By Donnie A. Lucas

County commissioners continued trimming the budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 and got their first look at tax rate numbers during a meeting held Monday.

The court continued to clip away at the expense side of the budget, hoping to have a document ready to propose in the next two to three weeks.

“The goal is to have a budget proposal by the last meeting of August or the first meeting in September,” county judge Robert Skelton said. “We will also have a proposed tax rate at the same time.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Despite ongoing coronavirus restrictions, blood is still needed, and a blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany next Thursday afternoon, Aug. 20.

Hendrick Regional Blood Center (formerly Meek Blood Center) will park its bloodmobile at First Baptist Church at the usual time from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Blood Center staff members are being screened daily and are wearing the proper personal protective equipment, according to marketing manager Kelsey Caprio. 

By Lynsi Musselman

The back-to-school rush is here for students and parents as they shop for supplies and clothes, or prepare a space to learn from a distance.

Teachers and administrators are also preparing for students to return to the classroom, both virtually and in person.

Albany Independent School District teachers returned to their posts this week, and students will begin the school year on Wednesday, Aug.19.

Nancy Smith 

Elementary School

By Lynsi Musselman

Test taking can unnerve most students – even former students – so when the subject of standardized testing comes up, administrators, teachers, students, and parents in the state of Texas wince.

State of Texas Assessment and Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams were cancelled for the 2019-2020 year due to school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced earlier in the summer that tests will be administered for the 2020-2021 school year but with a few changes.

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany High School alumna and 2020 valedictorian, Addison Asher, was recently notified that she had received the Arlis Parkhurst Endowed Scholarship for her participation in UIL academic events at the state level.

The scholarship awarded Asher totals $1,000 a year – $500 per semester – and is renewable up to three years.

In 2017, the scholarship was established to specifically help students from small schools in West Texas.

By Lynsi Musselman

The Old Jail Art Center virtual camps continue this week with Frontier Days: Tonkawa!, closing out the August camps next week.

OJAC education director Erin Whitmore said the first two weeks of the August camps have been successful, with families in Albany and around the state participating.

This week, students will learn about Puppetry.

“This is historically the most popular camp,” Whitmore said. “Students create kinetic artwork at home that is inspired by virtual art at the OJAC.” 

By Melinda L. Lucas 

The two longest discussions at Monday’s city council session came during the citizens forum portion of the meeting, and although there was no action taken on either subject, council members expressed solid viewpoints on wearing face masks and also about the possibility of selling the youth center building to ResourceCare.

The council will meet again on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 10:00 a.m. They expect to propose a tax rate at that meeting.

Face Mask Feelings 

By Donnie A. Lucas

The varsity Lady Lions won three out of four scrimmages last week to start the 2020 season.

Albany hosted a set of varsity-only scrimmages against Lingleville and Benjamin on Friday, then traveled to Breckenridge for scrimmages against the Lady Bucks and Wichita Falls Hirschi on Saturday. 

The regular season opened on Tuesday at home with the Lady Lions defeating the Lady Bucks 25-23, 25-23, 25-17. Details of the match will be reported next week.

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany Golf Club will host a Labor Day Golf Tournament on Sept. 5 and 6.

The tournament is a two-person scramble format with an entry fee of $160 per team.

The entry fee includes one mulligan per person each day and a meal on Saturday night.

There is a morning tee time on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and another later in the day at 1:30 p.m.

Teams will be flighted after Saturday’s rounds.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lion football team is closing in on two full weeks of workouts for the 2020 season, with another week on the practice field before their first contact with an opponent.

The lone scrimmage of the season is set for Thursday, Aug. 20 in Hawley starting at 5:00 p.m. The University Interscholastic League is limiting all teams to only one scrimmage this season in an attempt to limit the spread of the -COVID-19 coronavirus.

The Lions have a roster of 46 players this season for the varsity and JV squads.