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by Jessica Borash This article is from the winter 2026 Verndale Historical Society Newsletter. Looking at a plat book from 1906, Section 18, SE 1/4 in Aldrich Township had the name A.A Houer neatly written over the 80-acre plot of land. In 1910, the name Johnson replaced it and has remained firmly and proudly stamped on plat books ever since. Fifteen years ago, the Johnson family’s farm became one of Minnesota’s 11,000 Century Farms, an honor given by the Minnesota Farm

Severe Weather Awareness Week was this past week. But it is always important for businesses, employees, families, and individuals to prepare for Minnesota’s severe weather season. All businesses, employers, and employees are encouraged to review their Emergency Action Plans (EAP) and company procedures for tornadoes and other severe weather emergencies. Please take time to identify shelter locations, evacuation routes, notification procedures, and accountability processes

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According to court documents, several charges against Father Aaron Kuhn were recently upgraded to felonies. Kuhn served as pastor of St. John the Baptist, Bluffton; St. Ann, Wadena; St. Joseph, Bertha; St. Hubert, Blue Grass; Assumption of Our Lady, Menahga; St. Michael, Motley; and Sacred Heart, Staples. On March 11, 2026, Kuhn was charged with stalking, which allegedly occurred from September 2019 to October 2022. However, the specific details of the stalking incidents r

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by Greg Johnson The Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale Raider boys track and field team traveled to Perham High School on Friday, April 14, to compete in the Perham Invitational. The Raiders finished seventh out of 10 teams with 42 points. Pequot Lakes claimed the team title with 94 points. Dylan Day led the way for the Raiders with a strong day in the sprints, capturing a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash and adding a second-place finish in the 400 meters. Brady Rach contribute

by Coach Kenny Miller The Raider girls’ track and field team traveled to Perham on Tuesday, April 14, to compete in their annual invitational. Facing a competitive field that included several larger schools, the Raiders placed sixth out of 10 teams, continuing to show their ability to contend at a high level early in the season. The meet featured a number of strong individual performances. Kendra Miller led the way with a first-place finish in the 3200-meter run, crossing t

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by Matt Uselman The Staples-Motley-Verndale girls’ golf team kicked off the season on April 13th at Crosswoods Golf Course. The team finished in 5th place with a score of 409. Mara Uselman, an 8th grader from Verndale, finished in 13th place with a score of 95. Mara also carded her first-ever eagle (2 under par for the hole) on a 385-yard par 5. Mara said, “I hit my driver off the tee and then hit a 6 iron, and the ball ended up about 6 inches from the hole for a tap-in eagl

News from Verndale's Past 40 Years Ago, April 30, 1986 • Two bids were received from local contractors for the repair of a section of the school roof over the home ec and band rooms. D.J. Construction of Wadena bid $3114 for materials and labor, and Mason Construction of Verndale submitted a bid for $2760 according to the specs and an alternate bid of $2510 for a variance. The board policy is to table the bids on the night opened until the next meeting. • Four interested pe