Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department receives MDOT award

CALHOUN COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department received an honor for its efforts to keep state and county roadways clean.

Many mornings you can find the inmate work crew known as “The Paper Chase” bagging trash in Calhoun County.

Wednesday, the crew walked along Highway 9.

Sheriff Greg Pollan said it should be a productive day.

“Right now, approximately, 50 to 60 bags, and here it is early in the morning,” said Sheriff Pollan.

Those orange bags add up. The Mississippi Department of Transportation recognized the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department at the recent state Sheriff’s Conference, after more than 3,000 bags of trash was picked up last year.

Each day, Micky Rodgers drives the work crew to their site. He supervises the inmates and their haul.

It’s not uncommon to find common items on the roadside.

“Everything from brand new road straps, to gas cans to five-gallon buckets of Roundup, we have found a couple of handguns, knives,” said Sheriff Pollan.

The sheriff said the “Paper Chase” has many benefits including helping keep the county clean, getting inmates out of jail and saving taxpayers money.

“It’s a partnership between us and MDOT and the board of supervisors, it would be outlandish to have to pay someone to do that every day,” said Sheriff Pollan.

Pollan said drivers should slow down when they see the work crew, and think before tossing trash out of their window.

“I’m very proud of the work Micky and the crew does every day,” expressed Pollan.

This is the seventh year Sheriff Pollan has received the MDOT award for roadside litter pickup efforts in Calhoun County.