By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County sheriff Edward Miller explained a new “Jail Navigator” program being proposed by the board of the Betty Hardwick Center during a regular meeting of the county commissioners on Monday, Aug. 12.

Miller also gave an update on an insurance claim from a May lightning strike that caused extensive electronic damage at the Law Enforcement Center.

Jail Navigator

By Kathy Thomson

The Albany Chamber of Commerce’s bi-annual party at the Aztec Theater at 7:00 p.m. next Friday, Aug. 23 will feature both a look backwards into local history and will also honor three people who are helping Albany shine brightly toward the future.

The “Home of the Here-ford” sign celebration and recognition party is for all Chamber members and prospective members, according to Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones.

By Kathy Thomson

The Texas Department of Transportation has several road repair projects underway or in planning stages in Shackelford County, including rehabilitating and widening the roadway on Highway 283 north of town and resurfacing and roadway construction on Highway 6 south.

State Highway 6, where it heads south of Albany toward the county line, was resealed a few years ago, but the stretch of road is in need of more work sooner than many expected.

By Kathy Thomson

School supplies are being accepted at the Kindred at Home health office in Albany during the company’s national campaign drive in August, and Tracy Sullivan recently picked up a donation from the Shackelford County EMS station that included just what the schools are requesting.

The local campuses both put tissue and hand sanitizer at the top of their lists, said Sullivan.

By Kathy Thomson

Albany High agriculture teacher Chris Beard said that Albany students will exhibit steers, heifers, goats, and pigs at the West Texas Fair and Rodeo in Abilene, which runs Sept. 5-14, and those entries are due today. 

Junior livestock show entries must be submitted through the student’s local FFA instructor or county agent, and Thursday, Aug. 15 is the deadline to register for the fair.

By Kathy Thomson

Ag instructor Chris Beard, on behalf of the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas, presented the Outstanding Chapter Advocate award to the Albany Kiwanis Club and Outstanding Chapter Newspaper award to The Albany News during the Albany ISD’s district breakfast last Wednesday morning.

Publisher Donnie Lucas accepted the newspaper award, and Zach Maberry, Steve Waller, and Robert Dacus were on hand as a members of the Kiwanis Club.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In last week’s Back-to-School special section, the News mistakenly switched two of the photos that went with the new teacher bios. Those two portions of the article are reprinted below. The News apologizes for this error. 

Also, the list of teacher assignments from the school inadvertently left off the name of veteran secondary English instructor Melanie Anderson, who will teach junior high ELA.

Whitney Bennett

By Kathy Thomson

Several Albany churches traditionally schedule special events during the transition from summer to the start of the school year to encourage local students to take advantage of opportunities to plug into groups where they can grow in their faith while enjoying the fellowship of other Christians. 

The following activities are planned for students over the next few weeks.

Aug. 25 – C of C

The Church of Christ will have its annual back to school pool party at the Webb Park Pool on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Bobby Lester York was born Sept. 16, 1943 to Faye Stotts and Lester York in Ft. Worth and he passed away on Aug. 8, 2019 at his home in Moran. 

He was raised by his Granny, Ima York Parrish. Bobby was a carpenter by trade. In 2011, Bobby moved to Moran to be close to his sister, Jo Ann Stewart, until her passing in 2016. He remained in Moran and loved to sit on his porch and watch the Hwy 6 traffic in Moran. He loved his two dogs, Coffee and Buttermilk. 

Mary Ellen Webb –known for her cooking, her love of Albany, Texas, her service in the U.S. Marines in World War II, and her reign as the family matriarch – died Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019. She was 98 and rather proud of it.