PRINEVILLE, OR -- The Prineville–Crook County Airport was recently awarded a large grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation to help upgrade infrastructure. County Commissioner Ken Fahlgren says Crook County is lucky to receive such a large piece of the highly competitive Connect Oregon Grant. "In Central Oregon, probably $4.5 million was available for this region, which includes all the way from the Columbia River, The Dalles, south to the California border – all of Region Four. And, of that, Crook County has received in this one piece for the airport, $2 million. So, that’s a huge thing for us."

Fahlgren tells KBND News, "We’re going to be able to put in a new fueling station; we’ll be able to add to our taxi area, our tie-down area."

Work funded by the Connect Oregon grant should begin by fall. He says it's the first piece of a larger project, "It’ll help us with infrastructure toward what looks like will be a US Forest Service – it’s called a helibase, or an airbase, actually now, because it includes SEAT planes. And, that’s a much bigger project. So, this is one step in a piece of a $3.6 million total, that will then tie to about an $8 million project for the Forest Service." Fahlgren adds, "It’s an exciting time, and we’re very happy to get involved and be able to go forward with the partnership we’ve created with these dollars. I think we’re just very fortunate to be able to receive the moneys that are going to change our airport, and change jobs, in Crook County."