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abbey says it's a life of balance and variety with prayer, reading, work and recreation. Monks have their own private rooms but gather several times daily for meals, jobs, services and prayer.
• Quinkert said the closure does not mean Blue Cloud has been a failure.
• "Blue Cloud has been a wonderful community, and the monks have been very effective in many areas for the past 62 years," he said.
• The center's task over the next few months will be to help each Blue Cloud monk settle into

another monastery of his choice, Quinkert said.
•

• ROCKERVILLE, S.D. (AP) -- Lightning might have sparked a fire that destroyed a home in southwest South Dakota's Black Hills over the weekend, killing pets and prompting the evacuation of nearby residences, authorities say.
• The two people who lived in the home near Rockerville southwest of Rapid City were not there when the fire broke out late Saturday, but a dog and four cats are believed to have died in the blaze, Rockerville Fire Capt. Gail Schmidt said.
• Nearly 60 firefighters from several agencies responded to the fire. The Highway Patrol evacuated residents from about half a dozen houses and others left voluntarily. Firefighters focused on stopping the fire from spreading to other homes.
• "We had some pretty high winds and a lot of heavy embers through the trees and through the vegetation, and a significant amount of heat coming out of that struc

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