Polk County employees spent a day recently picking up a total of 1,640 pounds of trash along&bsp; Hwy. 108 as part of the county&squo;s beautification efforts.

Polk County employees have adopted four miles (eight miles of roadside) on Hwy. 108 east of Columbus, between Fox Mountain Rd. and Hwy. 9 in Mill Spring, becoming one of the latest groups to commit to keeping Polk roads clean.

About 55 employees picked up litter on April 20, and about 10 employees of the sheriff&squo;s office helped with traffic control.

Employees ended the day with 76 bags of trash and 27 bags of recycling. Employees from all county departments participated. They broke up into eight teams, each of which covered about one mile.

The county found some unusual litter during the day that it plans to send to the state for an unusual litter award. For example, they found a $1 bill, a children&squo;s ball and a small flag. County employees say they think the most unusual item found was a tiny green rubber duck.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners reviewed the results of the litter sweep effort at a meeting Monday. County employees plan to continue cleaning up the road a few times per year.

Various groups and individuals who have adopted sections of roads in the county. Members of the appearance committee say there are many more miles of roadside available for others to adopt.