By Kathy Thomson

Moran’s varsity basketball teams traveled to Rising Star for tournament action last week, with each team putting their first tally in the winners column. The high school players were also on the road in Bryson for games on Tuesday, Nov. 26, with the girls taking the court first at 6:00 p.m. Results were not available at press time and will be reported next week.

Lady Bulldogs

The varsity girls lost to the visiting Blanket Wildcats on Tuesday, Nov. 19 and split games at the Rising Star basketball tournament later the same week.

By Kathy Thomson

Moran Independent School District is off this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, and school will resume at the normal time on Monday, Dec. 2.

MISD’s annual Thanksgiving Meal took place on Friday, Nov. 22, with a traditional meal of turkey, ham, dressing, green bean casserole, broccoli and cheese casserole, giblet gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce, and cobbler, served to students and their family members.

By Kathy Thomson

Two items that Moran residents may need to put on their calendar for next week include the government commodity pick-up and the annual holiday craft fair.

Commodities

The pick-up day for Moran commodities has been moved back to Thursdays starting in December. Those receiving the government commodities also need to note that the hours have changed, and the food items must be claimed during the two-hour scheduled time slot.

Sammy Kay Shirley, 77 of Albany, TX passed away on Nov. 25, 2019 surrounded by loved ones. 

The family will hold a private memorial service. Services are under direction of North’s Funeral Home.

Sam was born in Kermit, TX to Willie May and Franklin Homer Shirley on Oct. 1, 1942. He went to school in Odessa, TX. He worked in construction for most of his life, always working hard to provide for his family. 

He loved to joke and make people laugh, and could often be found spinning around the dance floor to a good country and western song. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Four local candidates filed their paperwork for placement on the March Republican primary ballot with county chair Lynne Teinert last Wednesday, Nov. 13, according to County and District Clerk Cheri Hawkins.

Teinert also submitted an application to continue as county chair.

Ed Miller paid his fee for reelection as Shackelford County Sheriff, and Precinct 1 incumbent commissioner Steve Riley paid his filing fee the same day. 

Lanham Martin filed by petition to run again for his current commissioner’s post in Precinct 3.

By Kathy Thomson

The Aztec Theater will be filled with music selections from the 1930s through the 1980s this Saturday when local singers and musicians present Road Trip: A Musical Journey.

General admission tickets to the one-night-only live performance will be available at the door for $10 each.

By Kathy Thomson

Slow cooked barbecue, tasty desserts, friendly servers, and a chance to donate to a good cause await everyone who attends the annual Toys for Tots fundraising luncheon at the Youth Center this Sunday, Nov. 24.

The free-will donation meal, which will be served from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., raises funds to help provide Christmas gifts to disadvantaged local children ages zero to 11.

Republic Services, trash pickup contractor for the City of Albany, will run on a slightly different schedule for the week of Thanksgiving.

Residential trash containers and business and industrial containers normally picked up on Thursday will change to Friday next week. 

Normal Friday residential service will be on Saturday. Normal Friday business small containers will be picked up on either Friday or Saturday. Industrial containers will be picked up as normal, except on Thanksgiving.

A Monday, Nov. 25 deadline has been set for the Nov. 28 edition of The Albany News due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

All news articles and advertising must be received no later than noon on Monday, Nov. 25. 

“The timetable for mailing is actually what is driving our schedule,” said News editor Melinda Lucas. “Because the post office is going to be closed Thursday, we need to mail on Wednesday, so we have to back the printing up to Tuesday night.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD’s board of trustees heard a detailed overview of the Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) for the Nancy Smith Elementary School campus during Monday’s regular board meeting.

Student Services Coordinator Leigh Lowe presented the plan as part of TEA’s requirement to strengthen the state accountability scores. Lowe and NSES principal John Gallagher have been working on the plan with a committee for the past six weeks, according to AISD superintendent Jonathan Scott.