By Melinda L. Lucas

Two vacant houses on the southern outskirts of Albany were completely destroyed Tuesday afternoon in a fire that was believed to have started from electric lines sparking in a tree branch broken off by high winds.

The same winds, which were already raising dust in West Texas skies that day, pushed the fire south to Hwy. 601 (Ibex highway) and east to the Albany airport, singeing more than 250 acres, including some in the new Clarke Estates subdivision.

By Donnie A. Lucas

After almost a month without any new COVID-19 testing, Shackelford County has recorded three new tests during the last week, according to county judge Robert Skelton.

Two of the recent tests have already come back as negative, while the result for the third is still pending.

Texas governor Greg Abbott enacted the third phase of the plan for the state to safely open the economy while containing the spread of COVID-19.

As of last Wednesday, all Texas businesses were allowed to open with at least 50 percent capacity. 

By Lynsi Musselman

Due to COVID-19 and other health concerns, the Albany Lions Club fundraiser “Flags Across Albany” is on hold for Flag Day and the upcoming patriotic holidays.

However, volunteers with the Chamber of Commerce are stepping up in the interim and providing American flags in the downtown area.

“Flags Across Albany” is  a project the Lions Club organized several years ago to honor American heritage and military heroes who served this country, as well as to help raise funds for the organization.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Shackelford County commissioners approved the annual audit Monday and agreed to apply for federal funds available through the CARES Act to assist with added costs at polling places for upcoming elections due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The audit for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2019 was presented by Meredith Churchill of Fullerton and Associates, a CPA firm in Abilene.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany News customers are reminded that starting this Friday, June 12, the newspaper office will be closed on Fridays.

The Friday closure was decided in light of less in-person customer patronage in recent years, as well as an effort to cut costs in view of the economic impact of the coronavirus impact.

Hours at the News office will be Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., starting Friday, June 12.

By Lynsi Musselman

Low rainfall totals in May and a sunny early June has kept the mosquito population away; however, Albany is far from mosquito free.

Albany city employee Davis Bales said he has yet to spray for mosquitoes this season but the fogging machine is calibrated for the year and there is a full drum of chemicals.

“Albany is broken into two sections that we spray, separated by the highway,” Bales said. “The parks and little league field will be sprayed soon, and other areas will be hit on and off depending on the rain.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Knox City administrator Glen Hill was approved as the new principal for Albany’s high school and junior high campus during an early morning special session of the Albany ISD board of trustees on Thursday, June 4.

Hill was one of 18 candidates for the position, with three selected for second interviews by a five-member committee made up of secondary staff members.

AISD superintendent Jonathan Scott conducted the final interviews and recommended Hill to the board on Thursday.

By Lynsi Musselman

The Texas Education Agency reported last week that Albany Independent School District earned favorable results for the first year of a new TEA review.

AISD was found to be in compliance of all areas of the review, meeting full credit in disciplines that were monitored in TEA’s first cyclical review of Local Education Agencies (LEA).

By Donnie A. Lucas

There are still 11 of the 36 spots for team entries in the annual Father’s Day Golf Tournament set for June 20-21 at the Albany Golf Club.

Restrictions on activities at the local golf course have been eased in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, allowing the local golf club to host the traditional 36-team tourney. 

By Lynsi Musselman

There are probably few animal species that send shivers up spines more often than snakes, prompting many people to state emphatically that “the only good snake is a dead snake.” 

Snakes are even synonymous with the devil, associated with lies, evil, and temptation.

However, snakes are not always an adversary.

 According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website, snakes create a balance in the ecosystem, most often acting as invasive rodent control.