By Sandy Morris Local residents who want to run for the various city council, hospital district, or school board positions in the Saturday, May 1 election may begin filing the required paperwork on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Filing closes a month later on Friday, Feb. 12 at 5:00 p.m.

By Sandy Morris The Albany Chamber of Commerce ended a successful year of promoting the community when the winners of the Holiday House Decorating Contest were announced on Christmas Eve. Albany Chamber of Commerce director Mary Beth Jones announced the winners live on Facebook on Thursday, Dec.

By Sandy Morris Pick-up dates for the January distribution of the commodity food program will be Thursday, Jan. 7 and Friday, Jan. 8. Certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7.

The City of Albany will test the emergency warning siren at 12:00 noon next Wednesday, Jan. 13, as it does the second Wednesday of every month, depending on the weather.

By Melinda L. Lucas This time last year, local residents were worried about catching the flu.

By Melinda L. Lucas Several new Shackelford County elected officials took the oath of office for the first time during a brief ceremony in the second floor courtroom of the Shackelford County Courthouse on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

By Sandy Morris It was a photo finish, but the Albany Community Chest campaign surged ahead and met the campaign goal a little after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31.

By Sandy Morris The Moran Independent School District will be closed for the Christmas break through Friday, Jan. 1. Classes will resume at their regular time on Monday, Jan. 4. Lady Bulldog  Basketball The varsity girls basketball team traveled to Graford on Friday, Dec. 15.

By Sandy Morris The Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association met on Tuesday, Dec. 10, to finalize plans for this year’s stock show, and with a large number of entries expected, the annual fundraising drive is underway.

By Sandy Morris The start of a new year is a time for celebrating, and local emergency responders remind county residents to make sure that any fireworks used in the festivities are handled safely and legally.