By Sam Waller

Agriculture producers and landowners have an opportunity to earn continuing education units and TREC credits at the Texas Farm, Ranch and Wildlife Expo scheduled for Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 21-22, at Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene.

The two-day event, hosted by the Taylor County Extension Service and the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, offers seminars from crop production to range management and wildlife management. Vendors can interface directly with a combination of farm, ranch and/or wildlife managers and rural consumers in the Big Country.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Grandparents Week at Nancy Smith Elementary continues today and tomorrow, along with the associated Book Fair.

The Parent-Teachers Organization is hosting the annual Book Fair in the cafeteria on the same days that grandparents are welcome to eat with their grandchildren or other students who might need a stand-in.

“It has been really busy so far,” counselor Susie Beard said Tuesday. “We have had lots of grandparents for lunch, as well as both parents and grandparents at the book fair.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

A few Albany High School students competed in the Wylie Valentine UIL Classic last Saturday, bringing home several medals and ribbons.

Albany students placed in three of the journalism events, including news writing, feature writing, and editorial writing, while one entrant placed in mathematics.

“Our kids did great,” UIL coordinator Rick Davis said. “The journalism  kids were competing against 1A through 6A competitors, while the non-writing events were broken down into smaller classifications both by grade level and school size.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany ISD students will observe a holiday on Monday, Feb. 20 for President’s Day.

Staff members will still report for work on Monday for a staff development day.

Spring break is scheduled for the week of March 13-17, with regular dismal times on Friday, March 10. Classes will resume on Monday, March 20 at the normal times.

So far, the two days designated as “bad weather days” on April 7 and April 10 are still scheduled.

The holidays are in observance of Good Friday and the Monday following Easter.

By Sam Waller

The Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes concluded its Weekend of Champions camps with a another record attendance as 171 boys gathered at Eastland’s Solid Rock Camp.

The weekend camp, held Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 11-12, included nine boys from Albany and one from Moran.

“We had quite a few life-changing decisions take place,” local FCA representative Paul Johnston said. “The response from the kids was that the message was very well received.”

By Sam Waller

Albany Methodist Church will be among local congregations conducting Ash Wednesday services, but details are still to be worked out.

This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 22.

Lance Thomas, president of Albany Methodist’s board of trustees, said the transition from former pastor Tim Tremble to pastor Bob Heidecker has led to some changes.

Thomas said Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations as it falls on the first day of Lent.

By Sam Waller

First Baptist Church of Albany will host two free viewings of the ENGAGE simulcast on Sunday, Feb. 26, and Wednesday, March 1, with everyone in the community invited.

The program, headlined by Mark Gregston and Kirk Cameron, is designed  to equip and empower parents to raise teens in a “contrary culture.”

For information, call FBC at 325-762-2019.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The membership drive and ticket sales for the 2023 season of the Fort Griffin Fandangle are well underway, with the annual membership Sampler set for April 15 at Reynolds Bend.

Letters were mailed in January to previous members of the association, and invitations to the Sampler are being mailed daily as new or renewal memberships are received.

Memberships are available at seven levels ranging from Pioneer, open to anyone 65 years or older, to Platinum at $5,000.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions kept their chances of winning the District 10-2A boys basketball title alive last week with home victories over Anson and Cisco, but ended up losing to Hawley 65-47 in a district-deciding game on Tuesday night in the Bearcats’ home gym.

The Lions (13-4 overall, 9-3 district) tied with Cisco for second place in district, with a Wednesday morning coin flip deciding the seeding. Albany will go into the playoffs as the third place seed.

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lady Lions concluded their basketball season Tuesday, Feb. 7, with 43-25 home loss to playoff qualifier Anson.

Albany finished the season 8-21 overall and 1-11 in District 10-2A. The Lady Lions increased their win total from a year ago by five and won a district road game for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

In other 10-2A action, Stamford defeated Cisco 58-52 on Friday, Feb. 10, in a game to determine the district’s No. 1 playoff seed.