end of December. “I still… Read More

By Robert Williams Editor Otter Tail County denied its first cannabis registration application for a future business to be located in New York Mills at the board’s latest meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26 in Fergus Falls. The county received a Cannabis Registration Application from Matt Wedde for a retail cannabis business located at 20 N Main Avenue… Read More

Free food, live music and a beer garden By Robert Williams Editor This Friday, Sept. 5, Ketter’s Meat Market is celebrating a century in business exactly 100 years from its original date of the store opening on Sept. 5, 1925. There will be free cake and ice cream beginning at 2 p.m., at the meat market, and… Read More

Essentia Health convened federal, state and other rural health care leaders in Fargo on Thursday, Aug 28, to discuss the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program and opportunities to maximize its impact on rural health delivery, workforce and sustainability. Health care leaders from across the region emphasized the need for innovative, sustainable care models and a… Read More