By Sam Waller
Rev. Stan Allcorn’s dedication to God has made him put retirement on hold.
Again.
Allcorn, who served as senior pastor at Abilene’s Pioneer Drive Baptist Church for 22 years, takes over as interim pastor at Albany’s First Baptist Church this week. It is his second interim posting since he retired, following a two-year stint at a church in Tuscola.
By Donnie A. Lucas
Albany students and staff will head back to the classroom next week, with teachers and staff reporting on Monday, Jan. 9 and students coming the following day on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The regular bell schedule will ring for students on Tuesday, with the second bell ringing at 7:55 a.m. at Nancy Smith Elementary and 8:00 a.m. at the secondary campus.
The break started with an early-release day on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
Teachers are going back a day earlier for staff development and to plan for the new semester.
Angelo State University in San Angelo, has announced the students achieving the Dean’s List for the 2022 fall semester, including Ana Balliew of Albany.
To be eligible for the ASU Dean’s List, full-time undergraduate students must maintain a 3.25 or better grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Balliew is majoring in Management at Angelo State. She is the daughter of Candy and Tim Balliew of Albany.
By Sam Waller
Shackelford County 4-H is hitting the ground running in 2023 with preparations for the upcoming county livestock show being given high priority.
Steer Weigh-in
Final weigh-in for the county show’s new commercial steer class will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8 at Watt Casey’s pens.
“This will give us the steers’ final weights so the kids can put together their record books and get those turned in,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “We’re wrapping it up.”
Record books are due to Bell on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
By Sam Waller
Project Graduation is taking a different approach in its fundraising efforts for the Albany High School Class of 2023, but the end goal remains the same.
Organizer Amanda Tabor said the project will not conduct a Valentine sale this year, but earlier efforts have gone well.
“We’ve already done cookie dough sales and had a booth at Fall Fest in October,” she said. “What we have planned next is to do some Sunday meals in January and February.”
By Sam Waller
Fort Griffin State Historic Site has a new look with the completion of work on its playground.
Site manager Mitch Baird said the project took literally decades from conception to completion.
“I have been trying for 20 years to get this new playground,” Baird said. “So far, all the kids who have been down there are really happy with it. I’m happy with it because it’s taken me 20 years to get the playground updated.”
By Melinda L. Lucas
The first Chamber luncheon of 2023 is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 6 at the Beehive.
Chamber luncheons are held each Friday from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. and are open to anyone who would like to get involved and help with the various Chamber projects throughout the year.
Currently, there is no manager or executive director in the office, but Chamber board members hope that changes in the near future.
According to Megaen Birdwell, several applicants are being interviewed with plans to make a decision in the next few weeks.
By Sam Waller
More than 110 were served by volunteers from Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church and the rest of the community as part of the annual MMPC Christmas Feast.
Event organizer Tamara Trail said there was only a slight dip from a year ago when approximately 120 meals were served.
“We delivered 67 meals and served about 45 in-house,” Trail said. “That seems to be consistent with the last few years.”
In past years, meals have been delivered to Vittles by Vehicles recipients, first responders and others working on Christmas Day.
By Donnie A. Lucas
Positive cases of both COVID-19 and the influenza were on the rise during the week prior to Christmas but slowed last week.
A total of 16 positive COVID-19 results were reported for the week of Dec. 19-23, along with 22 positive tests for the flu.
According to the final weekly report of 2022 by outgoing county judge Bob Skelton, 16 positives were recorded out of 29 COVID-19 tests administered by the two local health clinics during the week prior to Christmas.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Pick-up dates for the January distribution of the commodity food program are set for today (Thursday) in Moran and tomorrow for Albany recipients.
The monthly food program will be held from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m. at the Moran City Hall today, and again Friday from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m. in Albany at the Justice of the Peace office on the courthouse square.
All current participants were sent an application form for the 2023 program that must be completed and returned in order to be certified as qualifying for the program during the coming year.
