The latest:

>> Former Nevada Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, who was also the executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun, died this morning. He suffered a heart attack while at church, something he did every day before coming to work.

Mike was an amazing man -- you can read the obituary on the Sun's website for all of the details. How he cared for others, particularly children. How he quietly influenced politics in the state, both with fellow Democrats and with Republicans. How he railed against injustice and truly looked out for the little guy.

Mike was a pre2k governor and one of the most popular politicians Nevada has ever seen. Even today, when I'm up in northern Nevada, people always ask if I've seen "the Governor" and how he's doing. Doesn't really matter that he hasn't been governor since 1978.

There are the great stories of Mike attending state press association conventions in small Nevada towns, putting his beer glass on the floor to share with a dog who had wandered into the bar, waking people up the next morning as he helped trash collectors outside the hotel hoist cans.

One of Mike's nicknames was "Boomer." I witnessed the reason for this nickname one morning when a production person accidentally put Brian Greenspun's picture on Mike's column.

"Somebody better pull his head out of his ass!" he boomed across the newsroom.

"I'm on it, Mike."

"You damn well better be!"

Or the infamous early-morning calls. I received a few of those 4 a.m. beauties when I was working the desk. "Bryan, I'm watching the news and there's a story about an accident that I'm sure we have. Right?" "Absolutely, Mike," I said, scribbling down the details so I could pass them along to a reporter once I reached the office.

Or just the regular voicemail. Mike was always direct, to the point. "Bryan, I need to see you right away," in that booming voice. I'd scurry upstairs where a very pleasant Mike would ask me to print something out or to look something up. It was just the way he had learned to get things done.

I learned early on that you had to be tough right back. If he threw you a question and you had a good answer and stuck to your convictions, you were fine. But if you weren't prepared, God help you.

They don't really make many politicians like Mike O'Callaghan these days. One of my favorite (and most telling) stories about Mike involves the end of his term in office. When it came time to move back to Southern Nevada, out of the Governor's Mansion in Carson City, Mike called Hank Greenspun to borrow enough money to rent a moving truck.

Mike didn't see elected office as a way to enrich himself or to make himself more marketable. He wanted to help people, and he did whatever he could to make that happen. I'm sure I speak for people all over the world when I say I'm going to really miss Boomer.
posted by Bryan at 11:15 AM