Opinion

Spring and smoke

Spring can be a trying season in the Flint Hills. The temperature fluctuations and swirling winds make picking out the right jacket nearly impossible on any given morning. And if…

Lifestyle

Lighten up dinnertime with cod

When weather begins to warm, home cooks start migrating from the heartier soups, stews and casseroles that are so popular in winter to something lighter. Seafood is an option families…

News

How many tornadoes?

Ottawa’s Monday, April 13, 2026, tornado has Franklin Countians asking: How many tornadoes have touched down in Ottawa and Franklin County? We dug through the Franklin County Historical Society archives to see how many tornadoes we could find. A map in the March 2, 1993, Ottawa Herald shows that Franklin County had 21 reported tornadoes…

Special Sections

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Sports

CH softball dominates Crest

The  Central Heights softball team dominated Crest Monday in a sweep. The Vikings rolled to 10-0 and 15-0 wins. Game 1 Aracely Crump struck out 12 batters in the circle. Crump allowed two hits and over five innings while walking none. Central Heights got on the board in the first inning after Aubrey Watkins grounded…

Conversations

Athlete of Week voting is open

The weekly Athlete of the Week is open for voting. The link to vote is: Contests & Sweepstakes (cherryroad.com) or click on icon at ottawaherald.com

Opinion

Spring and smoke

Spring can be a trying season in the Flint Hills. The temperature fluctuations and swirling winds make picking out the right jacket nearly impossible on any given morning. And if it happens to be nice…

Lifestyle

Lighten up dinnertime with cod

When weather begins to warm, home cooks start migrating from the heartier soups, stews and casseroles that are so popular in winter to something lighter. Seafood is an option families can turn to that is…