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.

The 2019 Fort Griffin Fandangle Membership Sampler will be presented at the site of the historic Town of Fort Griffin next Saturday, April 20 at 6:00 p.m. and although the first wave of invitations to the Sampler were mailed out to members this week, there is still time for everyone to pay association dues and attend the event.

Adult participants are invited to bring their favorite bottle of wine or beverage to the Old Jail Art Center next Thursday, April 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and leave with an encaustic painting that they create during the workshop.

Each third Thursday of the school year, adult visitors are invited to try out a new art medium in a casual workshop environment under the instruction of an experienced art educator.

Encaustic painting is also known as “hot wax painting.”

All Shackelford County senior adults (50 and up) are invited to attend the Shackelford County Resource Center’s April senior luncheon to be held on Friday, April 12 at the Albany Youth Center beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Members of First Baptist Church are hosting this month.

“The theme is ‘Carnival,’ and we will actually be having a carnival including game booths, cotton candy, popcorn, and prizes,” said program assistant Ragan Riley. 

The meal will be hamburgers, French fries, baked beans, and desserts. 

The wild west will come back to life, at least for a day, in downtown Albany this month at the first annual Chamber of Commerce Wild West Day on Saturday, April 27, and a host of activities will provide a multitude of entertainment options for all ages.

Main Street will be shut down to regular traffic from 11:45 until 1:15 p.m., and people dressed in period costumes will take to the street while Louann George plays a half-hour concert on the calliope.