By Sam Waller

Checks for animals sold at this year’s Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Show will be distributed April 8, but exhibitors have a checklist of tasks to complete before being paid.

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

Before claiming their money, students must have thank you notes written and ready to mail by April 1. Thank you notes must be placed in stamped, addressed envelopes and certified by Albany FFA advisor Chris Beard or Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell.

By Sam Waller

Rehearsals for next month’s Fort Griffin Fandangle Sampler at Rey­nolds Bend will pick up next week with two sessions scheduled.

The cast and crew conducted a second rehearsal Tuesday, March 15 at the Aztec Theater. Next week, rehearsals will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 and Thursday, March 24 at the Bank Park.

The Sampler will be performed at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 16 at Reynolds Bend on the Lambshead Ranch. The evening will include a catered meal and dance following the performance.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany ISD students and staff are out of school this week for spring break, returning to their classrooms on Monday, March 21.

The school will pick up the regular schedule on Monday, with only two more holidays remaining in the 2021-2022 school year.

Students and staff will be off again on Good Friday, April 15 and Easter Monday on April 18.

The district is having to making up time for days missed earlier in this semester due to bad weather, but the Easter holidays will remain intact.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The number of positive COVID-19 cases tested locally has continued to fall over the last two weeks, with just three positive cases last week and four the week before.

The three local testing sites reported a combined total of  three positive test results from the 17 tests administered during the week of March 7-11, and four positive results out of 17 tests given the week of Feb. 28 through March 4.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany city council members proposed a budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year starting April 1 and set a date for a public hearing during their regular session on Monday, March 14 at the Aztec Theater.

Lester Galbreath made a motion and Austin Sherwood seconded to propose the $3,475,400 budget, which was reviewed by city manager Billy Holson at the February meeting.

A special 7:00 p.m. session was planned March 28 as a public hearing for the budget, which is expected to be adopted that evening.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners got serious about implementing formal regulations for subdivisions in unincorporated portions of the county, setting a date for a public hearing with plans to adopt the proposed regulations immediately after the hearing.

The document, presented at a previous meeting by county attorney Rollin Rauschl, is adapted from Stephens County regulations and will give commissioners more control over water, sewer, and roads within subdivisions.

By Sam Waller

The Shackelford County Library recently dedicated a bench outside its main entrance in memory of librarian Carolyn Waller, who died in December 2020.

The bench, constructed by sculptor Joe Barrington of Throckmorton, was presented by the Prairieland Quilters, of which Waller was a member.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Shackelford County residents who want to request ballots by mail for the May 7 statewide amendment election and the county-wide hospital district election can now send in their applications.

The deadline for requests to be received in the clerk’s office is April 26. The application form to request a mail ballot can be found on the county website at www.shackelfordcounty.org.

Voters can also call the clerk’s office at 325-762-9415 in order to receive one through the mail.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions were able to handle the opposition and the elements last week, going 3-0 at the Albany tournament that was originally planned to be played over three days.

The four-team, round-robin event required organizers to adjust schedules to avoid the blast of wintry weather that hit the area Friday, March 11. The ­Lions played twice on Thursday, March 10, beating Eastland 11-0 and Baird 4-2. On Saturday, March 12, Albany beat Clyde 6-2.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions tennis team won 15 of 19 matches last week in a dual match at Clyde.

Coach M.J. Reneau said that the dual meet, played Wednesday, March 9, went extremely well.

“It was a way to practice before we took spring break off,” Reneau said. “When we come back, we’ll have one meet against Snyder, and then it will be time for district.”

Albany will visit Snyder on Thursday, March 24. The District 10-2A tournament will be Monday, March 28, and Wednesday, April 1, at Rose Park Tennis Center in Abilene.