By Lynsi Musselman

Keeping healthy during the school year is not a new concern for families but with COVID-19 worries, precautions are being taken even more seriously than usual.

Albany Independent School district administrators and staff have been hard at work all summer preparing to welcome students back to school in a safe environment.

AISD school nurse Lisa Russell said plans are in the works to help make monitoring of students’ health at two campuses more manageable.

By Lynsi Musselman

New students at Albany High School and Albany Junior High school, including all incoming seventh graders, are urged to register online for a time slot to come to campus for a personal face-to-face orientation.

The interactive signup form is posted on the Albany Jr/Sr High School Facebook page, as well as on the district’s website.

The orientation dates are scheduled for Aug. 12, 13, and 14, and will not be the traditional in-person group meeting that has taken place in previous years.

By Lynsi Musselman

Ragin’ Red Band members and the new Albany band director William Vaughn met this week to begin summer practices.

Vaughn said practice will take place mainly in the band hall starting at 5:00 p.m. each night until Aug. 14.

The 28-member band will not be able to start marching practice on the field on Sept. 7, due to UIL restrictions.

“In order to get ready for practice to start this week, a lot of clean-up of the band hall took place,” Vaughn said. 

By Lynsi Musselman

While it may seem like spring break never ended, the first day of the 2020-2021 school year is approaching for Shackelford County students, and new school supplies are in demand.

ResourceCare’s annual Adopt-a-Buddy program benefits in-need students countywide with supplies for a successful school year.

The deadline has passed to register a student for the program, but donations are still being accepted to fulfill the supply needs.

Agricultural producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation.

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany sports fans are invited to attend the All-Sports Athletic Booster Club Hamburger Supper that will be held at the Bank Park on Monday, Aug. 10 at 6:00 p.m.

The community event will serve a packaged meal in brown bags, handed to guests with a bottle of water for a cost of $7 to the general public.

High school athletes and coaches eat free of charge.

Junior varsity and varsity cheerleaders will make complimentary homemade ice cream, to be pre-served in cups with lids.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Pictures for varsity and JV football players and volleyball players have been set for this week, with cheerleaders next week.

Volleyball players will meet Thursday (today) starting at 5:00 p.m. Locations for the three teams will be announced by coach M.J. Reneau at practices.

Football players and coaches are scheduled for pictures at 1:00 p.m. Friday at Robert Nail Stadium.

The group picture of the senior members of the football and cheer squads will be taken on Friday afternoon about 1:45 p.m.

Golfers are invited to sign up and enjoy two days of play at the Albany Golf Club’s traditional Labor Day tournament on Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6.

James Waters with the Albany Golf Club said there will be a sign up for two tees times on Saturday, 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

After Saturday’s round of play, teams will be flighted for Sunday.

“The board will meet mid-week to finalize plans and cost,” Waters said.

He also added the club planted new greens and hopes they will be ready. If not, players will golf on temporary greens.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Only a couple of spots remain in a kids golf camp that is planned for Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 10-12 at the Albany golf course.

Because there is limited space on the driving range, the event is only open to 20 students from age six to 11, according to Ken Lawrence of the Albany Kiwanis Club, who is organizing the camp.

Sign-ups went fast, he said, and at press time on Tuesday, there was room for just two more campers.

By Lynsi Musselman

The repair of the sewer line in Moran is getting closer to the start of actual construction. 

City of Moran employee Karen Bishop said the project, which is being funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, will be presented to the city council this month for final approval.

Once the engineering group hired by the city, Jacob and Martin, receives approval for their construction plan, the council can start getting bids for the work to be completed.