The Albany Student Council will be hosting a blood drive at Albany High School next Monday, and seniors who donate blood for the second time this year will be eligible to wear a red honor cord at graduation.

The Hendrick Regional Bloodmobile will be at the high school from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, April 29, and although the drive is geared toward students and teachers, community members are also welcome, according to principal Edward Morales.

According to recent news broadcasts, O positive blood is in especially short supply.

Parents who need to register their child in the Head Start program for the 2019-20 school year should go to the Nancy Smith Elementary School, room 107, on Monday, April 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Head Start is a free, full-day, pre-school program for economically disadvantaged children that are three or four years old and who qualify for free meals.

Head Start is also open to students with specified disabilities.

Parents of current returning students in Head Start must recertify their child and complete a new registration packet.

Academic excellence will be recognized at the Albany High School Academic Banquet sponsored by Albany ISD, the Feed Store, and the AJSH Academic Booster Club on Monday, April 29, at 7:00 p.m., with a theme of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”

The annual banquet is held in the main gym in honor of students who displayed outstanding scholarly achievement during the school year. 

The menu will be fajitas, rice, beans, chips, hot salsa, and chocolate cake, according to Feed Store director Tisha Wilkins.

The public is invited to come by the First Christian Church prayer Labyrinth, located on South Pecan Street across from the Old Jail Art Center, at noon next Thursday, May 2, to join the Albany Ministerial Alliance and millions of people across the nation in prayer for the United States.

“It will be a time of prayer, and we will sing a couple of hymns,” said Alliance president Brad McBee.

Prayer by the people, for the nation, has been a part of America since it began. 

Participants in JAM, the “Jesus And Me” children’s ministry at First Baptist Church, presented their end-of-the-year program on Wednesday night, April 24, and will meet next week for the final time this school year.

The annual family night at Webb City Park is set for Wednesday, May 1, starting at 6:00 p.m.

Families of JAM participants are invited for food and games.

Fourteen local third to sixth graders and 11 junior high students from the Albany Church of Christ, along with their team leaders and many parents, attended the North Texas Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) Convention at the Downtown Hyatt Regency in Dallas last weekend, April 19-20.

Both the elementary and the junior high groups participated in chorus, drama, and puppet team events. 

Youth from the Albany Church of Christ have participated in LTC for the last 12 years.

Members of the Albany Church of Christ will hold a celebration this Sunday, April 28, at 6:00 p.m. at The Feed Store in honor of the graduating seniors who have been active in the Church of Christ.

“We do this every year for the Youth in Action teenagers who are graduating,” said pastor Sonny McCauley. “We are inviting the seniors, their families, and our church family.”

Cameron Dacus, Kade Everitt, and Haley Stewart are the honorees this year.

A total of 25 Albany FFA students competed on seven Career Development Event teams at the Tarleton Area IV CDE contest at Stephenville on Wednesday, April 17. 

District winners for CDEs were also named at the TSU Area IV event.

None of the Albany teams advanced from area competition to the state level, but other Albany CDE teams are headed to a state level contest at TSU today and two contests at Texas Tech on Friday.

The Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association met twice during April to begin making plans for next year’s county livestock show.

The first meeting was the regularly scheduled annual meeting held on April 9 to elect directors, elect officers, and listen to any concerns or issues from the public about the 2019 county show. 

The additional directors meeting was held the following week on April 16 to allow the directors time to confirm that judges would be available for the proposed new show schedule.

Directors & Officers

One hundred and ten vehicles entered the 2019 Albany Classic Car Show hosted by members of Albany’s Shifters Car Club last Saturday, April 20, and the judges awarded prizes in 26 classes and also in several specialty categories.

“The car show was awesome,” said show coordinator Robert Snyder. “We had a good turnout with a lot of vehicles that we hadn’t seen before. The weather was nice, and we had plenty of good help.”

The event started on Friday evening with a hamburger supper, a downtown cruise, and the burnout.