UPDATE FEBRUARY 14, 2022:
The winner of the Pierre Area snowplow naming contest “met” the machine bearing the name she submitted today (Feb. 14, 2022) at the South Dakota Department of Transportation shop in Pierre.
4 year old Mercy Howard submitted the winning name of “Snow Problemo.” The plow covers the route on Highway 14 from Pierre to Harrold and back.
SDDOT engineer Dean VanDeWiele says while the contest is fun, it also raises awareness.
VanDeWiele says the snow plow operators are the ones updating road condition information on the sd511.org website.
Along with Snow Problemo in Pierre, other 2021-2022 winning names include:
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Mobridge Area: Drift Dominator by Brandee Fjeldheim
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Huron Area: Termiblader by Highmore-Harrold Elementary 1st Grade
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Winner Area: Plow Patrol by Caysen Newbold
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Aberdeen Area: Blizzard of Oz by Jessica Wimer
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Belle Fourche Area: Mr. Snow Jangles by Toni Brumbaugh
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Custer Area: Snow Squatch by Karen Simon
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Mitchell Area: Highway Hero by Melissa Davis
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Rapid City Area: West River Shiver by Ann Eads
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Sioux Falls Area: Quick Thaw McGraw by Linda Nassar
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Watertown Area: Control/Salt/Delete by Russell Family
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Yankton Area: Thank Me Blader by Liz Franko
South Dakota Department of Transportation Pierre area plow “Snow Problemo.”
Photo credit DRG Media Group.
Mercy Howard of Pierre “met” the South Dakota Department of Transportation Pierre area plow that bares her winning name of “Snow Problemo.”
Photo credit DRG Media Group.
Mercy Howard of Pierre “met” the South Dakota Department of Transportation Pierre area plow that bares her winning name of “Snow Problemo.”
Photo credit DRG Media Group.
Left to right: Cameron, Merritt, Elissa and Mercy Howard of Pierre and South Dakota Department of Transportation staff Dean VanDeWiele, Kyle Willis and Les Winsel with “Snow Problemo.”
Photo credit DRG Media Group.
JANUARY 3, 2022:
South Dakota Department of Transportation staff have chosen the winners of the 2nd Annual Name the Snowplow Contest.
Governor Kristi Noem kicked off the contest by naming the state’s official 2021-2022 snowplow ‘Dale’ in honor of tow truck driver Dale Jones of Watertown, who was killed two years ago while on the job.
In central South Dakota, one of the Pierre area plows gets the name “Snow Problemo,” submitted by Mercy Howard. A plow in the Mobridge area will bare the name “Drift Dominator” by Brandee Fjeldheim. The Highmore-Harrold Elementary 1st Grade class submitted the winning name of “Termiblader” for a Huron area snowplow while Caysen Newbold suggested “Plow Patrol” for one of the DOT’S Winner area snowplows.
2021-2022 snowplows named within each SDDOT area:
Mobridge Area: Drift Dominator by Brandee Fjeldheim
Pierre Area: Snow Problemo by Mercy Howard
Huron Area: Termiblader by Highmore-Harrold Elementary 1st Grade
Winner Area: Plow Patrol by Caysen Newbold
Aberdeen Area: Blizzard of Oz by Jessica Wimer
Belle Fourche Area: Mr. Snow Jangles by Toni Brumbaugh
Custer Area: Snow Squatch by Karen Simon
Mitchell Area: Highway Hero by Melissa Davis
Rapid City Area: West River Shiver by Ann Eads
Sioux Falls Area: Quick Thaw McGraw by Linda Nassar
Watertown Area: Control/Salt/Delete by Russell Family
Yankton Area: Thank Me Blader by Liz Franko
Safety on our roadways is the number one priority for the SDDOT, and winter driving and snowplow safety awareness is vital to keeping people safe each and every day.
Melissa Davis of Mitchell, who submitted the winning name of “Highway Hero,” focused her entry on the hard work of the SDDOT snowplow operators. She says she wanted to recognize the hard work and sacrifice that snowplow drivers give every winter.
Liz Franko of Elk Point says the inspiration behind her submission of “Thank Me Blader” was her dad, who worked as a snow plow driver for the state. She says snowplow operators serve an essential role in keeping the public safe, having to go out in the worst of driving conditions and on weekends and holidays. Franko says it’s a role that does not get as much recognition or thanks as it should.
Photos and media coverage of the contest winners with their newly named snowplows will be shared on the SDDOT website in January at https://dot.sd.gov/inside-sddot/of-interest/sddot-snowplow-naming-contest.
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