Albany Sports Center sent two cheer teams and one individual performer to compete at the American Spirit Championship 2019 West Texas Express Nationals at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center on Sunday, Jan.

Open registration for the next series of General Education Development (GED) classes in Albany will take place on Monday, Jan. 21, according to local instructor Kenzie Fairchild. “New applicants will be accepted starting next week,” said Fairchild.

After donations to the Albany Chest 2018 exceeded the $42,000 goal set by the directors in early October, members of the board met last week to finalize the allocations to 26 different organizations that requested help. At a meeting on Wednesday, Jan.

The fifth and sixth grade youth basketball players opened the 2019 season at home last Saturday, with three of the local teams splitting games and one team winning both of their bouts.

A proposed project to include a senior citizens space in the Albany Visitor Center was discussed at length during the Albany city council meeting on Monday night, Jan. 14, with Chamber of Commerce officials agreeing to bring more information to the next session.

The 2019 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association show is set for Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, and stock show exhibitors need to help clean up and prepare the county show barn’s facilities this Saturday, Jan. 19, starting at 8:30 a.m.

County officers starting new terms of office were sworn in during a brief ceremony held in the courtroom of the Shackelford County Courthouse last week. County justice of the peace James Breeden officiated for most of the informal meeting on Tuesday morning, Jan.

General hunting season for white-tailed deer ended last weekend, but antlerless deer and spikes can be harvested until Jan. 20, and a special Youth-Only Season also extends through that same weekend.

Along with the start of a new semester came new beginnings for a couple of Albany ISD administrators, notably for Jonathan Scott, who is at the starting line for his assignment as AISD superintendent.

The official year-end deadline for the Albany Chest loomed large a few days before Christmas with the 2018 campaign more than $9,000 short of its record goal, but several last-minute donations, both large and small, have put the drive over the top, according to board president Amy Kelly.