ROCKINGHAM — The manager of the Richmond County Airport is asking for help in finding who is responsible for damaging a fence on the property.
Jason Gainey posted a photo to the airport’s Facebook page late Thursday showing about 100 yards of fence posts leaning and partly coming out of the ground.
The incident occurred sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, he said, a day after hundreds gathered to watch military helicopters touch down and take off during a training mission.
Gainey said it appears that someone rammed the fence with a vehicle and “had a field day on the lawn.”
The security gate leading to the airfield was also damaged.
Gainey said security footage has been turned over to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, Gainey was still waiting on estimates on the cost to repair the fence.
He said it was part of an old fence line that has yet to be replaced.
Last year, 4,000 feet of the perimeter 6-foot fence along the south side of the airport was replaced with an 8-foot fence featuring three strands of barbed wire at the top. The project was mostly paid for through a grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Gainey said he is in contact with DOT officials to find out if the replacement fence will need different dimensions.
He also said the military would be training at the airport April 12-25 and hopes that might deter any more property damage.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Gainey at 910-997-5071.
