 Governor Mark Dayton announced today that he has secured a major disaster declaration that will provide federal funds to aid in emergency relief for 27 counties and three tribal nations in Minnesota. Governor Dayton sent a letter to President Donald Trump last month requesting the declaration after communities around the state were impacted by severe storms and flooding between June 15th and July 12th. The White House issued a news release this afternoon announcing the federal government's major disaster declaration. The federal emergency management agency authorized the use of federal public assistance funds to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by recent severe storms. From our immediate viewing area, this affects the counties of Aiken, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Itasca, Kucheching, as well as the Leech Lake Bound of Ojibwe, Red Lake Nation, and White Earth Nation. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.