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Chambers County commissioner Sam Bradford was recently honored during the commissioner’s business meeting for his extracurricular activities with the Alabama People Against a Littered State (AL PALS) initiative. 

Bradford, who began the Clean Up Chambers County initiative in partnership with AL PALS, was recognized with the Spencer Ryan Community Connections Award from the 2024 Governor’s Awards for AL PALS.

On November 12, community members attended this year’s annual Alabama PALS Governor’s Award ceremony, a luncheon to honor those individuals, counties and schools who demonstrated “outstanding commitment to litter control, recycling, local and statewide cleanup efforts, environmental education and volunteerism.”

Though Bradford could not be there himself, Commissioner Debra Riley accepted the award on his behalf. During the commission meeting, Riley announced the award and presented it to Bradford. 

Bradford’s involvement in the litter program began in 2022 as a community service project for the county as a member of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. Bradford modeled the litter program after similar ones in Mobile and Elmore Counties.

Individuals, organizations and school groups can volunteer to be assigned a mile of Chambers County Highway Department road where they can pick up litter. When they turn in the trash bags, the group receives a $250 reward.

With the help of the ecology club at Valley High School, Chambers County has consistently won awards from the AL PALS program. This year, Valley High School placed first in the Statewide Clean Campus program as well as the Clean Campus Scrapbook competition. VHS has placed in these and other competitions for the past several years. 

Several students at Chambers County also placed throughout K-12 in the Posters and Recycled Art competitions, including MacKenzie Vaughn at Huguley Elementary School, Dixie Vaughn at WF Burns Middle School and Mariana Escobar at Valley High School.

The Spencer Ryan Community Connections Award is a timely recognition for Bradford. In the highest voter turnouts for an election in recent memory, Bradford was recently voted into another term as county commissioner.

Chambers County saw 55 percent voter participation, according to County Probate Judge Paul Story. 

In addition to his award, Bradford was also sworn in for his next term by County Attorney Skip McCoy.