By Melinda L. Lucas

Students, teachers, and support staff will celebrate the first school holiday of the year on Monday, Sept. 7 when the local school district dismisses for Labor Day.

Classes will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the normal times of 7:55 a.m. at Nancy Smith Elementary School and at 8:00 a.m. at the secondary campus.

The next scheduled student holiday is Columbus Day, Oct. 12, followed by Thanksgiving. Classes will dismiss early on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and will resume the Monday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 30.

Edna Mae Abbott, 96 passed away Aug. 27, 2020 at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, FL from complications after testing positive for Corona Virus. She was born May 1, 1924 in Rule, Texas to John & Claura Dominey. 

Edna Mae married Albert Gene Abbott of Anson in 1942 and moved to Albany after WWII. Daughter Teena was born September 1946. 

She spent almost 70 years as an Albany resident and homemaker. She actively participated in local community events and was a ‘Strong Minded’ member of the Albany First Baptist Church. 

By Lynsi Musselman

The 34th annual First Impressions Invitational Pig Sale in Shackelford County will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the county show barn.

Last Saturday, Aug. 29,the Shackelford County Youth and Livestock show barn was cleaned up and is now ready to welcome visitors next weekend.

Albany ag instructor Chris Beard said there was a lot of participation during the clean-up, and it was complete in about an hour.

By Lynsi Musselman

Hurricanes that threatened the Gulf Coast last week took several Albany residents to Sulfur, Louisiana to help in clean-up and relief efforts for those affected by Laura.

First Baptist youth minister Campbell Terry, Paige  Thompson, and Michala Huckabay all traveled south together last week.

“We did not go to the Texas coast like we originally planned, Terry said. “Due to the shift in the storm, we went to Sulfur, Louisiana where we helped serve Houston River Baptist Church and the people of Sulfur.”

By Lynsi Musselman

Pick-up dates for the September distribution of the commodity food program are Sept. 3 and Sept. 4.

On Thursday, Sept. 3, certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Albany families who have been certified eligible for the September food distribution program can pick up their commodity food Friday, Sept. 4, at the rear door of the Justice of the Peace office (the former county jail) from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 

By Lynsi Musselman

Maybe it is in the water, or maybe it is just coincidence, but the number of residents that are one of a pair of twins is unusually high for a town the size of Albany.

Generationally, Albany has seen several sets of twins grow up and pass through, but this year at Nancy Smith Elementary School 17 children out of 280 are multiples.

Not only are there seven pairs of twins, but there is also a set of triplets, which makes the percentage of multiples at NSES double the national average.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lion varsity football team opened the 2020 season at home last Friday, blanking the Colorado City Wolves 48-0 in a non-district bout.

Just over 500 Albany fans braved hot August weather to see the opener, a number still well below the 1,000 fan limit at 50 percent capacity on the home side due to COVID-19 restrictions set by the state. Only 140 fans came through visitors gate, also well below the 270 limit.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Lady Lion volleyball team picked up three more wins last week, including opening the district race in Ranger.

Albany hosted Woodson on Tuesday, earning a 25-9, 25-7, 25-13 win to go to 8-1 for the season.

While several 1A schools are grouped into District 6-2A, Albany will play only Ranger and Hawley for district positions in the 2A bracket of district.

Bessie Lee Echols, age 87, of Albany Texas, passed away Friday afternoon Aug. 28, 2020.

She was born Feb. 19, 1933 in Shackelford County on a farm in between Albany and Moran to Margie and Newt Tabor.

Bessie was preceded in death by her first husband Billy Eugene Brush who was killed in an oilfield accident, then JC Echols known as “PaPa” who she was married to for 50 years. Bessie had two sisters Ruth McDonald and Ruby Jeanis and one brother, Newt Jr. Tabor.