By Kathy Thomson

Christmas is less than a week away, and with the help of generous donors, several local organizations are working to help make sure that everyone in Shackelford County has a Merry Christmas.

Food Drive

ResourceCare program assistant Ragan Riley has requested donations of non-perishable food items in time for the upcoming holiday.

“We would like to anyone who is able to do so, to donate non-perishable food items that we can distribute to those in need this Christmas season,” she said.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Students at the Albany Independent School District will be released for the day at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, and will break for the Christmas holidays at noon this Friday, Dec. 20.

The district will be closed for the winter break from Monday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Jan. 3.

A staff development day is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6, and classes will resume at the normal times on Tuesday, Jan. 7. 

AJSH

Semester finals are continuing through this Friday at the secondary campus.

By Kathy Thomson

Several students and teams from Nancy Smith Elementary School and Albany Junior High placed at the district A+Academics University Interscholastic League meets held during December. 

Writing exams were taken at the regular campuses. Speaking events were held in Stamford on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The remaining academic contests took place at Hawley on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

UIL rules group second through fifth graders in the elementary division, and place sixth through eighth grade together in the middle school section. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

One major change is being publicized this week about Christmas events being conducted by local congregations during the week leading up to Christmas.

Rabbi Jason Sobel, a Messianic Jew who has visited and spoken in Albany several times in the past, will give the homily during First Christian Church’s annual candlelight service on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 in the FCC sanctuary.

Christian recording artist Miriam Webster will present special music during the service, which begins at 6:00 p.m. 

The Hendrick Regional Blood Center bloodmobile will be at First Baptist Church on the first Thursday of the new year, Jan. 2, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. 

Hendrick Regional Blood Center supplies all of the blood and blood products used for patient care at 17 area hospitals.

Blood center employees urge community members to donate blood to help ensure that patients in the hospitals they serve have a supply of blood ready and waiting before an emergency occurs.

Donors will receive a T-shirt. Those who have eligibility questions can call 325-670-2880. 

By Kathy Thomson

The former Shekinah office building, located catty-corner to the post office and near the Depot, is being re-purposed into a long-awaited senior citizens center, but funding is still needed to complete the transformation.

According to Albany city manager Billy Holson, pledges for the building are still outstanding.

By Kathy Thomson

The Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association met last Tuesday, Dec. 10, to finalize plans for this year’s stock show, and with a large number of entries expected, the annual fundraising drive has begun.

“It looks like it will be bigger than ever this year,” said association president Bronco Askew. “I haven’t heard the exact numbers yet, but Chris (Beard) had a stack of entry cards that must have been around four inches high.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

A new board member was sworn in during a very brief meeting of the Shackelford County Hospital District directors on Monday, Dec. 16.

Chris Beard, who had indicated his willingness to serve the remainder of an unexpired term vacated months ago by Angela Farmer, was present for the session and repeated the required oath.

Since there was not a quorum present, a conference call on speaker was placed to members John Ayers and Jo Ann Estridge.

The call was just long enough to swear in Beard and approve the bills for payment.

By Kathy Thomson

The annual Albany Chest campaign is nearing the Dec. 31 deadline, and although donations slowed to a crawl in early December, after a recent surge, the drive is now within $7,000 of reaching the goal of $42,000 set by directors for the 2019 campaign.

“Reminder postcards were mailed out last Friday, Dec. 13, to people who have donated to the Albany Chest in the past, but hadn’t yet donated this year,” said 2019 chair Amy Kelly. “Our hope is that these will serve as a quick reminder to include the Albany Chest in their year-end giving.” 

By Kathy Thomson

The Albany Volunteer Fire Department honored member Casey Kimbrough with the 2019 Firefighter of the Year merit award at the annual Christmas party and meeting on Monday, Dec. 16.

According to chief Kyle Tischler, the members of the fire department nominate the individual for this award whom they believe has best met the five following qualifications:

The firefighter must not be on probation.

The firefighter must have shown to be highly active in the department through meetings and fire/emergency calls.