Royce Duane Donaldson, 49, of Moran was taken into custody last Friday, Dec. 14 after he was indicted on separate charges by a local grand jury and by a federal grand jury in Abilene.

Donaldson was originally arrested last summer after the death of 52-year-old George Henry Mark, although the only charge at that time was “felon in possession of a firearm.”

Last Wednesday’s Shackelford County grand jury charged Donaldson with first degree murder. He appeared before Justice of the Peace James Breeden on Sunday and a $500,000 bond was set.

A community blood drive will take place in Albany on Thursday, Dec. 20, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. The Hendrick Regional Blood Center bloodmobile will be parked at First Baptist Church from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. 

“We want to remind the community of the importance of having an adequate supply of blood at all times,” said Frances Baker, donor recruiter. “It is vital to have enough blood available to meet patient needs at 17 area hospitals. At this time we are in need of all blood types.” 

Only 11 days remain in the Albany Chest 2018 campaign and donations to the drive were still $9,733 short of the $42,000 goal as of Wednesday, Dec. 19. 

The current total is $32,267, according to board treasurer Paige Adair at First National Bank.

Donations, which were stagnant over Thanksgiving picked up again in December. But at the current donation rate of $2,500 a week, the drive will not reach the targeted amount.

Shackelford County Hospital District directors discussed the replacement of aging servers at the clinic, but opted to wait another month so they could hear some options from the district’s IT consultant. 

At the board’s Dec. 17 session, administrator Jera Fairley presented a bid from Tolar for two refurbished servers to replace the current eight-year-old units at a cost of $17,073, but Janna Ledbetter asked for the cost of new equipment.

A Tolar representative will attend the January meeting to answer questions.

Several Nancy Smith Elementary School students and teams placed at the district A+Academics University Interscholastic League contest held on Wednesday, Dec. 12 in Hawley. 

Schools competing at the District 8-2A UIL meet were Albany, Cross Plains, Haskell, Hawley, Roscoe, and Stamford.

The UIL academic meet provided competition for students from second through eighth grade. Sixth graders joined the junior high classes in a middle school division. 

Elementary Results

Some Albany churches have planned special services for Christmas, and they have invited everyone to come and join them in celebrating the birth of God’s only son and our Savior.

First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church will hold a Christmas service on Sunday, Dec. 23 at 10:45 a.m.

First Christian 

A choir will sing the Christmas cantata: On Christmas Day during the 11:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, Dec. 23 at First Christian Church.

With the help of 30 to 35 local volunteers, members of the Albany Ministerial Alliance distributed almost all of the 82 requested Christmas baskets on Sunday, Dec. 16.

Last week, Nancy Smith Elementary School sixth grade students divided the canned goods and other staples into the bags. 

Workers at The Feed Store assembly location on Sunday afternoon added perishable items to finish filling the food baskets. 

Students at the Albany Independent School District will be released for the day at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, and will break for the Christmas holidays at noon this Friday, Dec. 21.

The district will be closed for the winter break from Monday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Jan. 4.

A staff development day is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 7, and classes will resume at the normal times on Tuesday, Jan. 8. 

AJSH

Semester finals are continuing through this Friday at the secondary campus.

Texas dove hunters have an opportunity to bag the migratory game birds over the Christmas holiday season, starting this Friday, Dec. 21.

Dove season in Texas this year is Sept. 1 - Nov. 4, and Dec. 21 - Jan. 14. 

Dove Hunting Rules

Bag limits are still 15-birds per day, including no more than two white-tipped, with a possession limit of three times the daily bag limit.

Legal shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Sunrise in Albany this Friday, Dec. 21 will occur at 7:35 a.m., and sunset at 5:35 p.m. 

Stock show season is already underway for a few local exhibitors, including AHS sophomore Carli Edgar who placed well with her barrows at the Lone Star Classic jackpot pig show in Abilene and at the Red River Rivalry in Wichita Falls recently, and seven year old Luke Smith who exhibited a gilt at the Best of the Best Coleman County Stock Show in November and at the Abilene show this past Sunday.

Edgar won the middle weight Berkshire class with one of her barrows and topped out the middle weight cross class with another barrow at the Red River Rivalry in Wichita Falls on Nov. 23.