Dump site angers local officials

By Staff
Jason Cannon, Franklin County Times
WACO – Litter control has been on the front of Franklin County officials' minds for the past several months, but after an incident Thursday, they're really hopping mad.
County officials found a pile of illegally dumped trash on the side of Alabama 24 early Thursday morning, something they are taking as a slap in the face.
"You expect stuff like this on some of the back, rural county roads because we see it so often," county Probate Judge Mike Green said. "But this is a blatant disregard for the law, right here off the side of a four-lane highway."
Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott said the person who dumped the rubbish likely did so Wednesday night, but also suspected that someone might have passed by.
"It's almost unbelievable," Plott said of someone's willingness to dump a pile of trash that large on a state highway.
The pile contained old fence posts, barbed wire, bags of clothes, some household trash and a Christmas tree.
"It would have taken them a few minutes to get all that stuff out," Plott said. "Surely someone passed by, or maybe passed a truck that was loaded down with all that stuff in the back."
Thursday's find was just the most recent and offensive violation of the county's plan to combat litter.
The county has hired a full-time litter control officer, and last week, the commission voted to join the "Keep America Beautiful" program through the chamber of commerce.
Anyone who thinks they might have some information about who dumped the trash is asked to call the Franklin County Sheriff's Office at 332-8820.