NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon is using inmate workers to help pick up trash at the county landfill.

The state has strict regulations for landfills – one involving loose debris. The sheriff has assigned four inmate workers five days a week, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. to keep the area tidy.

McMahon was approached with the idea last month with some way of utilizing inmates to help offset resources at the county landfill.

Landfill Manager Sam Hawes said doing this will save the department about $15,000 a year, plus whatever money they would have used to pay for possible citations.

"Sheriff McMahon challenged his senior staff with providing new ideas on how the Sheriff's Office could save money, this is the third project in which we've utilized inmate workers in the county", stated Sergeant Jerry Brewer. The first two projects include painting the jail and painting the animal control area.

WILMINGTON -The landscape gardening students at Cape Fear Community College are selling some of their class projects later this week. The public is invited to attend the annual greenhouse plant sale at CFCC's North Campus on Wednesday, April 10 through Friday, April 12. 

Students have been growing a wide variety of flowers and vegetables throughout the winter in the campus greenhouse. Plants include cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potato vines, verbenas and much more.

Plants sold in 4-inch pots are priced at 2.99 each or 4 for $10.

Sale hours are 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. All proceeds from the sale will go back into the program to help pay for supplies and materials for next year.

The sale will be held at the North Campus Landscape Gardening Center located at 4500 Blue Clay Rd, next to the Sidbury Rd entrance.