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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.