By Sandy Morris

First Baptist Church has several activities planned for the summer.

Every Sunday night starting at 6:00 p.m., the church will sponsor Summer Sundays at the Bumguardner home.

Adults will have a Bible study while kids swim followed by dinner. 

Lifeguards and childcare will be provided every Sunday evening.

FBC will also show the series The Chosen each Sunday night at 6:00 p.m.

The event will be held in the Fellowship Hall, and popcorn will be provided. 

By Sandy Morris

The famous handmade tracker organ at the Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church in Albany will again be the main attraction when the church opens its doors to Fandangle visitors.

Local organist Sandy Abel will perform during the 2021 Fandangle season, with a planned program to be combined with requests from the audience for favorite hymns, classical pieces, and patriotic music. 

The recitals will begin at 4:00 p.m. on all four Fandangle performance nights, June 18-19 and again on June 25-26, concluding about an hour later.

Albany High School graduate Jackson Chapman has been awarded the Nancy and Ted Paup Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame Scholarship. This scholarship fund is managed by the Community Foundation of Abilene. 

This scholarship goes to an Albany student who is in the top 25 percent of his/her class and participated in varsity athletics. 

Jackson will attend Texas A&M University in the fall and plans to study agricultural business. 

By Donnie A. Lucas

Preliminary results of the spring STAAR testing administered to local students are not official yet, but school officials said parents should be able to see results within a week or two through the Texas Education Agency’s parent portal.

While administrators will use the test results in an attempt to determine how students have progressed over the last year, local comparative results may take longer than usual because TEA hasn’t announced if or when they will release statewide results.

Max Balliew, son of Tim and Candy Balliew of Albany, was named to the President’s list of Tarleton State University for the spring 2021 term.

To be on the President’s list is one of the highest honors Tarleton confers on full-time students who earned a 4.0 grade point average.

By Sandy Morris

Visitors to the Fandangle will have an added attraction to visit this year with the Easy Does It Pop-Up Art Show.

The event will feature new works by Austin-based artist Calhan Hale and Albany native/Denton-based George Kelly. 

Both artists explore the different narratives and experiences that fall within the broadly interpreted idea of being “Texan.”

The exhibit is installed in a retrofitted shipping container and will allow visitors an opportunity to connect with art in a non-traditional space. 

By Sandy Morris

The Fort Griffin Fandangle starts tomorrow, and special activities in Albany will begin several hours before the bugler sounds the opening of the Friday and Saturday night shows. 

Free events offered on all four of those days include a pop-up art show, quilt show, tracker organ concert, calliope concert, car museum, viewing the Picket House, longhorns on the Courthouse Square, a film at the Aztec Theater, and exhibits at the Old Jail Art Center. 

By Sandy Morris

One year ago, Shackelford County looked very different with the effects of COVID being seen in every public venue and with many traditional events being cancelled.

Fast forward a year,  and for the most part, it’s business as usual for the majority of Albany.

Albany Independent School District was able to complete the school year and hold commencement services. 

Most businesses are open and no longer require masks to be worn while shopping, although workers are still masked in some cases. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

A disaster declaration was ratified at Monday’s meeting of the Shackelford County commissioners in hopes that state or federal funding will be available to help repair flood-damaged county roads.

“Due to the large amount of rain at the end of May, the county is facing tremendous economic damages to county roads and bridges,” said county judge Robert Skelton. “It looks severe enough that we would need supplementary help from the government.”

By Sandy Morris

The 2021 version of the Fandangle parade is set to take to the streets of downtown Albany at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, and parade organizers are hoping for more entries to come in during the next two days. 

Fandangle parade organizers Ragan Riley and Shannon Leech are encouraging local businesses, organizations, and individuals to submit their 2021 entries. 

Winning entries will receive cash prizes to be awarded in several categories.

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