Brown: 'There Was A Softer Side To Janklow'

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Someone who spent plenty of time covering Bill Janklow while he was in office was former KELOLAND News reporter and current Sioux Falls City Council member Vernon Brown.  Brown said his experiences with the former governer were not always smooth.

"I really knew him as two personas.  There was the silver-tongued governor who would give you those tongue lashings at times, but even a softer side to him too that the general public didn't get to see.  I was fortunate enough to get to see that side many times, and especially when I was done covering him," Brown said.  "I don't think there was a time when I was done reporting on him that I didn't get a big bear hug from him, and we caught up on family and those things." 

Brown said Janklow liked a challenged, and he can remember it took showing a little backbone for the relationship to change.

"I had done a story, I can't even remember what it was, but I got off the set and the phone was ringing at my desk.  I took a lashing.  I finally said, 'Governor, why do you treat me this way?  You know I have a job to do; you know I respect you.'  There was this dead silence on the phone, and from that point forward our relationship changed.  Sure there were stories he didn't like, but in the end, when I finished my reporting career, he said I always treated him fairly and he appreciated that.  That's the best compliment I could've received from him," Brown said.