The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and the MississippiDepartment of Transportation should be commended for their newalliance to help combat the unsightly litter problem here.

The sheriff’s department will provide manpower — five jailinmates who will work a minimum of four days a week, seven hours aday.

MDOT will furnish trash bags, safety vests and advisory signsand pick up the tab for the supervision and transportation-relatedcosts as the inmates work on state roads that run through LincolnCounty. Transportation requirements got an early boost when MDOTsold the sheriff’s department a work van for $1.

Other roads will be targeted, too. Another work crew, made up ofsome county inmates and people assigned to work off justice courtfines, will focus on county roads.

“This’ll give us, basically, two different crews once we get itup and going,” Sheriff Lynn Boyte said last week.

Ronnie Durr, county solid waste-litter coordinator, appreciatesthe help. “This will enhance our ability to cover more area in thecounty and just do more,” he said.

Other help is also being provided. A Keep Mississippi Beautifulanti-litter program has been implemented into the curriculum in theLincoln County School District. Officials are also working ongetting the program in the Brookhaven School District and atBrookhaven Academy.

And, some private citizens are getting into the act. A southDistrict 4 neighborhood clean-up effort resulted in over 50 bags oftrash and garbage being picked up.

It’s good to see this effort from all sides. What’s a shame isthe fact that it’s needed in the first place.

Help keep Brookhaven and Lincoln County beautiful.

Please don’t litter.