Over the past month or so, there has been a visible effort by the city and county to pick up the litter.

In December, there were several crews working to pick up litter that had been thrown along Interstate 59.

While the efforts by the city, county and other organizations with the goal to pick up litter are appreciated and noticed, the residents of the county need to help prevent the amount of litter that gets left on the side of our roads.

Currently, there is a proposedordinance in Picayune going through the process of trying to create stricter litter laws and penalties. State Sen. Angela Burks Hill is working on a bill to help create stricter litter laws for the state and to promote education in the community on not littering.

Residents don’t realize that litter is more than just about those who live in the county, it is a reflection of our community to visitors.

When guests and businesses come here from out of town and out of state, their first impression is what they see. Having a clean city and county helps to market our area.

There are many great local organizations that work to keep Pearl River County clean and beautiful, but it takes everyone to keep it that way. The City of Poplarville participates in the “Keep Mississippi Beautiful” campaign every year and the City of Picayune has worked toward creating a cleaner city by implementing a recycling program.

If anyone is interested in working to beautify the county, check out the Committee Against Litter in Picayune, Friends of Boley, or Poplarville Garden Club.

Pearl River County is such a wonderful place. Let us make sure people from the elsewhere see that, too