In the last three-to-four week cycle along I-35, TxDOT picked up approximately 11.62 tons of litter through the Waco District between Bell, McLennan and Hill Counties. Despite the phenomenal success of the Don't mess with Texas anti-litter campaign, many travelers continue to treat Texas roadsides as their personal trashcans.
Don't mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The campaign is the signature initiative for TxDOT's litter-prevention initiatives, which include Adopt-a-Highway, a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful, and the community outreach and statewide cleanup called the Don't mess with Texas Trash-Off.
For more than 30 years, the Don't mess with Texas campaign has helped travelers from every state remember to keep their trash of the Lone Star State's roadways.
The legendary Don't mess with Texas anti-litter campaign developed by TxDOT more than 30 years ago should get even more popular later this month, since two new Texas performers have been selected as winners in the latest Don't Mess with Texas Song Search Contest.
More than 170 Texans submitted original entries. The English-language category winner was Whitney K. Lane of La Porte, and the Spanish-language winner is the musical group Papi Chulo from Allen, Texas. The group's members are J.J. Moreno and Joffre Correa.
"We are thrilled to welcome Whitney, J.J. and Joffre to the musical legacy of the Don't mess with Texas campaign," said Jeff Austin III, Texas Transportation Commissioner, in a press release announcing the winners. "Their voices and their winning songs will enhance the campaign's education message of the importance of keeping our state clean and beautiful."
The newly discovered Texas artists are in good company, and someday hope to be as well-known as other Don't mess with Texas artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Strait, Willie Nelson, LeAnn Rimes and Grupo Fantasma.
The new winners will be featured in the 2019 Don't mess with Texas statewide ad campaign, which starts later this month. Here's a look at their submissions: Lane's song, "It Starts with You," and Papi Chulo's "Tira La Basura en el Bote."
Jake Smith
I-35 Public Information Officer
254-867-2705
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