By Billy Davis
It’s hard to miss the pink tags Jennifer Jackson was passing out this week and customers of Panola County Solid Waste would be wise to pay attention if they get one.

Anyone whose trash cart has a pink tag tucked under the lid will be serviced by an “automated” Solid Waste truck in coming days, Jackson, a Solid Waste employee, told The Panolian.

The county’s second automated truck is being delivered today, she said.

Automated trucks use a mechanical arm to pick up and empty cans, replacing the state trusties who currently load the carts manually throughout Panola County.

The pink tag explains that trash carts should be placed approximately three feet from the roadway with the handle of the cart facing away from the road.

If a cart is placed near obstructions, such as a mailbox or an automobile, it will not be picked up. Only items that are placed inside the cart will be picked up.

Jackson said the new automated truck is servicing only a portion of the county, which is why she was passing out tags to individual homes.

“The new truck will pick up only a portion of Pope-Water Valley Road, for example,” Jackson said.  “That’s why the tags are important.”

The Panolian has reported in the past that Solid Waste is using an automated truck in some of its routes in the county. Automated trucks were used previously by private companies who controlled Panola County’s curbside garbage pickup.

Supervisors first viewed an automated truck in 2009 and voted shortly afterward to purchase one for Solid Waste.

Jackson said the automated truck now in service follows a municipal route in Batesville, Sardis, Como, Pope and Courtland.

Solid Waste customers refer to the truck as the “one-armed bandit,” she said.  

Jackson was being helped this week by Allison Bright, a fellow county employee.