Parents of students in pre-Kthrougheighthgrade starting in August are going to find the cost of sending childrenbacktoschoola little lower this year. TheAlbanyPTOisagain furnishing all school supplies needed for Pre-K and Head Start through sixth grade as it did last year, buthasaddedgradesseven and eight this year.

Albany Ministerial Alliance — OFFICERS — President.............. Luke Spraberry V-President............

Participants in the annual CommunityVacation Bible School can get an early start to next week’s VBSwithanew“Scripture Rock Hunt” that started Tuesday and will continue until Sunday night. This year’s Bible School will be held July 28-31 at First Baptist Church and the Feed Store.

A reception for Eduardo San Lucas, youth minister at First Baptist Church of Albany, will be held at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 24 at The Feed Store.

Several members of First Baptist Church recently returned from mission trips in early July. A group of 13 church members departed Sunday, June 30 for an annual trip to Del Rio, while the mother-son duo of Brandi and Landon Balliew joined a group from Abilene’s Pioneer Drive Baptist Church to spend July 1-7 in Guatemala.

The two new band directors for the Ragin’ Red Band have been preparing this week for summer rehearsals that will start on Monday, July 22 with the percussion and front ensemble or pit sections. Full band rehearsals will start the following week on Monday, July 29 to prepare for the 2024 marching season.

Albanyresidentsshould again note that there is a new time for the next blood drive, which is set for 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Both teams of local FCCLA students who advanced to the National Leadership Conference in Seattle placed in the top 10 in the nation and made it to the stage for the awards program in separate events. The two groups of students advanced to the conference after placing in the top 15 teams across the nation in a pair of video online contests.

East parking lot of Courthouse to be closed during work With a short agenda and only one action item on the July 8 agenda, ShackelfordCountycommissioners welcomed several guests to discuss arequestfromtheAlamo Letter Society to place a plaqueintheShackelford County Courthouse or on the grounds. The goal of theAlamo Letter Society is to place bronze plaques of the famous Alamo “Victory or Death” letter by Col.

Albany FFA had to dodge Hurricane Beryl, but the chapter brought home numerous awards from the 96th Texas FFA State Convention. The convention was held Monday-Friday, July 8-12 in Houston.