By Sam Waller

Shackelford County 4-H is offering three days of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) camps in July, with a recent decision to lower the age requirement.

Camps for incoming third through sixth graders are scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. over three consecutive Tuesdays – July 12, 19 and 26 – at The Feed Store.

Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said the camps offer multiple hands-on learning experiences each day.

By Sam Waller

The Shackelford County Library children’s story hour will extend into July, but in a slightly different format, according to organizer Janna Ledbetter.

Future sessions are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Fridays beginning July 8 and will continue as long as there is sufficient interest, Ledbetter said.

“We are going to keep going,” Ledbetter said this week. “We’ll see how many children will come. As long as we have a response, then we will have continue the program.”

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone. The food, cards, donations, visits, and outpouring of love and kindness shown to our family was truly heartwarming.

Dinty will definitely be missed by many.

Thanks and love

from the family of

Dinty Bowman

By Donnie A. Lucas

A group of 14 Albany students and sponsors left Monday to travel to San Diego to compete in the FCCLA National Leadership Conference.

The 12 students will attend the conference through Friday to either compete or present projects.

Two Level 2 online teams for ninth and tenth grade students were selected to present their projects at the national conference.

The online teams were picked as the lone presenters in their respective categories from the state of Texas.

By Sam Waller

The Community Vacation Bible School will be held Sunday, July 24, through Wednesday, July 27, with programs for two age groups and workers from several local churches helping with classes.

Students who were in Pre-K through fifth grade during the 2021-22 school year will meet 5:30-8:00 p.m. July 24-27 at First Baptist Church of Albany. Attendees must be 4 years old before Sept. 1.

New this year is the R.O.P.E. program (Rights of Passage Experience) for rising seventh graders. Those sessions will be held 5:45-8:15 p.m. at The Feed Store.

By Sam Waller

A team of volunteers from First Baptist Church of Albany left for Del Rio on Sunday, June 26 to help with a construction project.

The group has traveled to the Del Rio area several times to help work on buildings and churches in surrounding locations.

Team member John Ross Reames said the group had a lengthy job list they were going to try to get accomplished this week.

By Sam Waller

The Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes conducted its summer Leadership Camp recently at Hardin-Simmons University with 14 attendees from Albany taking part.

Local FCA representative Paul Johnston said the camp, which started June 13 and wrapped up June 17, “was a great experience.”

“We had about 180 young people there, 60 of them from my area,” Johnston said. “There were several decisions that were made. The kids had a lot of fun, learned a lot about the Bible, and learned a lot about how to apply it to daily life.”

Angelo State University conferred 880 undergraduate and graduate degrees during the 2022 spring commencement exercises on May 13-14 at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena in San Angelo.

Graduates include ­Sierra Price Brooks of Albany who earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She is the daughter of Charlie and Diana Price.

Addie Beth Denton was named to the Dean’s List at Cisco College for both the fall and spring semesters.

Students on the Dean’s List must have a GPA of at least 3.5 with no grade lower than a C, and be enrolled in 12 or more hours per semester.

Denton, a 2021 graduate of Albany High School, is the daughter of Dena and Myron Denton of Albany.

By Sam Waller

The Moran ISD school board voted Monday, June 27 to cover insurance for district teachers for the coming year.

“That’s something we can do to show our teachers we appreciate them,” Moran superintendent Dr. John Denson said, “to thank them for sticking around.”

Denson said the perk will be reevaluated on a year-by-year basis.

“If the money’s not there next year, we might not be able to do it,” Denson said. “I’m going to do my best to make sure the money’s there.”

Denson added that Moran has no faculty openings at this time.