March 16, 2011 Edition

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Airport manager Mitch Whitmire (from left), commissioners Dan Coker, Sam Massey, Frank Wilson, Harry Hicks and Dr. Ralph Joseph and Walnut Ridge Mayor Don House shred the mortgage on the Walnut Ridge Regional Airport terminal building on Monday night.

Commission shreds mortgage

Gloria Wilkerson
Staff Writer

The Walnut Ridge Regional Airport Commission made the final payment on its terminal building and adjacent fire station on March 1 and shredded the mortgage at their meeting on Monday night.

In 2000, the commission voted to build a new terminal and applied for and received a 50-50 matching grant from the Department of Aeronautics for $100,000. A loan was secured at First National Bank in the amount of $250,000, using the building that now houses West Machine Shop as collateral for the loan.

The total cost of the terminal and fire station was $378,682, now paid in full.

In other business, due to the high cost of fuel the commissioners and airport manager Mitch Whitmire agreed to do less mowing and more spraying on airport grounds in the coming months. They also discussed plans for improvements to airport huts.

Commissioners agreed to refund Parten Farms for land they had paid rent on but were unable to farm following the airport's land swap with Williams Baptist College.

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