By Kathy Thomson

Both the Bulldogs and the Lady Bulldogs began practices this past Monday, Aug 5.

The football players started at 7:00 a.m., and volleyball two-a-days began at 8:00 a.m.

Football

“I was extremely pleased with practice,” said new head coach John Hughes on Monday. “I had seven show up for practice. The guys were flying around and getting after it.” 

One of the Bulldogs is currently sick and another is out of town, so the full roster will be nine, according to the coach.

By Kathy Thomson

Moran’s annual city-wide garage sale will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, starting at 8:00 a.m., according to organizer Michelle Taggart.

There is no charge to participate, and maps showing all of the garage sale locations will be available.

To register a sale, contact Taggart at 325-513-5398.

Church Activities

The Moran First Baptist Church served lunch and led a Bible study for students from sixth graders up through high school ages this week.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD teachers who have been teaching 20-plus years got a big raise they probably didn’t expect when AISD trustees voted at a special session last Thursday night to match the state’s new minimum pay increase for staff members who weren’t included in the recently passed House Bill 3.

The long-awaited state legislation had already awarded substantial raises to teachers, nurses, counselors, and librarians with zero to 20 years of experience, with increases proportionate to years of experience.

By Kathy Thomson 

School bells will ring out the start of a new school year a week from today, and any students who are not yet registered should complete the process as soon as possible so teachers and administrators know how many students to expect.

Local classes start on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 7:55 a.m. at the elementary school and five minutes later at 8:00 a.m. at the secondary campus.

NSES Registration

Twenty-eight new students have enrolled at Nancy Smith Elementary School since May, according to PEIMS coordinator Lillian Wheeler.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The final two Old Jail Art Center sponsored children’s summer camps take place in the next week, with spots still available for both classes at press time.

The traditional Cell Series Teen Workshop originally scheduled for next Tuesday, Aug. 13 has been cancelled, according to Susan Montgomery, the Old Jail’s membership and development coordinator.

Usually planned for eighth graders through high school age, the class didn’t draw enough participants this year, probably because of too many conflicts, said Montgomery.

By Kathy Thomson

The Albany Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its new “Lights of Albany” awards.

“We want people to call in, email, message, or stop by with their nominations,” said Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones. “We want to recognize people for going above and beyond to keep Albany the special place it is.”

Nominations should include information on why the person deserves the recognition.

New teacher bios, along with faculty assignment and school supply lists, are included in the special back-to-school section in this week’s issue.

There are also articles about vaccination requirements, elementary “meet the teacher” night, and orientation for new junior high and high school students.

See Section C for details.

By Kathy Thomson

Albany High School senior Alayna Koemel spent part of the hot Texas summer chilling out in a 36 degree cooler studying the basics of meat judging at a camp hosted by Texas Tech, and demonstrated, that like her older brother Newt, she may have what it takes to earn a spot on the Red Raider Meat Judging team.

By Kathy Thomson

The third annual Shifters Truck Show has been scheduled to take place in Albany next Saturday, Aug. 17.

The first local truck show took place three years ago, and the second annual show was in 2017, but last year’s event was cancelled after being repeatedly rained out, and the handcrafted awards were packed away for use in 2019.

“We have some very cool trophies and lots of giveaways,” said organizer Robert Snyder. “Help us spread the word about the show. We hope to see everyone.”

By Kathy Thomson

The Albany city swimming pool will close for the season this Sunday, Aug. 11.

There will be no public swim hours after Aug. 11.

The pool will still be used for some private rentals through the end of August, but only for those that are already booked. The pool will be open from 12:30-5:30 p.m. today through Saturday.

Sunday pool hours are 2:00-5:00 p.m. 

Daily entrance fees are $2.50.