Jonathan Ellis on Loetscher’s free fall. “She likely would have done better if she’d simply taken the final week off.”

Jonathan Ellis at the Argus repeats some of what I wrote about last week about the final days of the Loetscher campaign in his column which will likely appear in Sunday’s Argus, in his newest column “The week that doomed the Loetscher campaign

Loetscher fully embraced the Democratic Party, campaigning at the state party’s annual McGovern Day fundraiser and running on a platform of identity politics of racial diversity and gay rights that is unusual for South Dakota.

and…

Loetscher decided to play for all the marbles. She went negative. She mangled it.

and..

Suddenly, she had a trust issue, an issue that only got worse when authorities found no evidence of hacking. Then, too, came scrutiny of her “biotech company.” Prior to her foray into politics, Loetscher had started a dog poop cleaning business. Any small business owner or entrepreneur brings value to politics. But Loetscher overplayed her hand by referring to the venture as a biotech company.

and…

Meanwhile, on policy issues, the police union repudiated her plan to create police precincts.

Everything had gone very badly. Indeed, she likely would have done better if she’d simply taken the final week off and taken a vacation somewhere. Instead, she suffered a historic defeat.

Read it all here.

With Loetscher saying she will  “grow her biotechnology company” in her concession speech, I’m not sure she ultimately gets it. That her tendency towards exaggeration was ultimately her achilles heel in this election.  A point illustrated and underlined several times in a landslide of a complete and total victory for her opponent when he brought home an authoritative 62.7% against her 37.3% vote.

Guest Column: Restlawn Alliance seeking stronger cemetery protection measures in South Dakota

Restlawn Alliance Group seeking stronger cemetery protection measures in South Dakota

State Attorney General Marty Jackley was recently interviewed by KELO’s Angela Kennecke for a two-part story about Restlawn Memory Gardens, a cemetery south of Huron. The story focused on troubling issues at the cemetery including extraordinary delays in the delivery of pre-paid markers, failure to repair damaged markers, poor maintenance of the cemetery and mausoleum, and questions about the state of the cemetery’s endowed trust. Jackley noted as a priority the importance of examining situations like these for evidence of criminal activity or a violation in the use of the trust funds.

Here is a link to the first part of the story:
http://www.keloland.com/news/article/investigates/families-upset-by-cemetery-s-condition

Here is the link to the second:
http://www.keloland.com/news/article/investigates/grave-disgrace

Jackley also stated that, in light of this situation, he would encourage South Dakota legislators to look into cemetery laws to prevent situations like this from happening again. We, from the Restlawn Alliance of South Dakota, a group of citizens who are concerned about the cemetery, appreciate Jackley’s stand. We encourage other state officials to help enact laws and enforcement mechanisms to protect not just this cemetery, but all cemeteries across South Dakota.

You can read more about the Restlawn Alliance at restlawnalliance.com

A difference in styles.. @AFPSD debate

Interesting contrast in speaking styles between Noem & Jackley at the AFP debate.

Congresswoman Kristi Noem engages with a more warm & relaxed conversational style of addressing the crowd in attendance…

While Attorney General Marty Jackley uses what I suspect is similar to the style he uses in addressing a jury, standing when he speaks, and moving across the stage.

I don’t believe either style is a clear favorite. Marty’s is more commanding in person, but with a stationary camera for live-streaming, Kristi is relaxed and continually in frame, while Marty moves in and out of the screen.

More to come….

Release: David Bangasser, Dylan Clarkson, Jeff Davis and Brad Seaman Elected to SDBA Board of Directors

David Bangasser, Dylan Clarkson, Jeff Davis and Brad Seaman Elected to SDBA Board of Directors

PIERRE, S.D.–The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry, recently held elections for four of the nine seats on its Board of Directors. Elected to serve on the SDBA Board of Directors were:

  • David Bangasser, Southern Region President, Dacotah Bank, Sioux Falls
  • Dylan Clarkson, President/CEO, Pioneer Bank & Trust, Belle Fourche
  • Jeff Davis, President/CEO, Bryant State Bank, Bryant
  • Brad Seaman, President, First State Bank of Warner, Aberdeen

This is Clarkson’s first term on the SDBA Board of Directors and Bangasser, Davis and Seaman’s second terms. They started their three-year terms on May 1, 2018.

David Bangasser:

David Bangasser is southern region president for Dacotah Bank in Sioux Falls. He began his banking career in 1982 working for Western Bank in Sioux Falls. He went on to work in St. Paul at Heritage National Bank, Firstar Bank of Minnesota and American National Bank. He joined Dacotah Bank in 1995.

Bangasser is a board member and classroom volunteer with Junior Achievement and a board member for Singing Boys of Sioux Falls, as well as past service with El Riad Shriners, Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and Zoological Society of Sioux Falls.

Bangasser and his wife, Karen, has been married for 36 years. They have one daughter, Megan Hartz. Megan and her husband, Dusty, have two children: Cohen, 10, and Cade, 9.

Bangasser wants to be a meaningful advocate for all South Dakota community banks and to work with state and congressional delegates to provide a fair and level playing field to ensure that community banks have continued opportunities for success and the ability to remain key contributors in their communities.

Dylan Clarkson:
Dylan Clarkson is president and CEO of Pioneer Bank & Trust in Belle Fourche. Prior to joining the bank in 2016, he began serving on Pioneer Bank & Trust’s Board of Directors in 2014. Clarkson previously worked for American Bank in Bozeman, Mont., from 2006 to 2016. At American Bank, he performed multiple duties including commercial lending, cash management specialist and Bozeman area market manager. Prior to his banking career, Clarkson managed new automobile dealerships in the Bozeman area. He has an economics degree from Montana State University in Bozeman.

Since relocating from Montana to Spearfish in 2016, Clarkson has actively supported many nonprofits across Pioneer Bank & Trust’s trade area—Black Hills Works, Belle Fourche Economic Development Corporation, American Heart Association and Special Olympics South Dakota. He previously served on a number of boards while in Montana.

Clarkson and his wife, Nicki, have one child, Ben, who is three years old.

Clarkson looks forward to proliferating the message that community banks play a vital role in South Dakota and the nation. He would like to bolster the current momentum that the industry is gaining for “right sized” legislation. Despite recent corporate tax reform and the boon that it created for many banks of all sizes, the legislation as we all know didn’t level the playing field for equal taxation of non-bank competitors.

Jeff Davis

Jeff Davis is president and CEO of Bryant State Bank in Bryant. He grew up on a farm near Forestburg, so agriculture is in his blood. Davis began his career in 1981 with Sanborn County Bank in Woonsocket. In 1987, Davis joined First National Bank in Brookings (now First Bank & Trust) as an ag loan officer. In 1994, he joined Bryant State Bank. Davis has served on the SDBA Agricultural Credit Committee.

Davis currently serves as secretary/treasurer on his local community development and housing boards. He has also served on the school board, city council, local nursing home and church boards.

Davis and his wife, Paula, have three grown children. Robert lives in Woonsocket; Andrew and his wife, Cara, live in Kansas City, Mo.; and Stephen lives in Woonsocket.

South Dakota banking has served Davis well, and if he can give time back to that cause, he is willing to do so.

Brad Seaman

Brad Seaman is president and serves on the board at First State Bank of Warner in Aberdeen, where he has worked since 1996. He previously worked as assistant vice president of Day County Bank (now CorTrust Bank) in Webster from 1992 to 1996. Seaman has served several terms on the SDBA Legislative Committee.

Seaman is a past Northern State University Foundation board member and a volunteer with the Warner Stratford Lions Club.

Seaman has three children: Connor, 24; Parker, 21; and Bess, 18.

Seaman wants to serve as an advocate for the banking community from a small bank perspective.

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Don’t forget – big AFP Gubernatorial Debate Tonight – LIVESTREAMED via Facebook

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Americans for Prosperity-South Dakota big debate among the Republican primary candidates for Governor is tonight in Sioux Falls at the Downtown Hilton Garden Inn.

If you’re looking for more information or want to attend, you can register here or by going to AFPGovForumSD.com.

Or if you can’t make it – the event will be livestreamed via Facebook at the AFP’s facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AFPSouthDakota/.