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Bonnie Pearson Layton
Bonnie Pearson Layton was boron February 13, 1945, to Harold and Dorothy Pearson. As a young child, Bonnie moved with her parents to Ortonville, MN, where they had charge of The Ortonville Greenhouse. The family grew by two when Al and Dori were adopted, giving Bonnie a brother and a sister.
1 day ago


County Board approves clinical services with Woodland Centers
The Big Stone County Board met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Big Stone County Courthouse in Ortonville with all County Commissioners present for the meeting. Board members approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from their regular meeting on Oct. 6. They also authorized payment of bills. During committee reports, board members discussed information from recent meetings. Following committee reports, the Big Stone County Board received updates and
Oct 27


Ortonville council approves 2027 contract with UMVRDC
The Ortonville City Council met for their second meeting of the month on Monday, Oct. 19 at the Library Media Center will all members present. The meeting was brief as council member approved an Amendment of Lease of the Ortonville Community Center between the City of Ortonville and State of Minnesota, Department of Public Safety, acting for the benefit of the Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services. The lease covers approximately 1,500 square feet of offic
Oct 27


Marlton “Bud” DeNeui
Marlton "Bud" DeNeui, 101, of Ortonville, MN, and formerly of Clinton, MN, passed away on Friday, October 23, 2026, at Fairway View in Ortonville. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity-Mount Olive Lutheran Church 2.5 miles north of Johnson, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Reverend Donald Main will officiate the service. We will depart from the church at 1:00 p.m. for burial at Clinton City Ce
Oct 27
The Northern Star


County Board approves clinical services with Woodland Centers
The Big Stone County Board met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Big Stone County Courthouse in Ortonville with all County Commissioners present for the meeting. Board members approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from their regular meeting on Oct. 6. They also authorized payment of bills. During committee reports, board members discussed information from recent meetings. Following committee reports, the Big Stone County Board received updates and
The Ortonville Independent
Oct 27


Marlton “Bud” DeNeui
Marlton "Bud" DeNeui, 101, of Ortonville, MN, and formerly of Clinton, MN, passed away on Friday, October 23, 2026, at Fairway View in Ortonville. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity-Mount Olive Lutheran Church 2.5 miles north of Johnson, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Reverend Donald Main will officiate the service. We will depart from the church at 1:00 p.m. for burial at Clinton City Ce
The Ortonville Independent
Oct 27


Border West Remains Undefeated With 71-8 Win Over Ortonville
The Border West Buccaneers improved their season record to 7-0 with a commanding 71-8 victory over the Ortonville Trojans on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Wheaton. The Buccaneers totaled 533 yards of offense, including 347 rushing yards and 186 passing yards. Quarterback Owen Deal led the offensive attack, rushing for 126 yards and three touchdowns on just three carries. Deal also completed nine of 10 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Border West wasted little time establishin
The Northern Star
Oct 22


Still Serving
By Jake Lillehaug The smell of smoked fish and meats greeted us as we descended the stone steps into Northern Waters Smokehaus in Duluth. Tucked into the lower level of a building in Canal Park, the restaurant has an intimate, almost cave-like atmosphere, with stonework, brick walls and small windows near the ceiling. It was also packed. My wife and I were in Duluth for emergency medicine and fire chiefs’ conferences, and we had slipped away for lunch at a restaurant we’d
Jake Lillehaug
Oct 22


Blake’s Take
By Clarissa Blake With the election just around the corner and emotions running high, I’ve been thinking about the responsibility that comes with publishing a community newspaper. During National Newspaper Week, I read a column by Robb Hicks, a third-generation Wyoming newspaperman who helped revive eight community newspapers after they abruptly closed last year. His column was about what a community loses when its local newspaper disappears. One message stuck with me: “A n
Clarissa
Oct 22


Benjamin “Benny” Basta
Benjamin “Benny” Basta, 85, Clinton, MN, passed away Saturday, October 3, 2026, at his home in Clinton. Graveside Services will be Saturday, October 24, at 1:00 p.m. at the Clinton City Cemetery. Please join us for dessert at the Clinton Memorial Building following the service. Benny was a man who measured his life not in accomplishments, but in relationships: the nieces and nephews that grew up with and chaperoned Benny and Dianna, the grandchildren who followed him aroun
The Northern Star
Oct 15


Bucs football remain undefeated, 36-12 win over Win-E-Mac
The Border West Buccaneers improved their season record to 6-0 with a 36-12 victory over Win-E-Mac on Friday, Oct. 9, in Erskine. The Buccaneers continued their undefeated season with a strong offensive performance, scoring five touchdowns while holding the Patriots to just two scores. Border West took control early, building a 22-6 halftime lead before adding 14 points in the second half to secure the victory. The Buccaneers opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run
The Northern Star
Oct 14


Clinton, Ortonville and the County Seat Controversy
It Happened Here, By Judy Beckman This is a series of local stories from the past that come from your questions. The Northern Star gets inquiries from incidents that took place, but without many details, or they know only some of the story. Our part will be to research the newspaper files to get the “rest of the story.” The question posed to us this week was, “What’s the real story about Clinton stealing the courthouse records from Ortonville?” Our immediate response was
Judy Beckman
Oct 14


BSCB receives update on highway department projects
The Big Stone County Board met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Big Stone County Courthouse in Ortonville with all County Commissioners present for the meeting. Board members approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from their regular meeting on Sept. 1. They also authorized payment of bills. During committee reports, board members discussed information from recent meetings.
The Ortonville Independent
Oct 14


BSC Pheasants Forever Chapter selected for Upland Caucus
In 2026-2027, Pheasants Forever (PF) is excited to invite one chapter from each of Pheasants Forever’s 26 regions to serve as a member of the second annual Upland Caucus, a group of the Habitat Organizations top Legislative Action Fund supporters and grassroots policy leaders, working together to advance policies that benefit upland wildlife, their habitats and the people who enjoy them. According to Big Stone County Pheasants Forever President, Kevin Seehafer, back in mid-J
The Ortonville Independent
Oct 14
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