It's news that shocked many South Dakotans today.
The state's longest serving governor says he has brain cancer, and he doesn't know how long he has to live.
The 72-year-old made an announcement this afternoon, in a news conference that at times, became very emotional.
Bill Janklow is a legendary name in South Dakota politics.
And late Friday afternoon, Janklow announced that he is now in the final stages of his life. "I have brain cancer. It's very advanced. I cry a lot and I'm gonna try and not to do that right now. It's a condition that's not treatable. It's throughout my brain. It runs...it isn't in one little clump it covers the entire brain."
Janklow was born in Chicago in 1939. He served in the U-S Marine Corps before making his way to South Dakota in the early 1960's, where he would earn business and law degrees from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.
Upon graduating from law school, Janklow worked for six years as a legal services attorney on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
From there, Janklow would serve a four year term as South Dakota attorney general from 1975 through 1979 before serving an eight year term as governor from 1979 through 1987.
It's during this term as governor than Janklow signed the bill into law that re-instated the death penalty in South Dakota.
Janklow also backed the law which removed state limits on what banks charged for interest rates, which cleared the way for Citibank to come to South Dakota.
Because of state term limits, Janklow could not run for governor again in 1986: so Janklow challenged incumbent Republican James Abdnor for one of South Dakota's two seats in the U-S Senate. Janklow lost the primary but many political analysts believe the battle weakened Abdnor, who eventually lost his seat to Democrat Tom Daschle.
Janklow was succeeded as governor by Republican George Mickelson, who was killed half-way through his second term in a plane crash near Dubuque, Iowa in April of 1993.
Mickelson's lieutenant governor, Walter Dale Miller, succeed him and in 1994, Janklow challenged Miller in the Republican gubernatorial primary and eventually defeated Democrat Jim Beddow in the general election.
Janklow ran for governor again in 1998 and defeated democrat Bernie Hunhoff.
It was during Janklow's fourth term as governor that his support of the state's boot camp for troubled teens came under scrutiny.
In July of 1999, 14-year-old Gina Score collapsed and later died after a forced run at the state boot camp facility in Plankinton.
Janklow asked the FBI to step in and investigate the girl's death. "I believe there was criminal conduct towards Gina Score, I think there are some people that will be charged with crimes and I think in addition to that they violated her civil rights...."
Two camp workers were acquitted of child abuse charges in connection with Score's death.
And the state closed the Plankinton boot camp in 2001.
In 2002, again facing state term limits, Janklow won the Republican nomination for South Dakota's only seat in the U-S House, defeating Democratic up and comer Stephanie Herseth for the post. "A majority of people in this state put their faith in me tonight when they voted.... It's my job to go to work for those who voted for me and prove to those who didn't vote for me, that I'm worthy of that majority of support I got I'm going to try to do that."
Seven months after being sworn in as a congressman, Janklow ran a stop sign near Trent, striking and killing motorcyclist Randy Scott.
In December of 2003, he was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 100 days in jail. he resigned his seat in Congress.
Janklow talked about the fatal accident this afternoon...saying it was one of his big regrets.
Another memory you may have of Janklow is his involvement in the aftermath of the Spencer tornado.
Janklow spent several days after the storm in the community, coordinating rescue and recovery efforts.
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