Furr flies

With commercial airlines deserting Drake Field like rats from a sinking ship, Fayetteville city officials have decided to ax Rudy Furr, the marketing manager they hired two years ago to promote passenger traffic at the airport.

But some city officials are unhappy and think that Furr is being wrongly blamed for doing as he was directed.

Trent Trumbo, councilman and vice-mayor, is especially irate about the situation. He says promoting Drake as a passenger airport was clearly the direction city officials wanted Furr to take, despite the fact it seemed certain that the new Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport would become the area’s passenger airport.

“I’m real upset,” Trumbo says. “You’re talking about a guy with a mortgage and a car payment … and who’s done a great job.”