Former Albany resident Derrick Henson was awarded four separate commendations in a recent cere-mony by the Aurora-Marionville Police Department in Missouri, where he has been employed as a law enforcement officer for the past five years.

In addition to a Good Conduct Award and a five-year Safe Driving Award, Henson received a Life-Saving Award for his actions at the end of a high speed chase that could have had serious consequences for innocent bystanders. He also earned a Certificate of Valor.

The Albany News office will be closed Good Friday, April 19 in order for the staff to celebrate the Easter holiday weekend.

Laundry needed for the weekend should be picked up by 5:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

The office will be open for regular hours on Monday, April 22.

Alice Bernice Schkade Remmele, 90, a retired lab technician and a homemaker of Paradise, Texas, went to be with our Lord Friday, April 12, 2019 in Plano.

Funeral service was Tuesday, April 16, at Hawkins Funeral Home Chapel in Bridgeport with burial in Paradise Cemetery. 

Pastor Chris Baer officiated. 

Pallbearers were Jarrett Blessing, Derek Boyd, Steve Schkade, Ben Schkade, Mark Moody, Sean Harris, Lane Loiselle, Jay Bivin, and Jeremy Massey. 

For four years now, Big Country Electric Cooperative (BCEC) members’ Operation Round Up change contributions have helped families and service organizations locally. 

Since 2015, the Operation Round Up program has contributed more than $240,000 to local communities through organizations who provide charitable and educational services, as well as families with demonstrated financial need. 

Operation Round Up is supported by BCEC members whose electric bills are “Rounded Up” to the nearest dollar. 

After a year-long delay, the 2016-2017 Shackelford County audit was presented and approved at Monday’s commissioners meeting, and work will begin soon on the 2017-2018 audit to get the books back on schedule, according to county treasurer Tammy Brown. 

She explained that the previous company, with new ownership, gave notice more than a year ago that they would no long perform the county’s audits. It had taken some time, she said, to find a new accounting firm and then get all the information sorted out.

Several Moran tracksters, including members of three relay teams, and triple jump gold medalist Kobee Lapp qualified for the 1-A area track meet at the District 20-A meet in Dublin last Wednesday in spite of the blustery weather.

Lapp advanced in the triple jump, high jump, long jump, 4x200 relay, and 4x400 relay.

Also advancing on the boys 4x200 relay team are Jonas Cadena, Harley Schafer, and Braden Crow.

Team members on the 4x400 relay at area will be Harley Schafer, Crow, Arren Hawley, and Lapp.

The Moran junior high boys placed fifth at the District 20-A track meet in Ranger on Monday, April 1, and the junior high Lady Bulldogs team took sixth.

Braxton Ethridge claimed three individual gold medals, Curtis Eason followed with two silver medals, and members of the Bulldogs 2x200 meter relay team also brought back silver.

Junior high athletes do not advance beyond district.

District 20-A Meet in Ranger

Junior High Girls

200 m dash – 6. Emily Murk, 33.53. 

800 m run – 4. Jaylen Ethridge, 3:27.

Children, from infants to those 13 years old, are invited to head to the Moran City Park on Saturday, April 20 for the City of Moran Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Egg Hunt, starting at 10:00 a.m.

“We have a whole bunch of eggs to hide, over 4,000,” said fire chief Steve Taggart. “We will divide the kids into three different age groups for the hunt. We are hoping for as many kids as possible.”

Members of the Moran VFD will cook and serve a free hot dog meal.

Texas Tech University graduate and Lubbock educator John Gallagher was approved as the new principal for the Nancy Smith Elementary School campus during an early morning special session of the Albany ISD board of trustees on Thursday, April 4.

Gallagher was one of 26 candidates for the position, with seven selected by a seven-member committee made up mostly of elementary staff members.

According to AISD superintendent Jonathan Scott, the committee recommended three applicants, including Gallagher, for second interviews conducted by Scott.

At Monday’s meeting, Albany city council members reviewed unofficial year-end figures as of March 31, 2019, with city manager Billy Holson noting a few amended overages and stating that he is starting on a five-year capital improvement plan.

“We ended the year in good shape, and since we’ve accumulated some funding over the last few years for capital improvements, I intend to work on a long-range plan that will explain how we’re going to spend that money,” said Holson.

He added that city employees continue to work hard to keep expenses down as much as possible.