The Fort Griffin Special Utility District (FGSUD) is in the process of conducting its first contested board election in more than a decade, with early voting already underway, and the actual election day set for May 4, the same day as elections for the Albany city council and school board.

Two three-year terms on the seven-member board are expiring with two candidates for each seat.

Incumbent Kenneth Hill of Albany is being challenged by Donald (Don) Stutsman of Moran.

A total of 25 Albany FFA students competed on seven Career Development Event teams at the Tarleton Area IV CDE contest at Stephenville on Wednesday, April 17. 

District winners for CDEs were also named at the TSU Area IV event.

None of the Albany teams advanced from area competition to the state level, but other Albany CDE teams are headed to a state level contest at TSU today and two contests at Texas Tech on Friday.

The city of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $33,565 from the state this April. The amount is down 10.54 percent from the $37,522 payment received in April 2018.

Payments to date for 2019 to the city of Albany are $206,214, up by 16.38 percent from last year, when payments of $177,177 had been made.

The city of Moran will receive a net payment of $1,194, for a 7.95 percent decrease from the $1,297 received in April 2018.

A Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Show Association annual meeting took place as scheduled at the Albany High School ag building on Tuesday, April 9, with a follow-up session held this week.

“There were some things we had to move around, so we had to check on some dates and have a second meeting,” said president Bronco Askew on Tuesday morning. “We need to make sure we can get judges for the new show dates.”

Two Albany High students are headed to the Texas High School Rodeo Association finals in Abilene on June 9-15 after earning their spots at the state show by placing in the top 10 in their events over the combined course of the season and the regional finals held in Graham on April 5-7.

Mady Connally took fourth overall in Region 3 in pole bending to advance to Abilene.

Addie Beth Denton qualified for state by ending the season average in seventh place in goat tying.

A visit from the Easter Bunny and the chance to hunt for eggs by the basketful should make for a fun Saturday for local children.

The Easter Bunny will make what has become an annual trip to downtown Albany on April 20, visiting in stores and along the street from 11:00 a.m. through the lunch hour until 1:00 p.m. He will probably take a walk through the nearby car show area as well.

Participating merchants will have Easter candy for visiting children during that two-hour time period.

Members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call of a tank battery fire just after 6:00 a.m. last Saturday, April 13. The location was about two and a half miles south of town off of Highway 283.

“Upon our arrival, we found one 210 barrel tank battery fully involved with the top blow-off and sitting where it landed some 75 feet away,” said fire chief Kyle Tischler. “The second tank battery was at the point of being involved. It had tremendous heat and smoke coming out of the tank.”

All 4-H and FFA members who plan to enter steers in major livestock shows in the fall of 2019 or the spring of 2020 should have already placed their order for validation ear tags. Tags should also have been ordered for show heifers, swine, market lambs, and market goats destined for the State Fair. 

The tags cost $15 each if they were ordered by the early deadline, or $25 each if ordered late, but before June 30. After June 30, animals (except breeding heifers) will not be eligible for validation.

The Moran Independent School District will be closed on Good Friday, April 19 and Easter Monday, April 22.

Classes will release at the normal times on Thursday, April 18 and begin again on the regular schedule on Tuesday, April 23.

The next break from classes will be  holidays on May 24 and 27 for the Memorial Day weekend.

Classes will release early on the last two days of school, May 30 and 31.

 High school graduation will take place on May 31.

UIL Region 3 meet

Children are invited to the Moran City Park this Saturday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. for the third annual City of Moran Volunteer Fire Department sponsored Egg Hunt.

“We are hoping for as many kids as possible,” said fire chief Steve Taggart. “It is open to everyone from infants up to those who are 13 years of age. We will divide the children into three different age groups for the hunt.”

Over 4,000 eggs, lots of toys, and 30 free child’s meal vouchers to Texas Roadhouse will be given away.