If you're looking for another sign that Spring is near, this is it. The snow is mostly gone and now it's time to clean up a winter's worth of yard nasties.

If you're new to Rockford, or you just moved into your first home, welcome and congratulations. If you moved from somewhere you could burn yard waste, you should know that you cant do that in Rockford. The burning of yard waste in the city limits and unincorporated areas of Winnebago County within and immediately surrounding the City limits is prohibited.

Now, let's get you up to speed on how you get your sticks, branches leaves and other yard waste to the curb properly so it can be hauled away.

The City of Rockford's yard waste contractor is Rock River Disposal and they will be resuming collection on Monday, March 29.

Yard waste consists of grass clippings, leaves and small branches from residential properties and will only be accepted if you put it in two-ply compostable paper bags or in 32 gallon or smaller garbage cans clearly marked with a large “X” that is plainly visible from the street. You can spray paint that X on the can, or use tape, as long as it can be seen.

If you have twigs and branches too large to fit in any of the acceptable bags or cans, they have to be placed into bundles no more than four feet long by two feet in diameter. Bundles should be tied with string or twine and not metal, plastic, or tape. These bundles also can't weigh more than fifty pounds.

Also, be sure not to mix the yard waste with regular garbage, they left one of my cans behind before for that reason.

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Steve Shannon is host of The Steve Shannon Show on 97ZOK. On the air weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m. and a special 'Rewind' show, featuring favorite moments from previous shows, on Saturday mornings from 5 to 7 a.m.. Follow him on TwitterInstagram, and like his page on Facebook.

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