County forces continue with debris removal in the northeast corner of Butler County. Cleanup operations on paved roads located between highway 10 East and 31 north are nearing completion.

There have been some minor delays in the removal on County roads to be administered by the Corps of Engineers. These operations have been rescheduled to begin the last week in October. This operation will begin in the Northwest corner of Butler County (Manningham, Ridgeville and Forest Home communities).

Butler County Commission Chairman Jessie McWilliams said the delays have slowed progress, but things are still on track.

"It's kind of wait and see out there right now," McWilliams said. "They have run into some things they haven't seen yet. I think things will still be on track though."

McWilliams said at this point he would also like to remind residents of the affected areas to take caution on these roads.

"We want to make sure the people in these areas use extreme caution on these roads," McWilliams said. "It can still be dangerous in these areas and we want everyone to be as safe as possible."

Speed will be an issue in more ways than one during the clean up. Drivers should drive slower for the safety of everyone and they should likely leave earlier if workers will be in their area.

"Everyone should watch their speed in these areas for the safety of the workers and the motorists," McWilliams said. "They also may want to take notice if the workers in the area. It could slow traffic and they may need to leave home earlier."

The Butler County Commission encourages residents to notify the Butler County Engineer's Office at 334-382-3232 of any hazardous condition involving storm debris along county roadways.

The Butler County Commission continues to express their appreciation to the residents of Butler County for their patience during the recovery period.

Good news also came for the people of South Lowndes County. Fort Deposit, one of many areas hit by Hurricane Ivan, will soon be receiving some much-needed help.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers debris contractor, Phillips and Jordan, will begin hurricane debris removal in Ft. Deposit this week.

Two debris pickups will be made in the city; the timing of second runs will be dependent on the volume of debris collected.

It could take several weeks for dump trucks to become available for second runs through neighborhoods.

Residents are asked to put their debris out as soon as possible and whatever isn't picked up on a first run, will be picked up on the second go-around.

Residents clearing debris should separate it into three piles:

n Branches, vegetative matter

n Building materials (shingles, sheetrock, cement, nails, etc.)

n Household debris (toasters, fridges, furniture, glassware, etc.)

n Don't include hazardous waste, such as paint, anti-freeze, motor oil, propane tanks, disinfectants, etc., in these piles.

Bring debris to public rights-of-way near the street for pickup – debris cannot be picked up from private property.

Please use the curb or some other public right of way, but do not obstruct the roadway.

Residents who need assistance collecting and piling debris can request volunteer help by registering at www.disasterhelp.net/alabama, or if Internet access isn't available, they can call 877-824-9826.

Through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding, the Corps is able to provide debris support to state and local government relief efforts.

(For more information regarding U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Ivan relief operations, contact Tim White at 256-503-3371.)