Piggott airport receives grant

Leaders gather at the Arkansas Aeronautics Commission meeting in Little Rock earlier this month. Piggott mayor Gerald Morris (fourth from the left) was on hand to represent the city. To his left is State Rep. Mike Patterson of Piggott, who was instrumental in obtaining the funding through the legislature. Other Clay County mayors on hand included Rector Mayor Ron Kemp (far left) and Corning Mayor Dewayne Phelan (third from the left).
(photo provided)

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The 90/10 matching grant was one of 41 awarded in a total distribution of $3,500,920.

The city of Rector also was awarded a matching grant of $328,590, the largest of the grants approved, to pay for improvements at that city's airport. The grant also will pay for fencing and a gate for security at the Rector facility.

While the grants were originally written at 80/20, Knight said when he flew to Clay County with Gov. Mike Beebe following the late January ice storm, he knew immediately that the devastation and its required cleanup would drain the cities of matching funds.

State Representative Mike Patterson of Piggott received thanks and applause from the Commission and others present from around the state for his part in securing a supplemental appropriation of $4,000,000 from the Arkansas legislature.

Knight noted that nearly all of that amount was awarded to the airport facilities which made application. Aviation scholarships of $2,000 each went to Pulaski Technical College, Black River Technical College, Southern Arkansas University at Camden and Southern Arkansas University at Texarkana.

The county's other municipal airport, at Corning, was awarded an 80/20 grant of $128,410 for runway rehabilitation.

Other grants went to Siloam Springs, Ozark Regional at Mountain Home, Little Rock National, Northwest Arkansas Regional at Fayetteville, Fayetteville Airport, Magnolia, Pine Bluff, Clarksville, Delta Regional at Colt (between Wynne and Forrest City), Crossett, South Arkansas Regional at El Dorado, Monticello, Waldron, Hazen, Saline County, Hope, Newport, Batesville, Ozark, Russellville, Mountain View, Star City, DeQueen, Texarkana, Carlisle, Searcy, Bentonville, Warren and Arkadelphia.