ROCK ISLAND, ILL.—When the Arsenal Island Flotilla participates in the annual “Bald Eagle Days” celebration each January in the Quad Cities, there’s nothing they will “knot” do—including teaching people about knot tying. That was just one of a number of activities Flotilla 97 that was a hit with thousands children and adults who visited their booth during the event, held January 11-13, 2013. In fact, approximately 1,600 children alone visited the “97” exhibit during a six hour period on the Saturday of the event.

SOUTH DAKTOA – Unprecedented attendance and media interest highlighted the split search and rescue exercise Jan. 12-13 held in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. In Sioux Falls, a record 53 members from the Big Sioux and Sioux Falls composite squadrons participated in the exercise, which also attracted coverage from all three local commercial TV news stations – KDLT, the NBC affiliate; CBS affiliate KELO; and KSFY, the ABC statation – and the state’s largest daily newspaper, the Argus Leader.

SOUTH DAKOTA – Five stars recently appeared over the northern plains on a brilliantly blue fall day. It wasn’t a meteor shower or other astronomical event. Instead, two generals from different branches of the U.S. military were participating in a Civil Air Patrol/U.S. Air Force/South Dakota Air National Guard/South Dakota Army National Guard mission high above the Nebraska Sandhills, just south of the South Dakota border. Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, South Dakota National Guard adjutant general, flew in the backseat scanner position in one the South Dakota Wing’s glass-cockpit Cessna 182Ts during the intercept mission and in the observer position in the right front on the return flight.

It's a spring ritual in North Dakota. The snow finally melts, causing flooding, and the dedicated citizen volunteers of the Civil Air Patrol's North Dakota Wing spring to action, assisting with the local, state, and federal response as the waters rise.

While uncovering ways to build interest in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM subjects, often challenges teachers' limited budgets, a Civil Air Patrol program is giving them a chance to spread their wings. Literally.

A river runs through South Dakota -- a river once wild, though tamed, but now wild again. For nearly 60 years, four massive dams and reservoirs have kept the once flood-prone Missouri in its banks in South Dakota

For the first time in South Dakota electoral history, a state LGBT group has given political action money to state legislative candidates. Equality South Dakota PAC (EqSD PAC) has recently provided over $5,000 in funding to both Republican and Democratic candidates involved in the June 3, 2008 South Dakota primary.

The KELO-TV/Argus Leader poll shows my guy, Democrat Jack Billion, trailing Gov. Mike Rounds. But it’s no big surprise. Gee, Jack is running against an incumbent with lots of cash and a registration advantage. And you know what? Our own polling shows us behind — but not nearly by as much — as the not always predictive Mason-Dixon Poll that the two local media giants commissioned last week.

A pair of North Central Region wings – Nebraska and South Dakota – recently conducted their first Legislative Days, making sure their respective states’ lawmakers are aware of the services Civil Air Patrol members carry out for their communities and the nation. In Lincoln, the Nebraska Wing’s day at the Capitol began with a breakfast meeting and briefing for lawmakers and their staffs. Col. David Plum, wing commander, briefed senators and legislative staffers on the wing’s capabilities. Later, members spread through the building to meet and leave information on CAP with senators who hadn’t been able to attend the breakfast. Officers and cadets alike were on hand to speak to their representative about the wing. In Pierre, “the idea is to tell policymakers the South Dakota Civil Air Patrol story of the many volunteer hours spent on photo reconnaissance and other missions for state, federal, tribal and local governments,” said Col. John Seten, wing commander.

Bald Eagle Days is noted for its programs on migratory bald eagles that winter along the forests and ice-free Mississippi River near the Quad Cities.  . The event also features bird of prey demonstrations.

SOUTH DAKOTA—Col. John Seten and Lt. Col. Rick Larson are the South Dakota Wing’s new commander and vice commander, respectively. Seten most recently held the position of wing director of operations. An incident commander and mission pilot, during extensive flooding last year he flew many photo missions in support of the state’s and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief efforts and also directed other missions.

SOUTH DAKOTA — World War II subchaser and South Dakota aviation legend Luverne “Vern” Kraemer has passed away. He was 95. Kraemer, who died June 20 in Rapid City, was the last known subchaser in South Dakota. Trained as a blacksmith by his father as a young man in Nemo in the Black Hills of South Dakota, aviation proved to be Kraemer’s lifelong passion.

SOUTH DAKOTA – The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office has suspended the search for Cadet 2nd Lt. Justin Lewis of the Crazy Horse Composite Squadron, ending the South Dakota Wing's role in the quest to find one of their own. Specialized dive teams from state and local government have since begunconcentrating on Deerfield Lake in the central Black Hills, where Lewis was last thought to be kayaking. A dive team and search dogs are expected tojoin the search on the water Saturday.

SIOUX FALLS — Dogs, airplanes, and high-technology will converge on the Sioux Empire Saturday as the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) holds a training exercise in Sioux Falls.

Aviation legend Mary Feik addressed—and participated in--the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol’s annual wing conference and awards dinner Saturday at Cedar Shore Resort.

Five color guard teams representing 5 different wings participated in the North Central Region color guard competition April 16, 2011 in Sioux Falls. The teams were from the states of Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota. The cadets used teamwork, preparation and knowledge of the flag during the competition.