By Sam Waller

Shackelford County 4-H’s senior horse judging team qualified for state competition Friday, March 24 at the District 7 contest in San Angelo.

The team of Faith Fry, Madailein Beard, Riley Reames, and Paisley Clark will compete at the State 4-H Roundup in June at College Station.

In addition, two junior teams placed. The team of Grace Fry, Artie Bell, Carly Kreitler, and Cody Fry placed fourth with Rainy Nitschke, Kerrigan Howard, and Reese Nitschke sixth.

By Sam Waller

Deadline for exhibitors from the 2023 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Show to have thank you notes to buyers written and ready to mail is Saturday, April 1.

Show participants must place their finished notes in a stamped, addressed envelope ready for mailing. Notes must be verified by Albany FFA adviser Chris Beard or Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A total of 34 teams were entered in AZE’s third annual Scholarship Cornhole Tournament last Saturday, with cash prizes handed out to the top three two-person teams in three different divisions.

In addition to the players themselves, there were quite a few spectators and people taking advantage of the three food trucks on site.

“It was a beautiful day, and we had a lot of fun,” said AZE officer Megaen Birdwell. “The tournament was well attended and possibly our most successful so far.”

By Sam Waller

Albany’s Beverly Rogers has been honored for her years of fundraising efforts on behalf of the Alz­heimer’s Association with the Abilene chapter donating six books about the disease to the Shackelford County Library.

By Sam Waller

Albany Little League opened its 2023 season with a barn-burner Monday, March 27 as the Oilers edged the Reds by one run in the last inning.

League organizer Paul Hamilton said he expects the level of competition to remain high throughout the season.

Hamilton said 160 players are participating from T-Ball through Intermediate age groups. With the Major and Minor groups each having four teams, scheduling is much easier this year, he said.

By Sam Waller

Three Moran High School students qualified for UIL academic regional competition based on their results Wednesday, March 22 at the District 13-1A meet at Eula.

Tyler Waddell finished first in Social Studies, with Terra Thompson in Computer Applications and Ellis Hise in Mathematics advancing after placing second.

The Region II-1A meet will be April 21-22 at San Angelo.

Also competing at the district contest were Jayla Bussell, Chase Murk, Connor Hail, Zech Henderson, Caleb York, Daphanie Crews, Samantha Hinkle, and Emily Murk.

By Sam Waller

Albany ISD is moving forward with a plan to purchase monuments honoring the Albany Lions’ three football state championships, with a campaign underway to raise $50,000 for the purchase and installation of six-foot-by-six-foot granite monuments to be placed around the sign which honors the title teams of 1960 and 1961.

Albany won its third crown in December, the school’s first win in five trips to the finals under veteran coach Denney Faith.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions football team has been named recipient of the 2023 Gordon Wood Award by the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

The award will be presented Saturday, May 6 at the Hall’s 2023 induction banquet in Waco.

The Gordon Wood Award is presented to an “especially noteworthy high school football team that displayed good sportsmanship, the ability to overcome challenges, had the support of the community and achieved success on the field.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

The Bank Park should be full of competitors and spectators starting about noon this Sunday, March 26, with a fund­raiser event planned in the downtown venue.

AZE’s third annual Scholarship Cornhole Tournament, which includes an amateur just-for-fun bracket in addition to a sanctioned division, is expected to draw a good number of teams from around the area, with the proceeds used for scholarships.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The resignations of several veteran educators were accepted with regrets at the Monday, March 20 meeting of the AISD school board, and one new teacher was offered a contract.

Superintendent Jonathan Scott stated that secondary science teacher Dwayne Norton and PE teacher/coach Ginger Norton would both be retiring at the end of the school year, both of them 30+ year educators, 22 of that with Albany ISD.