Distillery

— Well, look at that! The grass finally got cut.

After months of attention surrounding overgrown grass at the shopping center beside Walmart in Collinsville, the property has finally received a mowing this week — shortly after Star News published a story about the issue.

For Henry County Supervisor Chris Lawless, getting retail properties to maintain their grounds has been a long-running goal. Lawless has pushed for shopping centers and commercial properties to keep their properties looking presentable instead of letting weeds and grass turn them into unofficial hayfields.

And this week, the grass at the shopping center beside Walmart finally met its match.

Star News recently highlighted the overgrown conditions, putting the property back in the spotlight. Not long after the story ran, the grass was mowed.

Coincidence? Maybe. Timing? Certainly interesting.

There’s no confirmation that the Star News story directly caused the mowing, but the timing gives the community something to talk about — especially after the property had gone so long without being cut.

Lawless has made it clear that keeping commercial properties maintained is on his radar. Now, at least one patch of grass can come off the list — for the moment, anyway.

Of course, grass has a habit of growing back. So the real test is whether this was a one-time cleanup or the beginning of a regular maintenance schedule.

For now, Collinsville residents can enjoy the rare sight of a shopping center where the grass is no longer trying to swallow the property.

And somewhere, Chris Lawless may be enjoying a small victory — one blade of grass at a time.

Original Facebook source: Open post

Source note: Star News TV · Oct 9, 2026 6:56 PM.