Last week, Raccoon Valley Radio reported that the Jefferson Municipal Airport was going to receive over $175,000 in federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration for an extension of the protection zone on the runway.

Not only will this effort help with increasing the protection zone at the airport to go from 3,200-feet to 4,000-feet to handle larger aircraft, but it will also allow for potential economic growth.

Airport Commissioner Jim Forbes talks about the airport helping to support economic growth in the community.

“It has really more to do with economic development and to improve the runway and be able to have a safer, better (and) adequate airport for economic development that will benefit the community for the next 50 years or so.”

He states that the protection zone will have an additional 900-1,000 feet of concrete on the southeast part of the runway and that will lead into a grass field to allow for a safety area for airplanes in case of inclement weather.