A group advocating for Albany to become a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” returned to Monday night’s city council meeting, once again urging local leaders to place the proposed ordinance on the agenda. Despite repeated requests from more than 30 residents and visitors, no action was taken by the council.
Local churches and volunteers are coming together to host this year’s community Vacation Bible School, set for Sunday through Thursday, July 27–31. The event will take place from 5:30 to 8:20 p.m. each evening, with dinner served nightly for all participants.
This year’s VBS will offer age-appropriate programs for both younger and older children. Those who have completed kindergarten through sixth grade will meet at the First Baptist Church campus, while children age 3 and older (as of Sept. 1) will attend VBS at the Feed Store location.
Moran Independent School District is ushering in the 2025-2026 school year with new leadership and significant academic expansion, according to MISD superintendent Dr. John Denson.
“We have hired a new principal and our first ever counselor,” Denson said. “With their addition to our staff, we are taking academics to a new level.”
Albany experienced a sudden downpour Thursday night, July 3, when more than five inches of rain fell in roughly two hours, leading to brief flash flooding across town. Though several roads were overtaken by rising water, no serious injuries were reported and property damage remained limited.
Sheriff Ed Miller said Main Street near the train depot saw an unusual amount of water, with rising runoff briefly shutting down the roadway. “Everything was fine until around 8 p.m., then Main Street was underwater,” he said. “We had five inches come down quick.”
Two large bee hives were removed from the Shackelford County Courthouse on Thursday, July 3, after being discovered high under the eaves of the building’s third floor. The removal was conducted by Sadie Grace Farms, a beekeeping company based in Abilene that specializes in humane relocation.
The City of Albany has launched a new website at albany-texas.org, offering residents a centralized hub for city information, services, and communication.
The site includes contact details for city officials, city council meeting agendas and minutes, the full code of ordinances, and a calendar of upcoming city events. Citizens can also use the site to pay utility bills online and find information about city departments, including the Albany Police Department, the city pool, the Aztec Theater, and the Albany Golf Club.
For the third consecutive month, Albany saw above-average rainfall, with June bringing 4.11 inches—well above the town’s historical June average of 3.55 inches, based on records since 2000.
While June’s total wasn’t as dramatic as the downpours recorded in April and May, it continued a pattern of wetter-than-usual weather across Shackelford County. Combined with April’s 6.26 inches and May’s 6.87 inches, the three-month total now stands at more than 17 inches—far surpassing the 20-year seasonal average to this point.
The 87th anniversary of the Fort Griffin Fandangle closed its 2025 season Saturday night, following two weekends of performances at the Prairie Theater that brought in a total of 3,021 ticket holders.
Shows were held June 20–21 and June 27–28, with strong crowds each night. Based on pre-show surveys, more than half of attendees were experiencing the Fandangle for the first time. In addition to visitors from across the state, this year’s audience included international guests from Brazil, South Africa, Scotland, Canada, and Germany.
ResourceCare’s annual Summer Day Camp begins next Monday, July 14, with 124 children ages 3 through sixth grade set to participate in the two-week program.
“Thanks to some late applicants, we were able to add back our pre-K and kindergarten groups,” said camp co-director Mindy Ary. “But registration is now closed – no exceptions – because we have to maintain the proper staff-to-child ratio for the kids already enrolled.”
The Albany FFA Chapter brought home several honors from the 97th Annual Texas FFA Convention, held June 30–July 4 in Fort Worth.
FFA sponsor Chris Beard, who attended the convention with the local group, said the trip was a chance to both celebrate student success and build momentum for the year ahead.
“We were proud of what our kids accomplished this year,” Beard said. “It’s great to see their hard work recognized at the state level.”
