The Pendleton County 109 Board held its annual spring roadside cleanup in April and May, with various groups and organizations adopting sections of county streets and roads from which to collect trash and debris.
Stipends were awarded to each nonprofit group, church and school team that participated.
As part of their participation, each group writes letters to the 109 Board and to the newspaper to report their efforts.
Here are letters submitted to Billy Steele, county solid waste coordinator.
• Four “old” ladies and two drivers set out on a mission to make Highway 22 — all nine miles — a cleaner condition. You just wouldn’t believe the sights you find of all the crazy garbage people leave behind.
Our “finds” included buckets, bottles, balls, wheels, hydraulic fluids, vapes, chairs, bumpers and grills, a step stool, unopened bottles, gift cards galore, two coolers, chairs, a john boat and oh, so much more.
We also found two small snakes (who we didn’t bother at all). Just let them be. Someone else can make that call.
Oh, well, 36 bags wasn’t as bad as it has been. But what a shame. Even one bag is a SIN!
— Dulce Life Group
Oakland Christian Church
• On May 3 and again on May 18, 2025, the Knoxville Baptist Church Youth Group and their parents picked up trash along both KY 491 and KY 467, total 15 miles of road coverage. A total in excess of 20 bags of garbage was collected in addition to several other miscellaneous items.
As members of the community in Pendleton County, it saddens us to see the amount of garbage that is thrown out of vehicles. We ask and encourage you to please help us keep our roads and community clean and refrain from throwing garbage out of your vehicles.
We would like to thank Mr. Billy Steele of Pendleton County Solid Waste for always doing such an excellent job with the task of organizing trash pickup for our group. We do this as a way to reach out in this community and assist with maintaining its beauty, and the funds we receive for our work are used to help fund camps for us each summer.
We very much appreciate Mr. Steele for giving us this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Knoxville Baptist Church Youth Group
Williamstown
• The Faith Outdoors Group of Antioch Mills Christian Church spent the afternoon of Sunday, April 27, cleaning ten miles of highway in Pendleton County. Twenty-two individuals volunteered fiver hours of time to help beautify our county, specifically in the areas of Hwy 1054 and Hwy 330
The group would like to thank the county for the opportunity.
• After we had to cancel our garbage pickup for May 16 due to storm concerns, we were blessed with a beautiful day on May 18. We had 20 people participate in our trash pickup and we collected 13 bags.
Please don’t litter and please keep our county beautiful.
— April Lecrone
Morgan Christian Church
• On May 11, the Pendleton County High School football team picked up trash on Route 17 from U.S. 27 to the Kenton County line. In all, 18 bags of trash were collected.
We would like to thank the players, parents and coaches who volunteered their time to help keep our community clean.
Please take part in keeping our county litter-free.
— PCHS Wildcat football
• United Trappers of Kentucky cleaned up Route 154 for their annual spring session.
This area was not impacted by the highwater events, so the amount of garbage was about the same from winter use. This stretch stays pretty clean due to the surrounding landowners (thank you).
We collected four bags of garbage and lots of car parts.
Thanks to the 109 Board for continuing the program to improve the environment in the county.
• To get ahead of the new spring foliage, the Butler Lions picked up five miles of U.S. 27 and five miles of Hwy 177 in early April.
This year, we worked on some of the drainage creeks adjoining our roadways and got some of the old cans, bottles, tires, etc., that have been there for years. We collected 74 bags of garbage, 10 tires and lots of automobile parts.
Thanks again to the 109 Board for keeping this program going.
And finally, R.I.P. “Boo” Singleton and his last highway cleanup. He left this earth in a lot better shape in his departure.
• The Ladycats basketball team completed its trash pick-up on April 27. This program picks up a total of 17 miles between two roads. They had 24 volunteers and collected a total of 29 bags.
There were 16 bags of trash collected from Lightfoot 1657. There 13 bags of trash collected from Hwy 22.
Ladycats are thankful for the opportunity to support our county and contribute to keeping Pendleton County clean. We urge you to do the same, disposing of trash properly.
• New Life Wesleyan Church picked up trash on Hwy 330 from U.S. 27 to Godman Road on May 10. Cans, bottles, food containers and other miscellaneous items littered the side of the road. A total of 20 bags were picked up along this five-mile stretch.
We appreciated the opportunity to do our part in keeping Pendleton County beautiful and ask that everyone dispose of trash properly to maintain that beauty.
Thank you,
New Life Wesleyan Church
• On April 27, the Pendleton County Fair Board picked up trash along Center Ridge Road. It took an hour and a half for the seven participants to pick up 10 bags of trash. The trash mostly consisted of fast food, pop cans and beer cans.
Thanks,
Pendleton county Fair Board
• On May 10, 2025, Pendleton County Search and Rescue volunteers had picked up 17 bags of trash in six miles on Broadford Road. We completed the six miles of roadway in roughly four hours and found quite a bit of trash.
PCSAR had 16 members involved in the trash pick-up day. Trash was a variety of items, including, but none more prominent and continuative than bottles and cans ranging from soda to beer to whiskey. This just so happened to be the same issue that we came across last fall when we last cleaned the roadway.
Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
We appreciate the opportunity to help make our community a clean and beautiful place for all.
Sincerely,
Chief Darrin P. Brown
PCSAR
• On Tuesday, May 6, the Pendleton County High School track and field team made a difference by tackling roadside pollution on Hwy 177 from the Kenton County line to Northern Elementary School.
It is great to see the team coming together not just to train for track, but to work for a cause that impacts everyone.
Participating in the highway clean-up program allows the track team and parents to gain an understanding of how much garbage is along the roadsides. It is eye-opening for all who work.
• On May 14, the Pendleton County High School baseball team did our trash pickup along Hwy 10 from the Campbell/Pendleton counties line to the intersection of 159 and Davis Road.
We appreciate the opportunity to pitch in and help keep Pendleton County roads clean. This route allows us to raise money for equipment and supplies not only for this season, but for our upcoming baseball season as well.
We picked up nine bags of trash, which is down from the 14 bags we picked up in the fall.
We thank everyone for their efforts in helping keep Pendleton County trash-free, but there’s still work to be done.
Please slow down when organizations are out picking up trash along the roadways. It helps keep everyone safe.
Again, we are thankful for this opportunity and for what it provides for our baseball team.
Sincerely,
Jacob Frisch
PCHS Wildcat baseball
• Our high school soccer team spent the afternoon picking up trash along our designated road as part of a fundraiser, and it opened our eyes to how much waste ends up where it doesn’t belong.
We had 18 participants and 19 bags of trash. We found everything from fast food containers to old cans and plastic bags.
It was a reminder that litter doesn’t just disappear — it builds up and harms the environment. Trash on the side of the road can wash into nearby streams and rivers, polluting water and threatening wildlife. It also ruins the natural beauty of our community.
By cleaning up, we not only raised money for our team but also helped protect the place where we live and play. It felt good to make a difference and show that small actions really do matter.
— Dawson Nichols
PCHS boys soccer
• Pendleton County High School Navy Junior ROTC cadets, parents, friend and instructors cleaned up trash alongside an eight-mile stretch of Hwy 27 from Hwy 17 to the Campbell County line.
Fifty-five volunteers worked for three hours filling about 42 bags with litter, including alcohol bottles and cans, tobacco products, food containers and other plastic and paper items.
While most of the litter is unintentional, I believe our community deserves better. We need to be more intentional about preventing litter. Please dispose of trash properly and carefully tie down everything that you’re hauling. The beautiful landscapes of our county should not be spoiled by trash.
Navy Junior ROTC serves our community and provides opportunities for students to develop as leaders, students and citizens.
NJROTC seniors earned college scholarship offers totaling more than $8 million over the last four years. Most of those offers do not require military service.
If you know Pendleton County students, encourage them to consider Navy Junior ROTC during high school. They’ll find lots of opportunities to improve themselves and our community.
Very respectfully,
Cadet Chief Petty Officer Dominic Schlueter
Public affairs officer
Pendleton County NJROTC
• On Thursday, May 16, the Pendleton County High School cheer team cleaned part of Hwy 154 and Flour Creek Road.
Twenty-three athletes with their families came together to help their community by cleaning 30 bags of garbage out of the ditches.
Cleaning up waste not only makes the area look better, but also helps prevent trash from ending up in the waterways and harming the environment.
Serving the community by cleaning up garbage along the roadways is an important way that the cheer team can give back to the community that gives so much to them.
Please don’t litter.