By Melinda L. Lucas Shackelford County dispatcher Dee Balliew was recognized near the beginning of a regular meeting of commissioners on Monday, July 22. Balliew, who has been with the local sheriff’s office for almost 14 years, is retiring at the end of this month.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the Big Country Beef Conference on Aug. 22 at the Taylor County Expo Center in the Big Country Hall, 1700 Texas Highway 36, Abilene.  The event will run from 8:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m., with registration and coffee starting at 7:30 a.m.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) nominations for county committee members must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1.  Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee.

Photographs taken of various teams and individuals by The Albany News since the beginning of the local coach pitch, softball and baseball seasons are available for pickup. Summer baseball and softball packages are priced at $18 plus tax.

By Kathy Thomson Ten teams played in the Albany Masonic Lodge Wisdom Foundation Scholasrship Golf Tournament held at the local course last Saturday, July 20, including at least two groups from Abilene.

By Melinda L. Lucas Changes and additions to the student handbooks, along with reviewing the preliminary budget, took up much of Monday’s regular Albany ISD school board meeting.

By Kathy Thomson Intense thunderstorms rolled through Shackelford County on both Sunday and Monday of last week, July 7 and 8, dropping over an inch of rain and creating lightning displays that rivaled a Fourth of July fireworks show. The official two-day rainfall total was 1.

By Melinda L.

A blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany this afternoon, July 18, and 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 Nolan Davis After a successful first year, the Resource Care Community Health Center is once again holding CareFest, and tickets are currently available for purchase. CareFest 2019 will be held at Happy Wife Happy Life, and gates for the event will open at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7.