The City of LaGrange is shutting down business on Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and all non-essential employees will go out into the community’s main thoroughfares to pick up litter. 

City Manager Meg Kelsey is hoping to send a message to the community that the City of LaGrange is serious about cleaning up the litter. 

Kelsey sent a letter to the all employees Tuesday detailing the city’s new campaign, “Leaving LaGrange Better Than We Found It.”

“As employees of the city, we have an opportunity to do something about it,” Kelsey said in the memo. 

“We need to create a sense of responsibility and ownership for roadways and other public areas. City staff has the opportunity to send a new message to our citizens and visitors.”

Current and former city council members, as well as concerned citizens plan to join in the cleanup.

Six different groups of employees will be picking up litter in the following areas:

• Lafayette Parkway/Mooty Bridge Road 
• South Davis Road
• Whitesville Road/Lukken Industrial/Troup Street
• Vernon Street/North Greenwood/South Greenwood
• Hamilton Road/Colquitt Street/Edgewood
• New Franklin Road/Commerce/Hogansville Road

LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton and Troup County Commission Chairman Patrick Crews recently started a campaign to clean up litter in our community, which has included videos urging residents to pick up trash.

As a part of the new campaign, employees will be supplied a t-shirt, safety vest, bags and gloves. After the cleanup, they will be treated to lunch with music and games at the Wild Leap Pavilion in south end of downtown LaGrange. 

The City of LaGrange will open back up for business at 1 p.m.  

The city’s cleanup is in anticipation of Keep Troup Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup Saturday, April 21. The event encourages groups from LaGrange, West Point, Hogansville and Troup County to clean up their community. This year’s theme is “Clean Your Block.” 

If you would like to participate in Keep Troup Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup, visit www.keeptroupbeautiful.com or call (706) 884-9922.