By Rupert Howell
Have you been seeing pink lately—like pink garbage cans?
Panola County Solid Waste Department is dispensing them about the county after department head Jennifer Jackson and County Administrator Kelley McGee returned from a convention in Las Vegas where they said they brought home new ideas for the county’s garbage service.
Jackson appeared before supervisors at  Wednesday’s meeting to discuss her budget and revealed with the county’s purchase of each pink container, $5 is donated to the cancer society.
The idea, according to McGee and Jackson, was to provide pink containers for cancer survivors who desired them.
“It went over so well, we started offering them to others,” she said noting some residents were calling to request the pink containers.
District One Supervisor James Birge began the conversation stating, “When I go down a county road and see a pink can it almost blinds me.”
Magee explained the 96 gallon cans cost the county $53 each and also noted a newer cart was injected molded with a stronger mid-section that would not crack so easily when the automated arms grab and dump their contents into the truck.
Jackson also received small increases for her truck drivers from $14 to $14.50 per hour noting she had lost three drivers in six weeks due to overtime being taken away. The county approved additional drivers which cut away overtime with Jackson stating some were working two jobs to make ends meet.
The sanitation department was authorized additional equipment as their department is self-sufficient.
Magee told supervisors, “We can’t keep dumpsters on the yard,” noting the commercial business was, “growing fast.”
Earlier in the meeting supervisors accepted bids for a front load truck, three-28 yard and one 24-yard auto garbage trucks and one roll off truck. The truck bids were taken under advisement earlier in the month with Crows Truck Service winning all bids for a total of $1,501,260.
Jackson also revealed that the county’s involvement with the Keep America Beautiful campaign would require 10 roads from each supervisors district to be selected at random for participation while noting the program along with recycling had added much more responsibility to the solid waste department.