Associated Press

SARTELL, Minn. -- Gov. Mark Dayton and other officials are pledging support for Sartell after a fire-damaged paper mill was permanently closed.

Dayton, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, state lawmakers and others met Friday at Sartell City Hall, the day after Verso Paper Corp. announced it would not reopen the plant.

The St. Cloud Times reported that Dayton vowed to use his clout to bring jobs back to the Verso site. The governor said he's open to a range of possible tenants for the plant or site.

Klobuchar said federal funds may be available to retrain workers. Nearly 260 people worked at the plant.

The mill has been a presence in Sartell for more than a century. The plant has been idle since a Memorial Day explosion and fire killed one worker and injured four.