We’ve heard criticism leveled against the Logan County Commission for its decision to suspend its free countywide cleanup effort after the June 12 flooding.

One Chapmanville resident even came to The Logan Banner office angry because the county had delayed the trash collection and he said he didn’t think the flood was a good enough reason to postpone the cleanup because it inconvenienced him and others. He said he wasted his gasoline by driving to the dump site only to be turned away, but yet he made the drive to The Logan Banner to complain, which probably cost him just as much gasoline.

The upset citizen said he didn’t believe the flood was a good enough reason to delay the trash collection and the county commission didn’t give enough notice to Chapmanville residents that the service was being postponed a week.

The county commission didn’t have ANY notice that there was going to be a flash flood that would block Madison Creek residents from getting in and out of their homes to get food and water. They didn’t know that four inches of rain would pour down on the county in a short period of time, flooding Mount Gay, Holden, Switzer and many communities in the Man area.

The commission made the right decision by moving its workers to where they were needed most — into the flood zone — to help clear off roads and get victims started on the road to recovery. That was the top priority.

The county commission is restarting the free trash collection this week in Chapmanville and it will continue next week in Logan. We are glad for the free trash collection and the residents of Logan County should be appreciative the commission spends the money each year to do the cleanup and they should be even more thankful that it regards its residents and their safety enough to halt the trash collection in order to help its flood victims.