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Statewide Blog

Dispatch from central Minnesota: Refugees and storms

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Ambar Espinoza, who covers central Minnesota for Minnesota Public Radio, updates listeners on top stories from her region in this conversation with Phil Picardi.

She addresses news that Lutheran Social Services will help resettle 100 refugees per year for three years in the St. Cloud area.

She also talks about recent storms that knocked down thousands of trees and damaged homes in two central Minnesota counties.

MRP: Big group of refugees to resettle in St. Cloud

Lutheran Social Services (LSS) plans to resettle 300 refugees over the next three years in St. Cloud. Refugee populations, mostly from Somalia, have had a growing presence in St. Cloud for the past decade. Phil Picardi talked to reporter Ambar Espinoza from Collegeville to talk about the changing demographics in the St. Cloud area and other stories she's following in central Minnesota.

St. Cloud Times: Thursday storms produced tornadoes

Two tornadoes touched down in Stearns County during a Thursday night storm, the National Weather Service has verified. The tornadoes -- one near Brooten, another near St. Augusta -- damaged hundreds of trees and several farm buildings, the NWS reports.