This story was submitted by a student in response to last week’s Kids Corner Junior Journalist prompt, which challenged young writers to imagine a news article for the Albany News.
By Gatlyn Alexander
5th Grade
A strange event happened at Fort Griffin in Albany Texas Friday evening. Campers reported seeing strange lights appear in the sky. The next day the workers at the fort reported seeing footprints in front of the park.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions boys basketball team extended its season Monday, Feb. 17 with a 46-33 victory over Petrolia in a Class 2A Division II bi-district playoff at Graham.
The Lions (14-8) advance to the area round later this week to face the Graford Jackrabbits, who won against Crawford on Tuesday night. Albany coach Ryder Peacock said the area game will be played Friday, Feb. 21 at 7p.m. in Eastland’s Marshall Gymnasium. Ticket information was still being worked out at press time.
By Sam Waller
Four high school seniors from Albany and one from Moran have been selected for the 26th Big Country FCA All-Star Festival, which will be held the first week of June.
The all-star selections were announced Sunday, Feb. 16 at a parents meeting in Abilene.
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lady Lions got their softball season off to a belated start Monday, Feb. 17 with a 9-1 loss to Lipan at Webb Park.
The game against Westbrook on Friday has been cancelled because of weather, but Albany is scheduled to play in the Eula tournament Thursday, Feb. 27 through Saturday, March 1.
The Lady Lions were slated to open the season Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Clyde tournament, but the event was cancelled because of weather.
By Sam Waller
Tryouts for Albany Little League baseball and softball, originally scheduled for this weekend, have been pushed back a week to Saturday, March 1 because of this week’s cold weather.
Meanwhile, player registration continues this week with players urged to sign up as early as possible.
This year, the local youth softball program will operate under the Little League banner, allowing the organizations to streamline and coordinate operations.
By David H. Waller
The Albany Mainstreet Playhouse (AMP) is gearing up for its next production, Neil Simon’s classic comedy Rumors, with performances scheduled for February 28, March 1, and March 2 at the Aztec Theater. Known for its sharp wit and fast-paced humor, Rumors explores the unraveling chaos that ensues when a dinner party goes hilariously off the rails.
A major accident occurred Friday, Feb. 7, at approximately 1:29 p.m., about eight miles east of Albany on Highway 180 when an SUV collided with a semi-truck carrying asphalt.
According to reports, the SUV was attempting to cross the highway to pull into a driveway when it was struck directly by the semi. The impact caused the semi to overturn, spilling its load of asphalt into the nearby bar ditch. Despite the severity of the crash, no fatalities were reported, and only minor injuries were sustained by those involved. Extrication was not required at the scene.
Fort Griffin State Historic Site will host its fifth annual Winter Encampment and Dutch Oven Cookoff on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21, offering a glimpse into 19th-century life through immersive, hands-on experiences.
The event kicks off Friday at 8 a.m., running until 4:30 p.m., with the public invited to observe period-correct cooking demonstrations. Attendees will witness authentic techniques used during the mountain man era through the Indian Wars period. Approximately 25 encampments will be set up, featuring settlers, military personnel, and even livestock.
Drivers traveling across the US 180 bridge over Hubbard Creek Reservoir should prepare for nightly lane closures as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) resumes maintenance work on the structure. Beginning Sunday, February 9, crews continued cleaning and sealing bridge joints, a project that started last year.
By David H. Waller
In what can only be described as a lesser-known publication—The Wall Street Journal (perhaps you’ve heard of it, though it’s no Albany News)—my brother, Andy Waller, recently found himself being interviewed for a cover story. And while we at The Albany News prefer real stories about multi-agency manhunts and championship football games, we’ll make an exception this time since, well, it’s my brother.
