Benning Printing & Publishing

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Verndale City Council held their regular meeting on Monday, January 12. Safe Routes to School Payment Darrin Fellbaum, with Moore Engineering, presented pay application five for the Safe Routes to School project, which included $11,485.50 for the final speed feedback sign. A dispute arose between Moore Engineering and Ideal Construction (Jeff Kobliska) over final payment amounts: while Moore recommended specific payments based

The building rendering for the 4-H/Event Center renovation project at the Wadena County Fairgrounds was created with help from Widseth architects and engineers. Commissioners said the project needs to be scaled back to lower costs. by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 13. Commissioner Murlyn Kreklau was absent. Event Center Tony Hansen, serving as Regional Director of Minnesota Extension, sha

Izak Daryn Schermerhorn, 19, of New York Mills has plead guilty to criminal vehicular homicide for his role in a deadly crash last year that killed fellow graduate Blake Unger. The charge stems from a single-vehicle wreck on May 27, 2025, near Bluffton Township in Otter Tail County. Deputies responding to the scene found Schermerhorn’s pickup truck on its side in a ditch, with Unger, 18, pinned beneath it. Unger was pronounced dead at the scene. According to court document

With the upcoming retirement of Sheriff Carr, Bryan Savaloja, a 19-year veteran of the Wadena Sheriff’s Office, announced his candidacy for sheriff. “For nearly two decades, I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside Sheriff Carr, a strong leader who built a professional, respected sheriff’s office,” said Savaloja. “As he prepares to retire, I’m running to continue that legacy and lead the next chapter.” Savaloja has served in several areas of the sheriff’s office, includi

Pictured l-r: Sharon Cottrell, RN, Dad and Mom—Jesse and Bethany Mitchell—with Baby Quinn and Dr. Shaneen Schmidt welcomed Astera Health's first baby of 2026 on January 2. Astera Health celebrated the first birth of 2026 on January 2 at 5:22 p.m. Beth and Jesse Mitchell welcomed Quinn Beth in the obstetrics department. Dr. Shaneen Schmitt delivered baby Quinn, assisted by nurse Sharon Cottrell.  Quinn weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long at birth. She has f

Bertha-Hewitt 52, Swanville 62 The Bertha-Hewitt boys basketball team fell to Swanville 62–52 on January 13 in a competitive Park Region matchup. Despite a strong effort and multiple players contributing on both ends, the Bears were unable to overcome Swanville’s scoring balance and consistent pressure. Brady Rach led the Bears offensively, scoring a team-high 22 points while adding 11 rebounds and 1 steal. Rach’s performance was a major factor in keeping the game close, as

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by Coach Jeni Burns The Tiger girls’ basketball team had a very busy week with 3 games on the road. Limited with some injuries, the Tiger Girls were forced to play a lot of minutes with limited breaks and managed to do so with a lot of improvement.  On Tuesday, the Tigers traveled to Upsala to take on the Cardinals. The Upsala Cardinals came out shooting red hot, and that continued all game. The Tigers struggled to find a rhythm offensively after an early lead. The Cardinal

Bertha-Hewitt 49, Verndale 30 The Bertha-Hewitt girls basketball team turned in a strong defensive performance on January 13, defeating VHS 49–30 with balanced scoring and relentless pressure on the defensive end. Kendal Beyatt led the Bears with a game-high 18 points and added 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Kyrstin Beyatt also dominated inside, finishing with 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds to help control the paint. Piper Dean contributed 13 points and was