A county in Illinois believes the company managing the privatized housing operation at Scott AFB, Ill., owes real estate taxes, but the company has asked a federal judge to step in. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the attorney representing the Scott Air Force Base Properties, a private company with headquarters in Texas, filed a claim asserting that federal property is exempt from real estate tax. The county maintains the privatized housing lease agreement permits taxation on the buildings not the land. The newspaper reports this situation could have nationwide implications, since all the military services are engaged in privatized housing arrangements. We’ve already reported that American Eagle Properties, the company that has failed to meet its housing obligations at several Air Force bases, has property tax troubles with several communities.
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…