Publish an obituary in Hometown Focus

WHAT IS PUBLISHED FOR FREE:

  • HTF will publish a full obituary and a photo (if desired) on our website free of charge.
  • HTF will publish an abbreviated obituary (no photos) in the print edition of the newspaper free of charge.

HOW TO PAY FOR A FULL OBITURARY:

  • A full obituary and a photo (if desired) published in the print edition of the newspaper is charged by the column inch.
  • Once HTF receives the obituary, photo and your request for a full obituary, we will provide you with the cost prior to publication.
  • Payment is due prior to publication and can be handled by phone if paying with a credit card.

The deadline for submission of the print edition obituaries (both full and abbreviated) is first thing Thursday morning, although sooner is always better.

Please email: editor@htfnews.us

Hometown Focus Recipes

Wonderful, flavorful fruit!


From salads to pie, muffins and everything in between, fruit can be used as an ingredient to enhance many recipes. Even though we can pick out a bunch of bananas or a carton of strawberries year-round from our local grocery store, summer is considered the “fruit season,” as short as it may be in the Northern climes. The following recipes […]

Iron Ranges of Minnesota, 1909

Tower | Lake Vermilion | 1860s gold rush | Fish and game

Center of Historical Interest and Natural Attractions Camps and posts were maintained at intervals on or near the site of the present city of Tower from an early date in the period of exploration of the Lake Superior region. Lake Vermilion has been a favorite hunting and fishing ground for the Indians for many generations, and a well beaten trail […]

Proud to be of serviceice

Minnesota community gets help from VFW Post 1647

BRAINERD — VFW Post 1647 in Brainerd is doing what it can to help veterans and local residents during the pandemic. The post maintains a robust website and it’s been a hub for useful information. Their goal is to be a beneficial, hopeful and uplifting presence in the community. “We are proud of our website which is updated almost daily […]

John Deere donates face shields to VA hospitals

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced recently John Deere has shipped 134,600 face shields to 49 VA medical centers in 27 states at no cost in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. VA’s Voluntary Service and John Deere worked to identify VA facilities in need of additional personal protective equipment. John Deere’s donation of face shields to VA, known […]

Healthy for Life

Heart-filled summertime suggestions for the month of July


Hello, everyone, and welcome to the heart of summer! As the world keeps beating one pulse at a time, you may be experiencing a personal situation that appears frustrating and overly pulsating. Speaking from personal experience, it seems to be something I don’t have control of or shouldn’t be doing or thinking in the first place, or it isn’t the […]

Coach Tom’s Corner

Athletic training should be sport-specific; remember to stay hydrated in the heat


At least once per year, I exhort athletes, particularly student athletes, to “train for your sport.” With fall sports (hopefully) approaching, now seems as good a time as any to bring this up again. Our bodies adapt to the training stressors we place on them. Therefore, it should be common sense that a given athlete’s training regimen should seek to […]

The deadline to apply for P-EBT food benefits has been extended to July 31

STATEWIDE — Families still have time to apply for additional food assistance benefits to help feed their children this summer when they are not receiving school lunches. Due to a deadline extension up to 150,000 families have until July 31 to apply for Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer, also referred to as P-EBT. The benefits are issued by the Minnesota Department of […]

MacRostie Art Center renovates gallery space

Art Shop is now the focal point to attract tourists and visitors

GRAND RAPIDS — MacRostie Art Center (MAC) updated the flooring, lighting and fixtures of its Art Shop to elevate it as the focal point of the facility. The renovated gallery space, which features the work of local and regional artists, is now a prominent retail storefront that can attract tourists and other visitors. “For years the Art Shop was much […]

The Nature Nerd

Audio Article
Focus on: Insect copycats


Things are not always what they appear to be, especially in the world of nature. For one thing, insects often mimic other insects. This is a brilliant ploy to confuse would-be predators, like birds. The viceroy butterfly is a near perfect copy of the monarch. The give-away is one extra black line. The black radial lines are crosscut by the […]

What’s on my Mind

Audio Article
Words and how we communicate


Words—that’s what’s on my mind. Words can be comforting, stinging, supportive, encouraging, hurtful—so many ways to be interpreted, or misinterpreted, depending upon the presentation. However, words are the way we communicate whether written or spoken. Either way they are presented, there is power behind those words—negative or positive. Our communication these days centers more on electronic email or text. Convenient, […]