The opening day of dove season is typically busy around Albany, and members of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department have decided to take advantage of the increased activity by hosting a fundraising luncheon at the fire station, located at 609 Railroad Street.

“Come one, come all to our hamburger lunch!” chief Kyle Tischler said. “Hunters and Albany folks are all welcome!” 

Serving will begin at 11:00 a.m. and is expected to end around 1:30 p.m.

The meal costs $7 and includes a hamburger, chips, and drink.

A community blood drive will take place in Albany on Thursday, Aug. 30. 

The Hendrick Regional Blood Center bloodmobile will be at First Baptist Church from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Blood drives in Albany are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club.

“We want to remind the community of the importance of having an adequate supply of blood throughout the summer months,” said Frances Baker, donor recruiter. “It is vital to have enough blood on hand to meet any need at any time.”

The blood center is currently in need of all blood types, Baker said.

Two local youth placed well at the Ellis County Cooler Classic jackpot calf show in Waxahachie on Sunday, Aug. 26.

Hattie Braly showed two steers, placing fourth with a yellow and white heavy weight Simmental, and winning her class with a Black Angus lightweight.

Gracie Price showed her heifer to champion Chianina, and her steer to win the Shorthorn breed. 

Both of the local youth also placed well in showmanship. Braly made it to the top 10 in the junior division, and Price was fourth in the senior section.

Garage clutter, unused dishes, cast aside and outgrown clothing and shoes, and assorted knick knacks scattered around the house collecting dust could soon be turned into cash money and become someone else’s recycled treasures during the Albany Chamber of Commerce annual garage sale on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Signups to be included in the event will take place during normal Chamber hours from Tuesday, Sept. 11, through Thursday, Sept. 13.

The Depot is typically open Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Students, teachers, and support staff will celebrate the first school holiday of the year on Monday, Sept. 3 when the local school district dismisses for Labor Day.

Classes will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7:55 a.m. at both campuses.

The next scheduled student holiday is Columbus Day, Oct. 8, followed by Thanksgiving. Classes will dismiss early on Tuesday, Nov. 20, and will resume the Monday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.

The fall semester will end with an early release on Dec. 21 for the Christmas break.

New Tables

With the annual campaign to raise funds for local organizations starting in October, board members of the Albany Chest will meet soon to organize the 2018 fundraising drive and elect new directors.

The meeting is set for Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 5:15 p.m. at The Feed Store.

All current directors are asked to contact board secretary Tisha Wilkins prior to next week’s meeting to let her know if they will be able to attend, as well as acknowledge whether they will be able to serve on the board during the upcoming year.

Moran Independent School District earned a rating of “Met Standard” from the Texas Education Agency, with an overall score of 67 out of 100.

“Because Moran ISD is a very small single campus district, we will not be subject to the new A-F system until 2019,” said superintendent Danny Freeman.

Moran was given “Met Standard” performance rating in all three areas, Student Achievement (70 out of 100), School Progress (69 out of 100), and Closing the Gaps (60 out of 100).

Moran Independent School District started the 2018-19 school year on Monday, Aug. 27.

“We had a great start to this school year,” said superintendent Danny Freeman. “Students and teachers alike were excited to see each other again after a long summer break.”

The 110 students on Monday was down by 20 from the first day of school last year, but only 10 less than at MISD at the end of the 2016-2017 year.

During their regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 20, school board trustees learned that Albany ISD earned a “B” in the state’s new accountability ratings with distinctions given in social studies at the secondary level and science on both campuses.

The board also looked over the second draft of the proposed budget and made plans to act on the numbers at a special morning meeting on Friday, Aug. 31.

Rating System

Albany Independent School District student enrollment number totals for the beginning of a new school year dropped below 500 for the first time since 2014.

A total of 491 pupils were registered for the 2018-2019 term on Monday, Aug. 20, a few more than at the start of 2014, but 18 less than the 509 on the rolls at the onset of school last year, and 27 below the 518 students enrolled at the comparable time in 2016. There were 505 enrollees at the beginning of the fall semester in 2015, 481 in 2014, and 489 in 2013.