The City of Albany has scheduled a regular test of the emergency warning siren to take place at 12:00 noon next Wednesday, March 11, as it does the second Wednesday of every month, depending on the weather.

By Melinda L. Lucas Albany city council members will conduct a budget hearing at 7:00 p.m. next Monday, March 9, preceding their regular monthly meeting at Albany City Hall. The balanced budget of $2,936,850 was proposed at the Feb.

By Kathy Thomson Fandangle season is fast approaching, with memberships coming in, practices starting in just over a week, a date set for the membership sampler, and tickets to the summer shows already on sale to the general public. Ticket Sales

Albany ISD students, faculty, and staff are scheduled to dismiss for the spring break holiday at 12:00 noon this Friday, March 6. Prior to the break, cheerleader try-outs will be held Friday morning, with local sixth graders bused over to the Albany High School gym for the competition.

Representatives of local organizations and boards that award scholarships to Albany High School graduates are asked to contact Ann Riley at the AHS office by Monday, March 23. The office will be closed next week for spring break, but will be open again for regular hours on Monday, March 16.

A blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany Thursday afternoon, March 5. Hendrick Regional Blood Center (formerly Meek Blood Center) will park its bloodmobile at First Baptist Church from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

By Kathy Thomson School schedules typically get crowded once the weather warms up, with spring sports, spring break, exams, UIL meets, and other activities filling the calendar, and that seems to be the case in Moran.

By Kathy Thomson One of five candidates for three Moran city council positions withdrew from the race during the past week, and Moran officials clarified that a sixth candidate had filed for a one-year unexpired term rather than a full two-year term, as had been previously reported.

By Kathy Thomson The National Weather Service (NWS) encourages all residents, businesses and schools across West Central Texas to practice a tornado drill on Thursday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. or at a time that is more convenient.

By Kathy Thomson Almost 200 local Republicans and Democrats participated in the first week of early voting in the Texas primaries, around 100 less than at the comparable time during the last presidential election race in 2016. Election Day is next Tuesday, March 3.