Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register Star the Columbia County Airport has received verbal approval of its new FAA status designation. Columbia County Engineer Dean Knox shared the news with the Board of Supervisors Airport Sub-committee Mon., Mar. 24. The county is seeking approval for a change in the airport designation from D-2 to B-2, based on the number of landings and takeoffs at the Ghent location. The reclassification will make compliance with FAA safety code regulations easier. Knox told the supervisors he hopes to have the plans for the construction of a new 300-foot safety area and other improvements submitted to the FAA by the fall, with work to begin sometime next year. Read the full story in the Register Star.