EAST PALESTINE — As concerns over the water quality in East Palestine still linger in the wake of February’s Norfolk Southern train derailment, more water filtration systems will be given away in the village today.

The Hydroviv systems will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to residents of East Palestine starting at 8 a.m. at The Original Roadhouse located at 33 W. Main St. in East Palestine.

Dayton native and star of the television series Yellowstone, Luke Grimes, collaborated with the Jeff Ruby Family, owners of seven steakhouses in the Midwest, to distribute over 250 of the water filtration systems. Fellow Ohio native Nick Reasoner donated the trucking services to transport the filters to East Palestine. Reasoner is the founder of TransLoop, a technology driven logistics company. The team will also present East Palestine with over $100,000 in disaster relief.

“Once I saw the news of the train derailment in East Palestine, I knew I had to do something to help the residents get back on their feet,” said Grimes. “With this visit and the dedicated fundraising, we hope we are able to continue to shine a light on this devastating incident and inspire others to step up and help too.”

In his call to action, Grimes and his team reached out to Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment and the company jumped at the chance to help and donated $50,000 toward East Palestine relief efforts.

“Our foundation core values are helping people during disasters with immediate relief so we knew we had to help those in East Palestine,” said CEO Britney Ruby Miller. “Luke, an Ohio native, was eager to partner for immediate impact. We are honored he chose us for the mission.”

Grimes as well as representatives of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment and members of the Ruby family will be in East Palestine to present the village with their donation. They will also help with distribution of the water filtration systems.

Tests of the municipal water as well as private wells in and around East Palestine have shown no cause for alarm, but some residents still worry. The water filtration systems will help alleviate some of that worry as East Palestine struggles to get back on its feet and return to normalcy following the rail disaster.

“We are extremely grateful for this generous donation from Luke Grimes and the Jeff Ruby Family. Their support will help us move forward toward our vision of a thriving and resilient community,” said East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway. “While our water is already safe to drink, the generous donation of water filtration systems will provide an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for our residents while further enhancing the quality of our water supply. We are grateful for everyone’s commitment to ensuring our community’s health and safety.”

Grimes plays Kayce Dutton in “Yellowstone” on the Paramount Network. He has also starred in Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper,” “Brothers and Sisters” and HBO’s “True Blood.”

In addition to his acting career, Grimes is also a country musician and is currently working on his first major label project. He has released two singles including “Oh Ohio” – a tribute to his home state. Proceeds from merchandise sold for the single will also benefit the residents of East Palestine.

selverd@mojonews.com