Chilton County officials are proving they have warm hearts during the coldest part of the year so far.

The County Commission’s meeting chamber is being used as a warming shelter beginning Wednesday night and until 8 a.m. Monday.

The idea is for people who have no heat or inadequate heat as temperatures dip down into the single digits.

County Commission Chairman Tim Mims said the county wants to make sure people have a warm place to go and that tragedies involving heaters can be avoided.

On Sunday, a Clanton mother and her 2-year-old daughter died in a fire at their home in Lomax.

“Any way we can prevent what happened in Lomax from happening again, we want to do that,” Mims said.

The commission isn’t the only group involved, though. Chilton County EMA contributed cots for people to sleep on, while Sheriff Kevin Davis will have a deputy on duty as well as provide transportation for people who need a ride to the shelter.

Governments are in place to serve the people, and we’re glad to see local government working together to serve the people of Chilton County.