2013 is officially behind us and Performance Radio listeners have voted, with 57-percent of the vote, the June 21st wind storm as the Story of the Year. A line of severe storms raced eastward through the mid afternoon that day, causing power outages…
The storm hit Huron at 2:51 PM with a wind gust of 87-miles-an-hour recorded at the Huron Regional Airport. Those strong winds led extensive tree damage around the area. A number of tornadoes were also reported with the system…
The storm also knocked over a number of semi-trucks, did damage to the South Dakota State Fairgrounds and led to the evacuation of Running’s when a natural gas line was knocked loose from a heating unit on the roof. Twenty-two percent of listeners chose the opening of Splash Central, Huron’s replacement for it’s aging flood-prone, municipal swimming pool as the second biggest story of 2013…
The escape of Charles Beeney from Beadle County Jail and the election of Paul Aylward as mayor tied for third biggest story of the year with eight percent of the vote. Tying for fifth on the list with two percent of the vote were the texting ban in Huron taking effect and the Highway 14 Roadhouse fire in Cavour. Stories not receiving listener votes for story of the year include Huron hosting the Governor’s Pheasant Summit, The Elementary School Bond Passing, Raven Aerostar Closing and the Huron School Board releasing a secret agreement with former Superintendent Ross Opsal.