By Sam Waller

Albany Little League held its opening day Monday, March 28, with a pair of games at the local complex.

In the Majors age group, the Oilers defeated the Reds 13-6 behind a two-run homer by Slayton Parsons.

In the Minors age group, the Oilers edged the Reds 18-16.

League organizer Paul Hamilton said more than 160 players are participating in the various age groups this season.

“We’re having a great time,” Hamilton said. “We want to encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the games.”

By Sam Waller

Moran’s Alli Scott was the high-point girl Saturday, March 26 at the Buckaroo Relays in Breckenridge.

Scott scored 34 points, putting Moran sixth in the girls team standings.

Scott won the 100 hurdles in 16.75 seconds and finished second in the 300 hurdles (51.30), high jump (5-0), and long jump (15-0½).

Moran had five girls and five boys competing at the meet.

“I was proud of the work they put in,” coach John Hughes said. “We were the only 1A school there.”

By Sam Waller

Moran’s One-Act Play will perform “The Girl in the Mirror” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 at the MISD auditorium.

The performance is open to the public.

Moran earned regional-alternate status with its performance at the District 13-1A meet on Feb. 28.

By Melinda L. Lucas

EMS supervisor Tina Ulbrich announced at Monday’s meeting of the Shackelford County hospital board that she is resigning to take another position.

Ulbrich, who has been director of the ambulance service for slightly over two years, told SCHD directors that on the previous Friday, she had been “offered a job that is too good to turn down.” She stated that she would be here until the end of March.

By Sam Waller

Last week’s wildfires in Eastland County saw several Shackelford County residents lend a hand in battling the blazes, while more have joined the relief effort this week.

The Albany Volunteer Fire Department sent three firefighters and a truck to Ranger, according to Fire Chief Travis Gardenhire.

“We assisted with the three structure fires in downtown Ranger,” Gardenhire said.

He added that AVFD personnel fought fires until late Thursday night.

By Donnie A. Lucas

For the first time since last summer, there were no new cases of COVID-19 cases reported from the three local testing sites in Albany.

A total of 11 tests were administered with no positive results during March 14-18. There were just three positive cases the prior week of the 17 tests conducted.

According to the weekly report issued by county judge Bob Skelton, the hospitalized cases in Trauma Service Area D which includes Abilene and Brownwood hospitals dropped to just four patients, including two in ICU at the time of the report on Monday.

By Sam Waller

The Albany community garden has been tilled and is ready for planting, according to Ramby Anderson, who has helped coordinate the project for several years.

The garden, which began five years ago, is located behind King & Robertson Insurance on Main Street and is open to the public. Anderson said he would like to get more youth involved in the project.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany High School band will compete in the UIL Region 2 East Zone Concert and Sight Reading contest in Abilene next Tuesday.

The contest will be held at Wylie High School, with the Albany band taking the stage at 10:15 a.m. for the concert portion of the contest.

The band will then move to another hall for sight reading at about 10:40 a.m.

“We will perform three prepared numbers for the concert portion, then move to the band hall to sight read a piece they give us,” director William Vaughan said.

By Sam Waller

Callan Edgar and Kenzie Neve both came away with second place results last week at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as local exhibitors began wrapping up the winter show season.

Edgar finished second with her crossbreed barrow. Neve finished second with her middleweight Shorthorn steer, the second year in a row she has placed second at Houston.

Also exhibiting swine at Houston were Tye Edgar, Paige Price, Colter Edgar, Tatum Grady, and Ryan Turner.

Others showing steers at Houston were Hattie Braly, Kam Browning, and Gracie Price.

By Sam Waller

While the Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Show closed out in late January, the final payoff is still two weeks away.

Statements were mailed recently by the Shackelford County Youth & Livestock Association, and donors and bidders are asked to respond as quickly as possible.

Checks for animals sold at this year’s show will be distributed Friday, April 8. Before receiving their payout, exhibitors have a checklist of tasks to complete.

Checks will be handed out from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Albany Visitors Center parking lot.