KEEPING LAWCO BEAUTIFUL — TOGETHER

 
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about serving as County Executive is learning more about the services Lawrence County provides and looking for ways we can make those services more convenient, efficient, and accessible for our citizens. 
Solid waste is a great example. 

About four years ago, I attended a solid waste conference that really opened my eyes to just how much of what we routinely throw away can actually be recycled. I came home and told Stephanie what I had learned, and we made the decision to start recycling at our house. 
Lawrence County already had a recycling program in place long before I became County Executive. What changed was my own understanding of just how much material we were personally throwing away that didn’t need to end up in the waste stream. 
Once Stephanie and I started paying attention to it at home, we quickly realized that more than 90% of what we had previously been throwing away could be recycled. That was eye-opening for us, and it gave me an entirely new appreciation for the recycling program our county already had in place. 
And here’s the good news: Lawrence County makes recycling easy. 
We offer free yellow recycling bags at our solid waste facilities, and you don’t have to separate your cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. Put those recyclable materials together in the yellow bag, bring them to us, and we’ll take it from there. 
The program is also a great example of different parts of county government working together. 
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, under Sheriff John Myers, along with Jail Administrator Lieutenant Susan Taylor, provides inmate labor to help sort those recyclable materials. It’s a wonderful cooperative relationship that helps divert material from our waste stream while generating recycling revenue that helps offset some of the costs associated with solid waste disposal. 
But for the program to reach its full potential, we need your help. 
Every yellow bag matters. Every piece of cardboard, plastic, or aluminum we can recycle rather than dispose of helps reduce our disposal costs, extend our resources, and stretch taxpayer dollars further. 
CONVENIENCE CENTERS — TAKING SERVICE CLOSER TO YOU 
One of the advancements I’m most excited about is our move toward permanent convenience centers. 
Loretto has now had its convenience center for more than a year, and the response from citizens has been tremendous. People love the cleanliness, convenience, and ease of using the facility. 
I’m especially proud of our solid waste staff. They’re kind, hospitable, and willing to help. When they’re available, they’ll even help unload your vehicle. That’s the kind of service I want our citizens to experience when they interact with county government. 
And now we’re preparing to expand that model. 
Our plan is to build three additional convenience centers serving the west, north, and east quadrants of Lawrence County. 
Lawrence County is a large county geographically, and our goal is to give citizens throughout the county reasonable access to the same kind of clean, convenient facility that has been so well received in Loretto. 
If we want people to dispose of waste responsibly and participate in recycling, we should do everything reasonably possible to make it convenient for them. 
KEEP LAWCO BEAUTIFUL 
This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Keep Tennessee Beautiful retreat and training, and I came home with pages of notes and a lot of excitement about what we can do right here in Lawrence County. 
I learned about litter prevention, cleanup projects, recycling initiatives, grants, education, partnerships, and some of the ways communities across Tennessee are getting their citizens personally involved. 
One thing became very clear to me: 
Government cannot do this alone—and it shouldn’t. 
Fortunately, we don’t have to start from scratch. 
For years, Lawrence County’s community clubs have participated in a countywide fall litter pickup, and they deserve our appreciation for the work they’ve already been doing to keep their communities clean. These clubs are made up of people who take tremendous pride in where they live, and that spirit of service is exactly what we want to build upon. 
Rather than replacing what is already working, we want to partner with our community clubs and make the fall cleanup even bigger. 
Then, beginning in 2027, we want to add a countywide spring cleanup as well. 
My vision is to bring all of these efforts together under a larger Keep LawCo Beautiful initiative—supporting the work our community clubs are already doing while inviting even more of Lawrence County to join them. 
We need volunteers willing to help coordinate these countywide cleanup efforts. We’re also looking for people interested in serving as board members for the Keep LawCo Beautiful team. 
I’m looking for people who love this county and aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves. 
Teachers. Students. Farmers. Business owners. Pastors and church members. Civic leaders. Volunteer firefighters. Retirees. Young people. Community clubs. Sports teams. Neighborhood groups. 
You don’t have to hold a title to make a difference. You just have to care. 
LET’S MAKE HISTORY IN 2027 
In the spring and fall of 2027, I want Lawrence County to come together on a scale we’ve never attempted before. 
In the spring, we’ll launch a new countywide cleanup effort. Then in the fall, we want to join forces with our community clubs and build upon the countywide cleanup tradition they’ve already established. 
Our goal is simple: 
Let’s make these the largest countywide litter cleanup efforts in LawCo history. 
I want our schools involved. I want our churches involved. I want every community club and civic organization we can find. I want our fire halls, businesses, nonprofits, families, county employees, elected officials, youth organizations, sports teams, and anyone else willing to lend a hand. 
Imagine hundreds—or even thousands—of Lawrence Countians spread across our county, picking up roadsides, cleaning community areas, and taking responsibility for the place we call home. 
This isn’t simply about trash. 
It’s about pride, ownership, and stewardship. 
It’s teaching our children that we don’t throw something out the window and expect somebody else to pick it up. It’s respecting our neighbors, our farms, our streams, our highways, and our communities. 
And it’s recognizing that we’re only temporary stewards of the place we’re preparing to hand to another generation. 
Scripture says: 
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” — Psalm 24:1 
God has blessed us with a beautiful place to call home, and I believe we have a responsibility to take care of it. 
County government can build convenience centers. We can provide recycling opportunities. We can pursue grants, provide resources, and help organize cleanup events. 
But keeping Lawrence County beautiful takes all of us. 
So I’m asking for your help. 
If you have ideas, if you’re willing to volunteer to help coordinate our 2027 countywide cleanup events, or if you’re interested in serving as a board member of the Keep LawCo Beautiful team, we want to hear from you. 
If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact my office at 931-766-4100 or email nbrewer@lawrencecountytn.gov. 
We need people from every corner of Lawrence County—people who love this place, care about its future, and are willing to roll up their sleeves and help. 
My hope is that Keep LawCo Beautiful becomes more than a couple of cleanup days each year. I want it to strengthen what our community clubs and other organizations are already doing and create a culture of taking pride in the place we call home. 
As fall approaches, the leaves begin to change, crops come out of the fields, Friday night lights shine across our communities, and we enjoy one of the most beautiful times of the year in southern Middle Tennessee, let’s take another look at our own little neck of the woods. 
Pick up that bottle beside the road. Grab some of our free yellow recycling bags. Teach your children why littering matters. Take pride in your community. 
And maybe most importantly, get involved. 
Together, let’s build on the great work already being done and make 2027 the year Lawrence County comes together like never before to take care of the place God has entrusted to us. 
Let’s Keep LawCo Beautiful—for today, for tomorrow, and for generations to come. 
Happy Fall, Y’all!