Cleaning Up The Community

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- No one likes to live in a community that’s filled with trash and litter, just ask Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones.

“If you look like you living in the slums, then you tend to actually live like you’re in the slums,” said Jones.

Jones said litter is a big problem in Columbus, and most of the trash is found alongside the major roads.

“People just ride by and throw things out,” said Jones.

But Jones is hoping to resolve that issue.

On Saturday, Jones along with other residents in Ward 5 hit the streets for clean up.

They walked through ward five with trash bags and hand grabbers to pick up trash, and even talked with residents about the importance of having a clean community.

 
“A lot of the trash that I saw out there today has been out there a while, I don’t think it just happened over night, so I think the main thing is just getting people to care and be conscious of not throwing out the trash,” said Jones.

Jones said the key to fixing this issue starts in the home.

“If we just start working on our block, just get out and clean your block, and if everybody did that, then that would make a big difference,” he said.

Jones also said he thinks everyone should be held accountable for littering.

“If we clean up and start holding some of the renters responsible for their actions as well, then we could all make a difference and we go to start holding the landlord responsible as well,” he said.

Though there’s still a lot of work to be done, Jones said he believes his efforts won’t go in vain and Columbus will become the city he knows it can be.

“I think we can, we have a lot of people that care and I think If we all get together, we’ll eventually get there,” said Jones.

 
During Saturday’s clean up, two truck loads of trash was collected.

Jones said he plans to have another clean up day coming up later on in the year.