By Sam Waller

The Albany Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual spring cleanup day Saturday, June 11.

Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones invites local residents to participate in the project aimed at beautifying Albany. A meal will be provided, Jones said.

The events offers an opportunity for people needing to accumulate volunteer hours to do so.

Volunteers should meet at the Chamber office at 8:30 a.m., Jones said, and she asked that participants bring yard tools and implements such as mowers, weedeaters, rakes, and hoes.

By Sam Waller

Seven Albany seniors and one from Moran will participate in the Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-Star Games coming up in June.

On Friday, June 10, Albany’s Ana Balliew and Cooper Fairchild will play for the North teams in the softball and baseball games, respectively. The softball game will be played at Angelo State University’s Mayer Stadium with baseball at Foster Field.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions Club presented club Sweethearts Caitlan Lee of Albany and Johnnie Hise of Moran with scholarships on Thursday, May 12 at the weekly meeting.

“We were able to provide $500 apiece,” Lions Club president Bob Skelton said. “Johnnie’s headed to Texas A&M, and Caitlan is planning to go to TCU.”

As Sweethearts, the duo assisted local Lions a variety of functions.

By Sam Waller

Local high school coaches are offering a variety of sports camps this summer for students entering kindergarten through ninth grade for the 2022-23 school year.

A basketball camp is set Wednesday-Thursday, June 1-2 at the high school gym with instruction by Tate Thompson and Ryder Peacock.

Sessions are 9:00-10:30 a.m. for grades 4-9 and 10:45 a.m.-noon for kindergarten through third grade. Registration fee is $25 per child.

Registration forms should be mailed to Ryder Peacock, 375 Ranch Road 1, Albany, Texas 76430.

By Melinda L. Lucas

New exhibitions will open at the Old Jail Art Center with a members’ viewing and dinner reception on Saturday, June 4 and remain on view throughout the summer.

The three exhibits will feature selections from the permanent collection, an installation in the original jail cells, and works on paper from the collections of two families.

Weather permitting, the members’ reception will be held outdoors in the Marshall R. Young Jr. Courtyard, according to OJAC executive director Patrick Kelly.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The Albany Dance Theatre Company will present its 72nd Annual Recital on Saturday, June 4.

The performance will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Albany High School auditorium.

Admission is free.

There are three featured seniors in this year’s recital, including Johnnie Hise and Hannah Rogers of Moran. There are no Albany seniors in the high school class.

More than 100 students from Albany, Moran, and several surrounding towns participate in the local dance program.

By Sam Waller

Shackelford County Library’s annual children’s story hour has been scheduled for every Tuesday in June.

Organizer Janna Ledbetter said the program, geared toward preschool and early elementary children, will have a theme of service to the community. Every week will have a speaker such as police officers and firemen.

Story hour will be from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. each week, including June 7, 14, 21, and 28.

Preschool children must be accompanied by an adult. The program will include crafts and games related to each story.

By Sam Waller

Local youth interested in playing golf are invited to a free clinic sponsored by the Albany Kiwanis Club in cooperation with Central Texas Junior Golf.

The clinic for students in third through eighth grade is scheduled for 2:00-4:00 p.m. Sunday, June 26 at the Albany Golf Club.

Instruction will be by PGA professionals.

To preregister, visit the Central Texas Junior Golf Facebook page or call 325-895-0817.

Clubs can be provided if needed.

Three awards were inadvertently left off the list of honorees provided by the school to the News last week from the Albany All-Sports Banquet.

Among the list of winners was also Lanxton Viertel, who was announced at the banquet as Newcomer of the Year for football.

For basketball, Lute Wheeler and Houston Heatly were both named Newcomers of the Year.

By Sam Waller

The Moran High School class of 2022 will conduct graduation ceremonies at 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 27 at Bulldog Field.

Four seniors – valedictorian Johnnie Hise, salutatorian Hannah Rogers,  Harmony Slaughter, and Arren Hawley – will receive their diplomas.

Former Moran superintendent Danny Freeman will give the commencement address. Hise and Rogers will also speak, and all four seniors will have a role in the program.