By Kathy Thomson

The Moran High School basketball team claimed their second victory of the season last week, and the junior high teams split games in Baird.

Results from the varsity games in Woodson were not available at press time and will be reported next week.

Both the girls and boys high school teams will play in the Zephyr tournament on Dec. 12-14. 

Next week the Lady Bulldogs will travel to Newcastle on Tuesday, Dec. 17, while the boys will host Throckmorton on Friday, Dec. 20, before both teams take a break for the holidays.

By Kathy Thomson

The annual Moran holiday craft fair will take place this Saturday, giving Christmas shoppers a chance to find those special gift items without having to fight their way through busy traffic and crowded stores.

A children’s painting party is set for the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 14, and a chili fundraiser, complete with a live band, will take place that night.

Holiday Craft Fair

By Kathy Thomson

Several activities are crowded into the few remaining weeks of the fall semester at Moran including, of course, exams, but also Christmas activities, a visit from Santa Claus, UIL contests, basketball games, the annual PTO holiday meal, and gathering presents for the Angel Tree. 

UIL Contestants

Junior high students remained in Moran for the University Interscholastic League ready writing competition on Tuesday, Dec. 3. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany resident Bobby Williams is expected to challenge incumbent Shackelford County Precinct 1 commissioner Steve Riley after filing paperwork on Monday, Dec. 2.

According to County and District Clerk Cheri Hawkins, Williams filed his campaign treasurer’s form late Monday afternoon and picked up documents with the intention of filing by petition, although it had not been turned in as of press time.

By Kathy Thomson

Theatergoers have one final chance to watch Albany Mainstreet Playhouse’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on Sunday, Dec. 8. 

The 2:30 p.m. matinee at the Aztec Theater will be the last of three performances of the holiday comedy.

“The first two performances were great and very well received by the audience,” said director Lorna Ayers. “We wanted to be sure and have a performance this weekend for those who were unable to come opening weekend due to the holidays.”

By Kathy Thomson

Winners were chosen in two divisions from among the participants in the 13th annual Lighted Christmas Parade that filled the downtown area with lights last Saturday evening, the Memorial Tree was lit, and Albany Bucks were awarded to those whose tickets were pulled out of the hopper in the drawings for local script.

As in previous years, the rules for the drawings stipulated that “you must be present to win.”

Santa letters and holiday essays for the 2019 Christmas issue published by The Albany News should be submitted by the end of this week if possible.

Students in both Albany and Moran schools have been working on letters in their classes, but home school students and preschool children are welcome to bring their letters by the News office.

By Kathy Thomson

The local Toys for Tots program is still accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys and monetary donations at various donations sites around Albany, and a Believe Tree for Teens, containing ornaments with an attached wish tag for older students was placed at five participating churches on Sunday.

All 40 of the senior adults currently signed up for the Vittles By Vehicle program have been adopted, and plans are well underway for Albany Ministerial Alliance’s Basket delivery.

Believe Trees

By Kathy Thomson

Kloey Cargill Painter, a four-year veteran of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, recently transferred locations from the Big Bend area to become the Shackelford County extension agent. 

“It has been an amazing adventure being the county agent for Brewster and Jeff Davis counties, but we are over the moon with excitement (to be moving to Albany),” said Painter. “We will be so much closer to family, we just love this area, and it feels like home.”

By Kathy Thomson

Twenty-one sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from the Albany Independent School District competed at a University Interscholastic League contest in Stamford on Tuesday, Dec. 3, along with youth from Cross Plains, Haskell, Hawley, Roscoe, and Stamford.

Results from the District 8 UIL Junior High Speech Contest were not available at press time, and will be reported next week.