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<h4>By MIKE McCOMBS</h4>
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<p>There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, June 8 for a new security gate at the Beaufort County Airport.</p>
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<p>The celebration came after a year-long fundraising campaign and installation by the Beaufort Aviation Association. Twenty-eight donors contributed a total of $23,700 allowing the gate to be constructed and installed without any public funding.</p>
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<p>According to Beaufort Aviation Association president James Atkins, the security gate prevents unauthorized vehicles from entering the airport and reduces the potential of vandalism, terrorism and theft from the aircraft hangars.</p>
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<p>The gate should mean no more unauthorized vehicles on the ramp, taxiway or runway, which could have become a problem with the increased traffic on Airport Circle, which runs in front of the relatively new Lady’s Island Walmart.</p>
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<p>“There are certainly more people in the area due to Walmart and the associated development,” Beaufort County Airport director Jon Rembold said in an email. “We haven’t had any serious issues but we would rather be proactive when it comes to the safety of the public.</p>
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<p>The Beaufort County Airport, located at 39 Airport Circle on Lady’s Island, is a county-owned, public-use airport three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Beaufort. It is also known as Frogmore Island Airport or Frogmore Intranational Airport.<br></p>
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