By Kathy Thomson

Shackelford County 4-H member Johnnie Hise won sixth place at the 2019 State 4-H Roundup Fashion Show held in College Station last Tuesday, June 11.

Hise, a freshman at Moran High School, qualified for the state-level competition by winning the Cotton Division of the All-Natural Fiber Contest at the District 7 Roundup held in San Angelo on May 10.

Exhibitors at the state contest were evaluated by a panel of judges who ranked each contestant based on their Fashion Show paperwork and an interview.

By Nolan Davis

The summer reading program sponsored by the Albany Study Club has one session remaining for the 2019 program.

Children from the ages of two to four and kindergarten to fourth grade are encouraged to attend the final program on Tuesday, June 25 at the Shackelford County Library. Those from the ages of two to four should have an adult accompany them.

The program begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 11:00 a.m.

The program’s theme this summer was “A Universe of Stories,” in cele-bration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings.

Appraisal notices for real property and business personal property have been mailed out during the past few weeks, according to Clayton Snyder, chief appraiser of the Shackelford County Appraisal District. 

About 2,000 notices were sent to property owners in the county.

Drive Across Texas recently posted an eight-and-a-half minute segment about Albany on their website and their Youtube channel.

The show’s host, Pat Walker, interviewed Chamber of Commerce office manager Mary Beth Jones outside the Old Jail Art Center on Wednesday, April 17.

“We talked about the Old Jail and how the Masons carved their initials in the blocks for payment,” said Jones. “We also talked about why people should come to Albany.”

This Saturday’s annual city-wide cleanup will start promptly at 8:00 a.m., with volunteers encouraged to pitch in and help polish the town in preparation for Fandangle visitors.

The local Chamber of Commerce, along with the City of Albany, is sponsoring the June 15 campaign.

Volunteers should gather at the Visitors Center (Depot) at 8:00 a.m. to get an assignment.

Cleanup Day

Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones and members of the Chamber ask residents to help with the cleanup, which will focus on areas that are most visible to Fandangle visitors. 

The staff at the Old Jail Art Center has four special events scheduled during June in addition to new summer art exhibits, the continuing exhibition of Rene Trevino: A New Codex, and various displays featuring items from the museum’s own collection and archives.

Two new exhibitions are set to open at the Old Jail Art Center on June 15 and remain on display through Aug. 24.

Debuting at the opening will be Bale Creek Allen: My America and Cell Series: Nick Bontrager.

Four days in a row without rain allowed the stage and warm-up areas to dry out enough for horses, mules, and wagons to join the cast for rehearsals at the Prairie Theater on Monday. 

Artistic director Lorna Ayers was pleased to see so many riders in the show this year.

Local businesses and residents are encouraged to join with patriots across the United States next Friday, June 14 in the annual cele-bration of Flag Day.

Individuals and business owners who have their own flags are asked to put them up for the day, except in case of inclement weather.

Those who don’t have their own banners can contact the Albany Lions Club.

The organization’s “Flags Across Albany” project honors the American heritage and military heroes who served this country, as well as serving as a fundraiser.

Fandangle Parade co-chair John Ayers has already had a few out-of-town groups call to confirm that they will be in the parade this year, and he is hoping to get quite a few locals signed up as well.

“I’m always looking for a lot of local participants,” said Ayers. “One of the things that I am specifically looking for this year is a group or organization to sponsor the large Beehive float. We have all the props, but it takes a vehicle and a large trailer.”

Ayers added that he can even help find a trailer if needed.

A recent unannounced jail inspection at the Shackelford County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) revealed a few deficiencies, but overall, county commissioners at Monday’s regular meeting felt that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards had released a positive report.

County judge Bob Skelton stated that no operational or safety defects were observed by the inspector, and that the sheriff is already in the process of correcting the overdue inspections and other minor violations.

Walker-Sayle Contract