Officials encourage residents to join Mississippi River cleanup in Benton County

Benton County is holding a Mississippi River cleanup event in response to a challenge by Goodhue County Commissioner Linda Flanders to motivate people to clean up trash along the shoreline of the river, according to a statement from the Benton County administrator.

The county said it will provide a dumpster for debris at the county’s Bend in the River Park, one mile south of Rice on County Road 55.

The dumpster will sit in the Bend in the River main parking lot from May 5-9.

The release added that the Boy Scouts from Sauk Rapids are planning to clean up the shoreline at Bend in the River Park on May 6. Community members are encouraged to join in cleaning up the shoreline, but Benton County said to not place electronics, appliances, or hazardous substances in the dumpster.