Taylor and Callahan counties will host a Wheat Field Day from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday, May 3 at various sites throughout the counties, beginning at the Taylor County plots located off Texas Highway 351 on County Road 521, also known as Mesquite Lane. 

The program is free of charge and includes a sponsored lunch at the Lions Club in Eula on Farm- to-Market Road 603. 

For further information and to RSVP by May 2, contact Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Taylor County 325-672-6048, or Callahan County 325-854-5835. 

Albany Sports Center sent a cheer team and two individual performer groups to compete at the Cheer & Dance/Drill Team America competition at SeaWorld, San Antonio last Saturday, April 6, and all three entries won awards in both their age group and in the overall.

“This was our last competition of the year, and the girls did very well,” said coach Kandi Ray. “The team won the elementary cheer division, got high point overall from among all of the elementary classes, and they were also the overall highest scoring team of the day from all age divisions!”

By Donnie A. Lucas

The seventh grade boys track teams captured the district championship last Saturday in Roscoe, with the eighth grade boys finishing in second. The two girls teams both took third place.

“The boys capped the season with some of their best performances of the year,” boys coach Ryder Peacock said. “Overall, I was very proud of their efforts. The seventh grade came out of nowhere to win the meet, and the eighth grade mile relay ran an impressive race under four minutes for second place.”

John Reames, age 85 of Albany, passed away Friday, April 5, 2019. Graveside funeral services were held Monday, April 8 in the Albany Cemetery with Rev. Jeff Pleasant officiating. Interment followed under the direction of Morehart Mortuary. 

John Douglas Reames was born June 1, 1933 in Albany, Texas to V.A. Reames and Grace Tankersley Reames. He grew up in Albany and graduated from Albany High School in 1950. Following graduation, He attended classes at Sul Ross University. 

Local business owners will have to come up with more money if they don’t file renditions by mid-April, according to Shackelford County chief appraiser Clayton Snyder.

Taxpayers have until Monday, April 15 to file personal property renditions.

Anyone who in the past has paid taxes on personal property in Shackelford County should have received a rendition form and reminder letter earlier this year.

The 2019 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association Buyer-Seller Banquet will take place this Saturday, April 6, at the Nancy Smith Elementary School cafeteria at 6:00 p.m., and all those  who have not yet paid for their pledges are asked to settle their accounts as soon as possible. 

“We still have about $12,000 out in bids,” said association treasurer Molly Cauble. “If these bidders had children who showed, the participants will not get their checks until every-thing has been paid.”

All third through 12th grade students attending public schools in Texas take the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and End of Course (EOC) tests in the spring.

The testing program is based on state curriculum standards in core subjects including reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

The tests are designed to measure what students have learned, and whether or not they are ready for the next grade. 

Schedule

This year the STAAR testing occurs on April 9-12, and May 6-17. 

No local organizations have responded to Albany High School’s request to contact Ann Riley in the AHS office about upcoming scholarships to be given to seniors at the May 24 graduation exercises.

Riley asked that representatives call her at 762-3974 by this Friday, April 5 to update scholarship plans for 2019. The original request date for information was March 20, more than two weeks ago.

As of Tuesday, she hadn’t heard from anyone.

High school commencement is less than two months away, and parents of graduating seniors need to attend a planning meeting at The Feed Store on Sunday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. to organize for the busy weeks ahead for them and their graduates.

“Lots of year-end information will be handed out as well as a calendar with important events,” said senior parent Tisha Wilkins. “There are also committees that we need help with. If possible, we need at least one parent from each senior to be in attendance at this meeting.”

Docents at the Old Jail Art Center have planned a spring trip to the Metroplex on April 25-27, and everyone who wants to join them needs to register by the next docents meeting on Tuesday, April 16.

“The trip is open to all OJAC members,” said docent Michael Glover. “The price will vary depending on if the person is a docent, and if they want a single or double occupancy hotel room.”