They keep it scenic

It’s a scene that’s repeated all along Washington County’s roads and highways: The other day a group of prisoners wearing orange safety vests were wading through the knee-high grass along I-540 in Fayetteville. Each man was carrying a stick, jabbing at the ground, and putting the speared pieces of plastic, paper and cardboard into the large bag he carried. It was hot but not one of the men seemed to notice; they seemed too busy, absorbed in collecting as much trash as possible.

Some motorists honked and waved as they passed. The men kept their heads down, focused on the next piece of trash they’d spotted in the overgrowth. They’re part of whole battalion of prisoners working off their communityservice sentences.

Thanks to them, the scenery alongthis interstate has improved considerably since the sheriff’s department began using inmates to clean the roadside more than a decade ago. It doesn’t seem all that long since travelers along I-540 were greeted by a landscape littered with castoff debris. Looking at the much improved scene, we thought of the late Kenneth McKee, the sheriff who started this clean-up program using the county’s community-service and work-release inmates. His good idea is still improving the view all across Washington County.