Renaming airport grounded for now

The proposal to change the name of McCook Regional Airport is grounded for now.

The McCook Airport Advisory Commission, at its regular meeting Wednesday afternoon, did not discuss renaming the McCook airport after Sen. Ben Nelson as scheduled, because the citizen committee that proposed the change withdrew its request.

Airport Advisory Commission members were scheduled to take up the issue after postponing the request from January's meeting.

At the January Airport Commission meeting, Laura Ford presented letters of support from 42 community citizens in support of changing the name to McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport, from the current name of McCook Regional Airport.

At the time, Commission members debated the idea, with some in favor and some with reservations. Ideas mentioned included naming just the airfield after Nelson instead of the whole airport and that McCook pioneer aviators should be recognized as well.

Ford attended Wednesday's meeting but declined to comment.