Updated: January 4, 2018

EMERGENCY REPAIRS ARE IN PROGRESS TO THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE MAURY COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING ROOM AFTER A WATER PIPE BURSTS. ACCORDING TO THE DAILY HERALD, THE BURST WAS DISCOVERED TUESDAY AS HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF WATER LEAKED FROM THE CEILING AND FLOODED THE ROOM WITH FOUR INCHES OF WATER. THE MEETING SCHEDULED IN THAT ROOM WAS RELOCATED AND ADDITIONAL MEETINGS WERE CANCELLED. COUNTY MAINTENANCE WORKERS REMOVED THE FURNITURE ON TUESDAY AND ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON IT. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THE COMMISSION WILL MEET INSIDE THE MAURY COUNTY COURTHOUSE FOR SCHEDULED MEETINGS. THE NEXT FULL COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 16TH AT 9 AM.

IN RELATED NEWS, AS FREEZING TEMPERATURES CREATE WATER ISSUES, PLUMBERS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE HAVING TO HANDLE COUNTLESS CALLS ON FROZEN OR BROKEN PIPES AND WATER LEAKS. ACCORDING TO THE TIMES DAILY, FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN HAVING THEIR SHARE OF ISSUES AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO THE FREEZING WATER, FROZEN AND MALFUNCTIONING SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ARE CREATING A HOST OF WATER FLOW ISSUES. RUSSELVILLE FIRE MARSHALL JUSTIN GREEN ADVISES THAT SPRINKLER SYSTEM MONITORS ALERT WHEN WATER IS FLOWING THAT SHOULDN'T BE FLOWING THROUGH THEM. WHEN IT GETS COLD THESE MONITORS CAN GO OFF. MUSCLE SHOALS FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN TO SEVERAL BUSINESSES AND HOUSES CHECKING ON SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AND WAS DISPATCHED TO A NURSING HOME AFTER A SYSTEM WENT OFF AND DISCOVERED THAT LINES HAD BURST AND DAMAGED TWO ROOMS.  AS TEMPERATURES START TO CLIMB AND FROZEN PIPES BEGIN TO THAW MORE CALLS CAN BE EXPECTED.