Albany made major headlines last week after a Big Country snake removal company posted a video on its Facebook page that went viral within a day.

Most of the news reports, which included both area and nationwide networks, started out with the phrase, “A Texas homeowner who reported seeing ‘a few’ snakes under his home actually had dozens of rattlesnakes living beneath his house.”

Many of the reporters also said that the house was “in Albany,” but according to Big Country Snake Removal’s post, the site is actually located between Albany and Baird.

The Chamber of Commerce has reduced the price of vendor sites for “Wild West Day” on Saturday, April 27 from $50 to $25.

“We felt that maybe $50 was a little too much for some vendors, so we decided to lower it to draw larger numbers,” treasurer Lisa Barton explained.

Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones added that Chamber directors want to make sure that vendors will be glad they came and will want to return again next year.

“This is the first annual Wild West Day,” Jones said.

The 2019 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association Buyer-Seller Banquet will be held at the Nancy Smith Elementary School Cafe-teria at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, and a meeting of the SCYLA will take place the following Tuesday, April 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the Albany High School ag building.

“Exhibitors’ thank you notes should be turned in by this Friday!” said county agent Michaela Bradford.

Thursday, April 4 is the last day to register to vote or make a change of address effective for the May 4 local board elections. 

Voter registration applications can be found online at votetexas.gov, or filled out in person at the Tax Assessor-Collector office at the Shackelford County Courthouse.

Shackelford County voters who wish to vote by mail ballot for the Albany city council or the Albany ISD election can submit applications. However, the vote by mail applications for this election should not be sent to the courthouse.

Fandangle practices move outside next week, with the next scheduled rehearsal set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1, at the Bank Park.

The Membership Sampler is barely three weeks away, and starting next week, rehearsals will also take place on Thursdays, with a practice set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Bank Park.

Veterans and those who have never been in the Fandangle before can still come and join the cast.

Members of the Albany Ministerial Alliance decided to do things a little differently for this summer’s community Vacation Bible School, and they want to make sure that parents can plan ahead for the new schedule.

This year the Alliance sponsored VBS will take place later in the summer, on Sunday through Wednesday, Aug. 4-7, and will be held from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. each of those evenings.

Pick-up and drop-off sites will be designated at various sites around town, with transportation provided to help participants get to and from VBS.

Shackelford County elected officials planned a special meeting in order to view and possibly purchase a vehicle to transport clients from the Walker-Sayle Unit in Breckenridge.

County judge Bob Skelton reported that he had located a fairly late-model seven-passenger van for $4,700.

“This will limit us to a six-man workforce, but I personally think that will be all right,” said Skelton.

Jim Stuart has been named executive director of the Abilene Preservation League, the city’s 40-plus year-old historic watch organization, announced James Wagstaff, president of the League’s board of trustees.

Abilene Preservation League is a membership-based advocacy and education resource for historic preservation.

In the position of executive director, Stuart administers and directs program planning, public relations and marketing communications, fundraising, board and membership development, financial management and personnel responsibilities for the organization.

Shackelford County youth were among the exhibitors from across the state of Texas showing barrows and goats at the junior livestock show in Austin recently.

Rodeo Austin is the eighth largest junior livestock show in North America with more than 8,000 entries.

Market goats were judged on Tuesday, March 19, while market barrows were exhibited last Saturday and Sunday. 

Steers are scheduled to be shown on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, followed by heifers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Newt Koemel, a 2016 Albany High graduate and a current alternate member of the Texas Tech Meat Judging Team, placed among the top individuals at the Houston Livestock Show competition this month.

Koemel was 13th overall high individual in the B alternate division, eighth high in overall beef, and fourth in beef judging.

“I like judging beef more than pork or lamb, and I had a good day at Houston,” said Koemel. “I appreciate being able to represent the Texas Tech meat team.”