Moran students are expecting a visit from Santa Claus this Friday, Dec. 14, but locals have already given his elves a little help.

“All of the Angels have been picked off of the Angel Tree,” said administrative assistant Jeannie TenCate. 

All Angel Tree gifts should be returned by Dec. 17 so they can be delivered on Dec. 18.

Those still needing that special Christmas gift might want to consider purchasing a copy of the upcoming Moran Bulldog Family Recipe Collection, Class of 2019 Edition. 

Certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their December commodity food this Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Delivery to Moran, originally scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6, was postponed due to wet weather.

“They called from Albany and said that it was raining, and they couldn’t deliver,” said Moran city manager Jackie Wallace. “I was surprised, because it wasn’t raining in Moran. But about that time we started getting some rain also.”

Farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers in Texas have new online options to access U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Through USDA’s new streamlined process producers can now register, track and manage their applications for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) and 2017 Wildfires Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP) on the secure and convenient https://www.farmers.gov/sign-in.

The Albany Nativity, a play written by Robert Nail and traditionally performed biennially by local citizens during the Christmas season, will be presented free of charge at the Aztec Theater at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14 and 15.

Tickets will be available at the Aztec box office starting at 7:00 p.m. before each performance.

“The tickets are free,” said director Lorna Ayers. “We are only using them to keep track of audience numbers.”

The Christmas season is in full swing at the Old Jail Art Center, and special activities for December include the free holiday marionette shows that were offered earlier this week, and a low cost gift making workshop next week.

Gift Make and Take

The OJAC will host a Drop-in Holiday Gift Workshop every day next week, Tuesday through Saturday. (The museum is not open on Mondays).

The Albany Lions are playing Hamlin in the quarter-finals of the UIL 2-A division II football playoffs in Shotwell Stadium in Abilene this Thursday, Dec. 6, and the Athletic Booster Club invites local fans to participate in the send-off on Thursday afternoon.

Readers of The Albany News will receive the print edition of the weekly paper on Friday mornings until further notice as work continues to restore the press at the Abilene Reporter-News after a fire three weeks ago.

The News is currently being produced in Lubbock on Thursdays, and is in mail boxes and on news stands a day later than usual.

The online edition is available on Thursday mornings.

The next regular test of the local emergency siren is scheduled for 12:00 noon, on Wednesday, Dec. 12, depending on the weather. 

The regular trial is scheduled for the second Wednesday of every month, but the siren is not tested if the weather is questionable.

The siren should sound one or more of the three emergency tones during the test. 

SEVERE WEATHER

WARNING

Constant wail

3 minutes

FIRE DANGER

10 seconds up

10 seconds down

2 minutes 

FLOOD DANGER

Table-top Christmas trees sporting bright ornaments greeted parishioners in seven local churches this past Sunday, and between them, the seven trees included the anonymous wish lists of each of the 36 teens enrolled in the Ministerial Alliance’s new “Believe Trees” program.

Members of the Alliance offered to take over the lead role in the teen Christmas gift program, and are now spearheading that holiday drive along with continuing their annual Christmas Baskets ministry.

Christmas Baskets

The local Toys for Tots program is still accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys and monetary donations at various donations sites around Albany, but according to ResourceCare case worker Makenzie Marshall right now the greater need is for people to adopt the seniors in the Vittles by Vehicle program.

“We have 37 senior in the Vittles by Vehicle program, and so far none of them have been adopted,” Marshall said on Monday. “Donations are still needed for the seniors!”

Adopt-a-Senior