Keep Cherokee Beautiful now has an Adopt-A-Mile program that encourages residents and businesses to take pride in their local community by keeping the roadsides free of trash and debris, according to a press release.

Tom and Ann Earley with the North Georgia Pickleball Club adopted the first road in the program, Water Tank Road. The Earleys hosted a roadside cleanup on April 22 and were able to collect eight bags of trash weighing approximately 160 pounds.

Residents interested in adopting a mile will need to identify a section of county road they want to adopt and sign an agreement committing to maintain the section for 12 months and host a minimum of four roadside cleanups.

Once a roadside cleanup has been scheduled, volunteers will be provided with cleanup supplies from Keep Cherokee Beautiful and Cherokee County, which include safety vests and grabbers. Trash and litter retrievals can be scheduled with the Cherokee County Recycling Center or volunteers can also arrange for the disposal of the litter in private dumpsters.

Information: cherokeega.com/Recycling-Center/Keep-Cherokee-Beautiful or cleancherokee@gmail.com.