By Kathy Thomson

Members of the Albany Ministerial Alliance will not sponsor Trunk or Treat this year, according to Alliance president Brad McBee.

“Members stated that they would support any other organization that wanted to sponsor it, but they had no desire to do anything with it this year,” said McBee.

Started by members of First Baptist Church as a family-friendly activity that took place during Halloween, the event was more recently sponsored by the local Ministerial Alliance. 

By Kathy Thomson

The Albany Mainstreet Players will present three performances of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever this Christmas season, and rehearsals are already underway for the 25  or so members of the cast.

Samuel French’s comedy is a full-length play based on Barbara Robinson’s best-selling book with the same name.

“It’s a very popular little play,” said director Lorna Ayers. “We have done it before, but it was over 10 years ago.”

This year’s production will include one night-time performance and two Sunday matinees.

By Kathy Thomson

Aproximately 120 Nancy Smith Elementary School students in third, fourth, and sixth grades participated in the Kids on the Land (KOL) program at Lambshead Ranch last week, where they were exposed to a variety of hands-on experiences designed to connect them to the land and spark a love of science.

By Kathy Thomson

Staff members at Fort Griffin State Historic Site are setting up additional outdoor displays in preparation for the fort’s annual Living History Days, scheduled to take place this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11-12.

Friday is geared primarily toward students from the Big Country area, while Saturday is designed more for the general public. On both days dozens of reenactors will portray day-to-day life in the real Old West.

By Kathy Thomson

Albany local medical professionals are advising Shackelford County residents to get vaccinated for influenza soon, following several cases of flu already appearing in one local clinic as well as the announcement on Sept. 26 by national public health and medical groups that kicked off the 2019-2020 flu vaccine campaign.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Local residents who buy a vehicle or a trailer can help the Shackelford County budget by requesting that the title transfer be done at the Shackelford County Courthouse, thereby sending a portion of the taxes paid on the vehicle or trailer to the local county coffers.

Car dealers are supposed to ask buyers where they want the transfer to take place, but a lot do not, according to Belinda Perez, Shackelford County Tax Assessor - Collector Chief Deputy.

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Cory Brown D.P.M. of Albany to the Podiatric Medical Examiners Advisory Board for a term set to expire Feb. 1, 2023. 

The advisory board provides advice and recommendations to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on technical matters relevant to the regulation of the practice of podiatry.

Brown, who has lived in Albany with his family for the past nine years, is a podiatrist and partner at Abilene Diagnostic Clinic. 

By Kathy Thomson

Homecoming is this weekend, and although there is not a parade scheduled this year, there are several special events on the calendar for students, former students, and friends of the Moran Independent School District.

High school students painted the downtown streets Wednesday evening.

Dress-up week continues at the school with everyone encouraged to sport some facial hair today for Mustache Day and wear their purple and gold attire on Friday. which is designated as Spirit Day.

By Melinda L. Lucas

After holding two required public hearings in the past few weeks, neither of which recorded any opposition from local residents, Shackelford County commissioners adopted the proposed budget and tax rate at a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 30.

Elected officials also opened and awarded bids for mowing and fuel, as well as acting on a number of other routine items in a fairly long agenda on Monday morning.

Budget, Tax Rate

By Kathy Thomson

Twenty-four Albany FFA Greenhands (members who are enrolled in their first year of high school ag science), adviser Chris Beard, district vice-president Alayna Koemel, and area treasurer Seth Hale all attended the FFA Greenhand Camp held in Abilene at the Taylor County Expo Center last week.

“Seth and the other area officers met in Abilene on Monday to get ready for the two-day event,” said Beard. “Seth put on one of the workshops at the camp, and Alayna helped him.”