Our Daily Show Interview! Talkin' Trash With Rusty & Chain Gang!
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WOOD RIVER - This Thanksgiving, one of the many things Riverbend residents have to be thankful for are the countless volunteers who make our communities cleaner, better places to live. Rusty Wheat, a one-man cleanup crew and outspoken advocate against roadway litter, is one of those volunteers taking action and making a difference in his community.
Wheat has a well-documented history of not only advocating for a cleaner community, but taking action to make it happen. In 2023, he told the Madison County Board to “do a better job” regulating garbage trucks with loose netting that were spilling trash along county highways towards the Roxana landfill.
Frustrated by the lack of local government action, he took matters into his own hands and formed the “Chain Gang,” the name of his not-for-profit charter under the Illinois Adopt-A-Highway code. In a recent Letter to the Editor, Wheat said the name refers to his “ties to the community,” with the “chain” being his ties and the “gang” being his community.
Wheat appeared on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to talk about his ongoing roadway litter cleanup initiative, as well as the role of volunteerism in giving back to the community.
“I’ve had enough with the board members being nice, saying ‘please do this, please do that’ and waiting,” he said. “It’s been almost two years now, and still they haven’t done [anything] as far as helping people like myself with the trash issue.”
Wheat and his Chain Gang have since organized several successful community cleanup campaigns, pushed for anti-littering signs along local roadways, and even worked with Sen. Erica Harriss on a bill to regulate garbage truck operators.
He also said those facing a court date or sentence in need of community service opportunities can speak with their lawyer about getting involved with the Chain Gang’s trash pickup efforts. Wheat added it can sometimes lead to sentences being reduced or dismissed, and always benefits the local community.
One of Wheat’s most consistent supporters has been State’s Attorney Tom Haine, who not only encouraged the community service program, but also told Wheat to continue his mission.
“I was going to give it up, and then I met with Tom Haine,” Wheat said. “He said, ‘Hey man, don’t give it up. Go back on CJ’s show, keep writing your letters, keep coming to the board meetings. Right now, I’m sure the board members aren’t happy with him … but what are you going to do? How long are we going to put up with this? … If you can do something, do it.”
Wheat said he plans to start a dedicated Facebook page for the “Chain Gang” soon, so be on the lookout for updates there once the page has been created. In the meantime, learn more about Wheat’s volunteer efforts in the full interview at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
