Albany High School students were the top journalism team and came close to winning the overall title at the Stamford Cotton Classic Academic Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 23.

“I was very pleased that we were second team overall – only 11 points behind the leader, Guthrie,” said local UIL coordinator Rick Davis. 

Schools participating in the practice meet last weekend were Albany, Aspermont, Lueders/Avoca, Guthrie, Hamlin, Haskell, Rule, and the host school. 

Davis noted that Albany competitors have made progress over the last few weeks.

Sophomores Sidney Bartee and Tristan Edgar both earned Division 1 ratings at the UIL Region 6 East Zone Band Solo and Ensemble competition held at Abilene High on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Bartee played Etude by Concone on the tuba, and Edgar performed Andante and Bourree by Handel on the alto saxophone.

Both students were accompanied by Sandy Abel on the piano.

“They both did a good job and I was really pleased with them,” said director John Stockdale. “The judges thanked them for being so well prepared!”

Ash Wednesday is next week, and at least two Albany churches will have special services that evening.

Trinity Lutheran Church will hold a service at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. 

Jesus of Nazareth Catholic Church has Mass scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is observed 46 days before Easter Sunday and is the beginning of the Lenten season.

Lent is a time of reflection, focusing on repentance for sins, and remembering the suffering Christ endured to win forgiveness and salvation for all believers.

Membership letters for the Fort Griffin Fandangle Association will be mailed out tomorrow, March 1, according to marketing director Rebecca Bridges.

The mailing of the traditional white envelopes with the green Fandangle label is considered the official start of the annual membership drive for the Fort Griffin Fandangle.

“The levels will stay the same as last year, but we’ve added a lot of benefits for members, businesses, and sponsorships,” said Bridges. “We have created some new sponsorship opportunities. And the sampler will be really fun!”

The city of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $50,966 from the state this February. The amount is down 15.20 percent from the $60,108 payment received in February of 2018.

Payments to date for the 2019 year to the city of Albany are $102,929, down by 0.53 percent from the comparable time last year, when payments of $103,480 had been made.

The city of Moran will receive a net payment of $1,738 this period, for a 46.26 percent increase from the $1,188 received in February 2018.

The National Weather Service (NWS) encourages all residents, businesses and schools across West Central Texas to practice a tornado drill on Wednesday, March 6 at 10:00 a.m. or at a time that is more convenient. 

More tornadoes strike Texas than any other state, and the San Angelo office has designated March 3-9 as the official opening of severe weather awareness season.

School Drills

The Lion basketball team played even for three of four quarters against Sundown Friday, but couldn’t make up for a 10-point spread in the second that signaled the end of the season with a 53-41 loss in the Region I area playoff at Colorado City.

Albany defeated Christoval 46-43 for a bi-district win earlier in the week at Bangs, advancing on to the area round of the Class 2A playoffs, finishing out the season with a 13-6 record.

Patsy Jenkins, 84, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at an Abilene care facility. Funeral services were Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the First Baptist Church in Albany. Burial was Tuesday at the Terrace Cemetery in Post, Texas. Services were under the direction of Bailey-Howard Funeral Home in Clyde.

Patsy was born Feb. 5, 1935, in Winnsboro, Texas, to Morris Zeigler and Icie (Mills) Reid. She was a 1950 graduate of Post High School. She spent many years as a home sitter as an aide to the elderly. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Albany.

Sixteen Albany students are travelling to Stamford for an academic invitational practice meet this Saturday, Feb. 23, and according to UIL coordinator Rick Davis, they could bring home several ribbons even though scheduling conflicts limited the number of students who could participate.

The Methodist Women’s group invites everyone in the community to enjoy lunch at First United Methodist’s annual fundraising Mexican pile-on dinner this coming Sunday, Feb. 24.

The meal consists of seasoned ground beef, tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, and additional trimmings. Desserts and drinks will also be served. 

The free-will donation meal will be available for either dine in or carry out, starting at 11:30 a.m. 

Proceeds raised by the meal will go to missions and to the Methodist Women’s scholarship fund.