Today marks 25 years since Gov. George S. Mickelson and seven other South Dakotans lost their lives in a plane crash on their way back from Cincinnati, Ohio.
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has declared today a day of remembrance to memorialize the eight state leaders who died in the crash near Dubuque, Iowa.
In addition to Gov. Mickelson, the crash took the lives of 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.
For the day of remembrance, Gov. Daugaard asks that flags remain at half-staff to honor the plane crash victims. The Governor also called for flags to be lowered today in honor of First Lady Barbara Bush, and asks that they remain at half-staff until sunset on Saturday, the day of the former First Lady’s interment.
(Dakota Radio Group)