By Donnie A. Lucas

The varsity Lion basketball team earned a pair of wins over district opponents last week, defeating both Haskell and TLC Abilene to improve to 8-4 for the season, including 3-0 in district.

The Lions hosted the Cisco Loboes on Tuesday, dropping to 3-1 in district with a 48-39 loss.

Albany will be on the road on Friday in Anson to take on the Tigers in a 7:30 p.m. bout, followed by a trip to Stamford on Jan. 20 to wrap up the first half of district.

“Loyal Love”

By Michael Atmar - Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church 

Who is the most loyal friend you have ever known? If you have someone that immediately comes to mind, you are very blessed indeed. Friendship that is centered on the Lord Jesus and that stands the test of time is a precious gift from God that should not be taken lightly. I was reflecting on this recently while reading through the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament with some of our high school students. Do you remember Ruth’s story?

Albany Live will open its 2025 schedule on January 25 with a performance by Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn at the Aztec Theater. Known for his contributions to Texas music with hits like ‘London Homesick Blues’, ‘What I Like About Texas’, and many more,  Nunn is set to return to Albany following up on his sold-out November 2023 show. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the performance starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale, and organizers are encouraging fans to purchase early due to high demand.

By Lynsi Musselman

On Tuesday, the 477 Albany Independent School District students returning after the winter break saw all the familiar faces across the district, as well as three new ones. 

By David H. Waller

On Monday, January 6, 389 days after the Albany Lions captured their second consecutive Texas State Championship, Coach Denney Faith presented players with their long-awaited championship rings.

What was expected to be a routine four-to-six-month turnaround stretched into more than a year, but as Coach Faith said at the start of his speech, “Better late than never.”

Shackelford County recorded 30.65 inches of rainfall in 2024, surpassing last year’s total by over five inches and marking one of the wettest years in the last decade. November was the wettest month with 8.20 inches, followed by May’s 5.77 inches.

In contrast, October and August were the driest months, with just 0.21 inches and 0.44 inches of rain, respectively.

This year’s total continues a trend of rising precipitation in the county, building on 2023’s 25.22 inches and far exceeding the 17.34 inches recorded in 2022.