During last week’s state of emergency called for by Albany Mayor James Bray, with a large percentage of residents without water across the county, supplies like bottled water and offerings of free, hot showers and laundry services came from both local outlets as well as suppliers from miles away.
But one local entity’s delivery of emergency supplies was somewhat unexpected, when Trooper Island Camp, located in the southwest corner of Clinton County on Dale Hollow Lake, arrived with pallets full of drinking water and Gatorade.
Kentucky State Police Trooper Jonathan Biven, the Director in charge of Trooper Island Camp, leaned on the suppliers he uses throughout each summer camp to provide supplies needed during the camping season, to provide emergency supplies that he and Trooper Island staff picked up and brought to Clinton County Emergency Services to be distributed to local residents who were in need during the state of emergency.
Biven secured some 19 pallets of water and Gatorade for local distribution over a two day period this week.
“Clinton County and  the City of Albany have supported Trooper Island through various fundraisers from its inception, Biven told the Clinton County News Monday. “ It is our honor for Trooper Island and the Kentucky State Police to be able to assist OUR community in its hour of need.”
As noted above, the organizations and groups that came to answer Clinton County’s needs during the state of emergency included both local and non-local contributors.
The Albany VFW, in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Association Disaster Relief Services was one of the first local groups to announce that free, hot showers would be available at the VFW headquarters through the use of a six-stall shower trailer that was brought in by that organization and continues to remain in place at presstime.
A portable laundry trailer accompanied the shower trailer, offering free laundry service to local residents without water.
In the days to follow, other organizations followed suit, including Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center, The Med Center at Albany and churches like Albany First Baptist Church that had shower facilities making offers to the public of free, hot showers at their facilities.
On Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that free showers would also be available to Clinton County residents at the Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, part of which lies within Clinton County’s boundaries.
The Clinton County Extension Office provided emergency water to local farmers needing water to care for livestock on farms without running water available.
Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) has facilitated the delivery of 25 pallets of water and was processing a request for an additional 44 pallets that were slated to be delivered Tuesday, January 23.
In coordination with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, KYEM has also facilitated the delivery of non-potable water as requested by affected poultry farms within the county.
Lucas Abner, Director of Clinton County Emergency Disaster Services, spoke briefly with the Clinton County News Tuesday morning by telephone as he was stationed at the Clinton County Fairgrounds with City of Albany employees and fair board personnel, distributing bottled water that had been donated.
“We’ve had people and organizations reaching out to donate, and it’s been incredible,” Abner said of the efforts to provide and distribute water and supplies during this diaster. “I don’t want to start listing those who have donated because I’m afraid I would leave some out, but it’s just been incredible.”
Abne also offered praise to all of the crews who have been working non-stop since the beginning of the water disaster.
“Our city and county are working together really well on this problem right now, and we’ve had multiple other city, county and other agencies assisting to help,” Abner added.  “Kudos to our gangs and those helping.”

Crews work around the clock during crisis to restore water
Crews with the Albany Water Department and other City of Albany departments, along with crews from neighboring city, county and state government agencies, including Kentucky Rural Water Association, Monticllo Utilities Commision and employees from the Burkesville Water Department, worked around the clock from the beginning of the water issues that began last week.
Working in below zero tempertures at times during the bitter weather event that accompanied the water system outages, employees were out around the clock working to locate and repair water leaks across the county, as well as working around the clock at the City of Albany Water Plant to make necessary repairs and equipment replacements in order to restore water service to residents in Albany and Clinton County, some of whom had suffered for a week at presstime without water in their homes, businesses and farms.
The Clinton County News extends it’s sincere thanks and gratitude to all of those who worked in these extreme conditions and continue to work around the clock to make repairs, corrections and improvements to our water system in an effort to get the facility back on line and suppling water service to our county residents.