This week is observed across the USA as National Aviation Week.

For years, The Tribune was blessed with the community columns of the late Don Lee, who kept us up to date on all developments in the field, which has more relevance to the county than one would assume at first glance.

And there are some events in recent months that certainly would have made Don happy.

For instance, last month, the Lawrence County Commission made a $25,000 donation to Tri-State Airport across the river in West Virginia. The funds from Lawrence County will, along with those from other counties the airport serves, help to fund upgrades for the airport, including adding service to Chicago, an international hub that will make travel between Lawrence County and all parts of the world more efficient.

Meanwhile, here in the county, Collins Career Technical Center has added an aviation program to its Project Lead the Way STEM program.

A partnership with an airplane mechanic school at Tri-State Airport and a pilot school, planned for Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia, it will allow students to get a head start in high school toward careers aviation.

And, finally, in June, the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announced that nearly $83,000 in federal funds would be awarded to the Lawrence County Airpark, part of seven grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, totaling $1,154,297, to county governments and airport authorities in Appalachian Ohio.

These funds will allow local airports like ours in the county to make necessary upgrades and pay for critical infrastructure.

These are all positive developments and will help to keep the Tri-State connected nationally and globally and will continue to keep aviation a strong presence for our region.