By Melinda L. Lucas

The 2019 football program will be sent to the printers in the next couple of weeks, and everyone who still wants to help support the local high school and junior high athletes, encourage a student at the secondary school, and/or promote their business by placing an ad in the magazine-type program is asked to do so as soon as possible.

With a deadline of next Monday, July 29, the ad sales will be finalized at a meeting of the Albany Athletic Booster Club set for 6:00 p.m. that evening at the Feed Store. 

By Donnie A. Lucas

It is not too late for local girls to register and attend a high school volleyball team summer camp set to start Sunday, according to new head volleyball coach M.J. Reneau.

The three-day camp is open to students entering grades 9-12 who plan to participate in volleyball this season.

The coach said that over 30 prospective JV and varsity players have already signed up for the camp, but registration will remain open until the first session on Sunday, July 28 at 5:30 p.m. The cost of the camp is $40.

Photographs taken of various teams and individuals by The Albany News since the beginning of the local coach pitch, softball and baseball seasons are available for pickup.

Summer baseball and softball packages are priced at $18 plus tax. Many of the packets have already been paid for, and although many have already been picked up, there are dozens still at the News office.

Graduation photos of the 2019 Albany High School seniors are also in, but several members of the class have not yet placed their orders.

The Aledo Black 10U All Stars baseball team recently earned second place in the USSSA World Series Tournament in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Alex Reynolds, son of Nicole and Jason Reynolds of Aledo and grandson of Bobbie Cauble of Albany, was named Offensive MVP by his tournament team.

The World Series tournament was scheduled July 9-14 as a double elimination tournament, with teams from all over the southern United States. However, due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Barry, the tourney was cut to a single elimination event. 

By Kathy Thomson

Ten teams played in the Albany Masonic Lodge Wisdom Foundation Scholasrship Golf Tournament held at the local course last Saturday, July 20, including at least two groups from Abilene.

“James Waters and Tommy Terrell have the course in the best shape I have ever seen it,” said organizer Stephen Kayga, who added that the four-man scramble was a big success. “I don’t have exact figures yet, but I think we made about $4,000 for our scholarships.”

Patty Carlile, age 90 of Albany, passed away Saturday, July 20, 2019. Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 23 at First Baptist Church of Albany with Rev. Jeff Turner and Kyle Viertel officiating. Interment followed in the Albany Cemetery under the direction of Morehart Mortuary.  

Patty Ruth Shirley was born Jan. 31, 1929 in Pioneer, Texas to parents, Luther Shirley and Nora Belle Meador Shirley.  She married Robert Luke Carlile on Sept. 2, 1950 in Pioneer. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Changes and additions to the student handbooks, along with reviewing the preliminary budget, took up much of Monday’s regular Albany ISD school board meeting.

The trustees also approved the new minimal teacher pay scale and a heard a brief report on the progress of the Graham Memorial Pavilion in honor of AISD employee Melba Graham, who worked for the district for more than 10 years before she and her husband were killed in a highway accident in 2018.

By Kathy Thomson

Intense thunderstorms rolled through Shackelford County on both Sunday and Monday of last week, July 7 and 8, dropping over an inch of rain and creating lightning displays that rivaled a Fourth of July fireworks show.

The official two-day rainfall total was 1.35 inches, but some residents recorded as much as two or two-and-a-half inches in their gauges.

However, lightning was the highlight of the weather event.

By Melinda L. Lucas

An introductory proposal by Stephens Memorial Hospital administrator Matt Kempton concerning ambulance services took much of Monday’s hour-long board meeting of the Shackelford County Hospital District,

Board vice president Janna Ledbetter conducted the session in the absence of president John Ayers.

EMS Proposal

A blood drive is scheduled to take place in Albany this afternoon, July 18, and Hendrick Regional Blood Center (formerly Meek Blood Center) will park its bloodmobile at First Baptist Church from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. 

Blood drives in Albany have been sponsored by the Kiwanis Club for over 20 years.

“The blood center depends on volunteer blood donors to supply 100 percent of the blood that is used for patient care at 17 area hospitals,” said Frances Baker, who after many years as donor recruiter with the Hendrick Blood Center, retired at the end of June.