The Albany FFA Chapter has elected its officers for the 2018-2019 school year, and the new chapter leaders attended a Chapter Officer Leadership Training conference in Abilene on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

FFA officers for the 2018-2019 school year are president Madison Wilkins, vice president Tyler Beard, secretary Cutter Edgar, treasurer Taylor Scott, and reporter Seth Hale. Also serving the chapter this year are sentinel Conner Clark, historian Mady Connally, parliamentarian Julia Bowman, and chaplain Alayna Koemel.

The University Interscholastic League announced earlier this month that six students from Albany High School have been named to the 2017-2018 All-State Journalism Staff.

AHS 2018 graduates Rylie Scott, Genevieve Stunkard, and Henry Kelly, along with current senior Kade Everitt, and juniors Addison Asher and Alayna Koemel, were recipients of the honor, six of only about 75 student journalists from all classifications across the state.

Kenzie Fairchild is teaching six students in the General Education Development (GED) class at the Shackelford County library on Monday and Tuesday nights, but she still has room for a few more pupils.

“We began classes Sept. 10,” said Fairchild. “But registration is still open for new enrollees each Monday.”

Registrants should be at least 19 years old and have an ID.

“Child care is not available,” said Fairchild. “And students must commit to regular attendance and accumulate 40 hours of class time.”

Beverly Rogers of Albany was once again honored as a top individual fundraiser and also as a member of one of the top fundraising teams at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s annual fundraiser held at Abilene’s Rose Park on Saturday, Sept. 15.

The Abilene event is sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association-North Central Texas Chapter, and the chapter’s regional director Kristin Bishop said that she appreciated the contributions Rogers has made to the Walk over the years.

Brayden Sullivan won the champion goat showmanship buckle at the Jones County Fair for the second year in a row, and Conner Clark followed close behind him, claiming reserve champion goat showmanship at the show. 

Hattie Braly exhibited the overall British Champion steer in Anson on Saturday, Sept. 22. 

Also placed at or near the top of their classes by the Jones County Fair livestock judge Chase Runyan were JT Holland, Cache Clark, and Paisley Clark.

Jones County Fair

Lambs 

The Albany Volunteer Fire Department has set the date for a traditional “Push in” ceremony for “Engine #3,” the recently purchased 2001 Spartan Metro Star custom cab Class-A fire engine.

The event will occur at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, at the fire station, right after the VFD’s regular meeting.

“We would love to have the public there,” said Albany fire chief Kyle Tischler. “Anyone who would like to see an old time-honored tradition is certainly welcome to come.”

Shackelford County commissioners worked through a fairly short agenda during a regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 24, spending much of the hour-long session waiting to open sealed fuel and mowing bids at the advertised times.

No action was taken, but the elected officials clarified that the new digital “bell” on the Courthouse clock will continue to be muted until workers are finished with roof repairs. 

At that time, it will be decided how much to turn it up.

The Albany Parent Teacher Organization will hold a meeting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, in the cafeteria of Nancy Smith Elementary School to work on planning the 2018 Fall Festival.

Room parents, class parents, and at least one student council officer or representative from each grade at the secondary school should attend the meeting, and others that are interested in volunteering are also welcome, according to organizer Malarie Sutton.

“This will be a very brief meeting,” Sutton said. “We will go over the sign-up sheets for the workers.”

The Lion football team battled the weather and a very physical Hawley Bearcat team last Friday at Wylie’s Bulldog Stadium, suffering their fourth straight loss in what is turning out to be an extremely atypical start to the season.

The injury-plagued Lions fell 32-7 to the Bearcats to go 0-4 for the year thus far, the worst start since the 1956 season when Albany posted a 2-8 record.

An Albany junior high runner earned his third top 10 medal in as many meets when local athletes participated in a Haskell event on Sept. 19.

Eighth grader Isaiah Carrillo was sixth of 59 junior high boys in the two-mile course.

Sidney Russell was just out of the medals with a 12th place in the seventh grade girls division.

Local Meet

Local athletes will join a dozen or more other schools in an FCA-sponsored meet here in Albany next Wednesday, Oct. 3.