01/27/2026
Snowmageddon FERN 2026 tested all of us this week. We managed to coax the Jeep plow into action, only to discover that the plow actuator had retired on the spot. Not that it would have made a dent in the weather conditions—our runway had developed a hard glaze of ice that could have doubled as a week-old church donut left out on a Monday morning.
As always, the City of Searcy Street Department was ready to help, but even they were fighting their own battle. Their large plow went down, one of their two truck plows followed, and although they could only do so much for the airport, their road grader—normally the cat’s meow against ICE—looked promising. It made three heroic passes before surrendering via a blown water pump and tensioner. Mental panic ensued, but only briefly.
I try my best to keep everyone informed, so I issued a post and emailed the airport user list to keep the picture clear. That’s when Justice of the Peace David Heath Freppon reached out after seeing the email. “Roger, would you like me to see if the Judge can send a county grader?” Would I? Absolutely—please and thank you!
He made the call, and Judge Lisa Brown immediately stepped up to the plate. She has my cell, but in the interest of efficiency she also deployed Facebook, Messenger, and text—leaving no communication channel behind. Once we connected, she asked if help was needed. I assured her it was. She in turn checked the availability and positioning of county equipment and quickly returned with, “What time do you want them there?”
The next morning the county team arrived and went to work. Thirty minutes of tremendous progress… until grader number two made a dramatic exit by throwing a rod. At that point we had two graders out of service on the field. Thankfully, the county keeps both quality and quantity on hand. Another unit working on Nicholson arrived, removed the disabled grader from the runway, and resumed the mission. After a full day of steady effort, the runway was cleared, Taxiway Alpha 4 was open, much of Bravo was accessible, and limited priority access points were established.
Simultaneously, Mitch Batts spent two days working non-stop with our tractor, clearing hangar access and now—at 4:30 PM—he’s carving a path to self-serve. When daylight fades, we’ll pause and resume at sunrise to finish tidying up. We’ve also ensured survival flight has a safe landing area should a medical need arise.
In the midst of all of this, I ask everyone to remember how important this field is. Just last week we supported two fixed-wing medical missions; the week before, one; and the week before that, another. The two most recent were organ donor transports. No one here needs a reminder that time matters on missions like those.
This communication has two purposes. First, to confirm that the runway is usable and that Alpha 4 and Bravo are currently the only clear access points. The NOTAM is being lifted. Second, to give credit where it is due—not because these individuals asked for it, but because this community deserves to see what effective cooperation looks like.
Sammy Watson (City of Searcy): timely, resourceful, and made the best of challenging circumstances.
Justice of the Peace David Heath Freppon: accepted recognition only under protest, but his initiative made the difference.
Judge Lisa Brown: understood the importance of the airport and acted swiftly and persistently to get help headed our way.
Marty McSpadden (Operator) & Christian Bartholomew (Mechanic): piloted the first grader and set the course of action.
County Road Crew: Tim Taylor & Ricky Willis: promptly removed the disabled grader and restored access.
Russell Merriman: spent the day in the machine, expertly navigating height clearances, lights, and instruments—attentive and steady throughout.
Jeff Holleman: Who jumped up before even being given assignments and was johnny on the spot to clear the flight schools hangars.
And of course, Mitch Batts: whose determination kept aircraft access possible throughout the ordeal.
Because of their efforts and cooperation, what could have been a week-long closure became a one-day closure. For that I am grateful. For their contribution to public safety, I am grateful. And for their willingness to help—without hesitation—I am grateful.
