A group of Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful (KCNB) board members and volunteers hit the streets recently to conduct the annual Community Appearance Index to ensure the community is clean, green and thriving.

Designed by Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the Community Appearance Index helps KAB affiliates visually assess and determine the state of the community’s appearance in regard to litter and other indicators. Affiliates such as KCNB use the results to set goals and develop effective community improvement education programs to raise the awareness of litter prevention.

During the recent three-day Community Appearance Index, representatives from KCNB drove a new predefined list of roads across Newton County to evaluate and rate for litter, graffiti, illegal signs, abandoned/junked vehicles, and outside storage. This year, the overall index average scores in each category for the community on a 1 to 4 scale, where one is virtually no litter and four equals extreme litter, were 1.66 (litter), 1.10 (illegal signs), 1.02 (graffiti) 1.19 (junk cars) and 1.23 (outside junk).

Completion of the Index is required annually for affiliates to achieve good standing with KAB. The national nonprofit suggests affiliates conduct the analysis at the same time each year to identify improvements needed and changes in litter conditions from the previous year.

KCNB continues to regularly enhance the health, safety and economic viability of Covington and Newton County by empowering hundreds of local volunteers to take greater responsibility for litter prevention and cleanup, recycling, waste minimization and all forms of beautification and community improvement.

To learn more about KCNB volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected] or call 770-784-2015.

To report litter and illegal dumpsites in unincorporated Newton County, please call the Code Enforcement Hotline at 678-625-1666 or visit www.co.newton.ga.us and click on “Online Services” to electronically submit Code Enforcement complaints.