Gov. Mickelson Remembrance Day

I remember very well the tragic plane crash on April 19th, 1993 that claimed the lives of then Gov. George S. Mickelson, Angus Anson of Northern States Power, Dave Birkeland of First Bank of South Dakota, Roland Dolly of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Roger Hainje of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Ron Reed of the state Office of Energy Policy, and state pilots Ron Becker and Dave Hansen.

I also remember very well being a young radio broadcaster and calling up the Governors mansion on occasions and having his wife Linda pick up the phone saying: "Hello".  That's it, just "Hello".  It was a different time in South Dakota when you could call the Governor's house and his wife would answer the land line and after some brief pleasantries we would ask: "Can we chat with George?" And if he wasn't to busy she'd put him on the ringer and we'd have us a chat.  Simply delightful folks.

It is very fitting that Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed this Friday, April 19, as a “Day of Remembrance,” in observance of the 20th anniversary of the state plane crash that took the lives of the eight South Dakotans, including our beloved Governor.