By Donnie A. Lucas The 2020 football playoff season was supposed to start this week for the Albany Lions with a bi-district bout against the Chico Dragons, but the game became the latest victim of the ongoing COVID-19  pandemic.

By Donnie A. Lucas The JV football team wrapped up the 2020 season with another shutout, beating the visiting Wylie sophomore JV 28-0 last Thursday at Robert Nail Stadium.

By Donnie A. Lucas The Cubs and Lady Cubs will start the 2020-2021 basketball season on Monday, Nov. 16 with a full set of games. The seventh and eighth grade girls will host Abilene Christian School starting at 5:30 p.m.

By Donnie A. Lucas The Lady Lions basketball teams opened the season last Friday in Hermleigh, dropping the game 51-24.

By Sandy Morris  The canned food drive hosted by the Moran junior and senior classes is winding down this week.  According to Moran ISD principal Jo Hise, the food drive has had a wonderful start. “Last week, we collected 288 cans,” said Hise. The third grade leads the contest with 105 cans.

By Sandy Morris It is a busy time of year for local 4-H and FFA members.  Many stock shows have opened up their registrations, and validations have started.  Both groups also are participating in fundraisers or food drives.

By Melinda L. Lucas After a longer than expected delay, thousands of tax statements should be mailed next week to Shackelford County land, property, and business owners.

By Sandy Morris When local hero, William Edwin Dyess, was tragically lost in a plane crash in 1943, arrangements were made for a military trumpet player to play “Taps” at the service.

By Melinda L. Lucas A lengthy discussion about what to do with $25,000 in CARES Act funding and an update about the city’s rolloff program for abandoned houses took a good part of Monday night’s Albany city council meeting on Nov. 9.

Jimmy Brooks, Sr., age 72 of Moran, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. Graveside services with full military honors will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 19 at Moran Cemetery Pavilion. Interment will follow under the direction of Morehart Mortuary. Jimmy T. Brooks was born Feb.