County faces big bill to keep civilian flights at Grissom

PERU, Ind. (AP) - An Indiana county faces spending about $300,000 so civilian airplanes can keep using Grissom Air Reserve Base.

A private company has told Miami County officials that it wasn't making money servicing civilian planes at Grissom and would be pulling out.

Miami County Economic Development Authority director Jim Tidd says services such as aircraft fueling, maintenance and de-icing must be offered by a civilian operator at the military base about midway between South Bend and Indianapolis.

The Kokomo Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2jsAMfe ) the agency is seeking $305,000 from the county to buy equipment and a $50,000 annual subsidy to offer those services.

Most civilian flights now at Grissom are customers of a company that paints and services planes. Tidd says the county money is needed to protect the company's 200 jobs.

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com