By Kathy Thomson

The Moran Bulldogs will start district play in Baird this Friday, Jan. 17, following a long Christmas break after a Dec. 20 loss to Throckmorton. 

The varsity girls started their district games last Friday, Jan. 10, falling to Gordon 28-35, and taking on Ranger Tuesday, Jan. 14. 

The Lady Bulldogs will join the boys for games in Baird on Jan. 17 starting at 6:00 p.m. Moran will host Eula starting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Throckmorton Game

By Kathy Thomson

School holidays, stock shows, cheer tryouts, and basketball games are all scheduled to take place over the next few weeks.

Friday, Jan. 17 is an optional/required fifth day for Moran students.

On Monday, Jan. 20 the Moran Independent School District will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

Another optional/required fifth day will take place on Friday, Feb. 14, followed by a school holiday for Presidents’ Day on Monday Feb. 17.

SCYLA Stock Show

Joseph Beck Matthews, III died unexpectedly of natural causes on Jan. 1, 2020 at his home in Durango, Colorado.

Joe was born to Julia Jones Matthews and John Alexander Matthews on Jan. 28, 1944 in Fort Worth, Texas. 

He grew up in Abilene, attending Abilene public schools through ninth grade. Joe was a 1962 graduate of The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. He attended Stanford University then later enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a reservist. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Rodney Alexander, Albany’s mayor for the past five years, suffered what is believed to be a brain aneurysm last week and died less than 24 hours later in a Dallas hospital.

Alexander, 51, collapsed at his home late Monday night, Dec. 30 and was transported by ambulance to Abilene, then care-flighted to UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

According to his son, Cody Alexander, the family opted not to request an autopsy, but doctors thought that an aneurysm was probably the cause of death.

By Kathy Thomson

Only a few cases of influenza have been seen at the Resource Center or at the school so far this winter, but quite a few patients seen by the medical staff at the Shackelford County Health Clinic have tested positive for influenza, according to administrator Jera Fairley.

“We started seeing quite a few cases of flu back in November,” Fairley said. “Then prior to Christmas, we were seeing 40 to 50 cases a week that tested positive for influenza. It’s slowed down a little now, but we are still seeing some.”

By Kathy Thomson

Local residents who want to run for city council, hospital district, or school board positions in the Saturday, May 2 election may begin filing the required paperwork on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Filing closes a month later on Friday, Feb. 14 at 5:00 p.m. There is no filing fee.

Albany City Council

Three of the two-year city council positions expire this cycle. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners took care of a single item on the agenda of a special meeting last Thursday morning, Jan. 2, adjourning just a few minutes after they convened.

The elected officials, as they had planned, reinstated the county-wide burn ban, which was only lifted temporarily in order to accommodate a few county citizens who had requested to burn brush piles.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Another $600 in donations during the past week brought the Albany Chest campaign a little closer to its 2019 goal, although about $2,200 was still needed at press time on Tuesday evening, according to treasurer Paige Adair.

The total collected so far is about 95 percent of the $42,000 target. Last year, the same goal had been exceeded at this time.

It is hoped that last-minute donations will push the drive over the top.

By Kathy Thomson

Albany Chamber of Commerce manager Mary Beth Jones said this week that the Chamber’s annual membership meeting will take place at the Beehive Restaurant on Friday, Feb. 7 immediately after the noon luncheon.

The agenda for the meeting, traditionally held on the first Friday in February, includes going over the finance report and electing directors and officers.

By Kathy Thomson

New voter registration cards were mailed in December, and everyone who is registered to vote in Shackelford County should have received a 2020 voter registration card by the end of this week.

Those who are not registered to vote still have time. The last day to register to vote in the upcoming March 3 primary election is Monday, Feb. 3.

Shackelford County Tax Assessor Collector Chief Deputy Belinda Perez is also in charge of voter registration.