A major new housing development in Albany is beginning to take shape, though progress has slowed due to state permitting delays and water runoff concerns. Once completed, the project will feature 53 residential lots, multiple commercial tracts, and full access to city water and sewer services. The development is located just inside the city limits along Highway 6 and is owned by the Albany Economic Development Corporation.
The Shackelford County Commissioners Court met Monday, July 28, to handle a range of routine items and hear a detailed presentation on the county’s floodplain management obligations under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Floodplain discussion
With the return of August comes the return of football in Albany, as the Lions are set to begin their first official practice Monday morning, August 4. Head Coach Denney Faith said the team expects close to 50 players this season, slightly above average for recent years, with a varsity squad projected to number between 25 and 30.
The Lions will have experience on their side, returning seven offensive and nine defensive starters from last year’s squad. But many key positions, including quarterback, remain unsettled heading into the first week of practice.
The Albany Lady Lions volleyball team is ready to take the court for the 2025 season, with practice beginning tomorrow, Friday, August 1. Head coach MJ Reneau said she expects around 20 girls in the program this fall, with both varsity and junior varsity teams in place. In addition to the first practice, the team will volunteer at Closet Angels Friday afternoon.
With a new school year and athletic season just around the corner, the Albany Athletic Booster Club is launching several initiatives to build support for student-athletes and coaches.
For the first time, fans can officially become members of the Booster Club, with multiple membership levels ranging from $25 to $500. Each level offers increasing benefits like recognition in the football program, booster yard signs, decals, flags, and even T-shirts. All memberships and sponsorships apply to the 2025–2026 school year and are now available at albanyathleticboosterclub.com.
This week marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for The Albany News.
As I shared in the paper a few weeks ago, the printing facility in Lubbock is shutting down. The news came as a surprise, even to the team up there. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is moving its printing operations to Juárez, Mexico. While there was an option to move our printing there as well, it did not feel like the right fit for our paper.
Atmos Energy crews are currently at work along North Main Street as part of a system modernization project to improve the safety and reliability of Albany’s natural gas infrastructure.
Online registration for returning Albany ISD students is expected to open Thursday, July 31 (today), pending the successful rollover of the district’s registration system.
The district will continue using the Ascender Parent Portal for the registration process. Parents can access the portal through the “Parent Sources” tab on the Albany ISD website. A new “Registration Help” tab has been added to provide step-by-step instructions for completing the process.
Once the portal is live, an announcement will be posted on the district’s Facebook page.
Vacation Bible School in Albany concludes today with a family night program following a full week of Bible lessons, music, and community fellowship. The event, held at First Baptist Church, has brought in nearly 200 participants, including around 150 children and 50 volunteers from churches across the area.
Organizers said the turnout this year has remained strong, matching last year’s numbers.
Each day focused on a different Bible lesson tied to the overall theme, “Magnigied! Discovering the bigness of God in the Smallest of Things.”
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. -Psalm 4:8 (NIV)
Sometime back, I walked into the living room and my son, Simon, was watching the 1960 movie “The Time Machine,” based on the H.G. Wells book by the same name. I told him that when I was a child that movie gave me nightmares.
