Victoria Richards, youth director at Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church, recently returned from a 12-day mission trip to Northern Egypt, where she joined a team of volunteers sharing the gospel in one of the world’s restricted nations.

“I’ve always had a passion for unreached people,” Richards said, “especially those who have never heard the gospel before. When the opportunity came up to join a trip to northern Africa, I knew I had to say yes.”

Plans for a new museum in downtown Albany were formally presented last week, with local stakeholders gathering Thursday afternoon to review architectural renderings and discuss next steps for what promises to be a major new attraction for the city.

The new data center site in the southwest corner of Shackelford County has been officially confirmed as a new campus for the Stargate project—a $500 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative spearheaded by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.

A semi-truck hauling galvanized pipe flipped inside the Albany city limits early Friday morning, Sept. 26, causing significant property damage and a temporary road closure after striking multiple structures along Highway 6.

The wreck occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m. as the northbound truck entered town. Traveling too fast for the curve near the intersection of Highway 6 and South Pecan Street, the vehicle hit the guard rail, then collided with an unoccupied vehicle parked just beyond the barrier.

The Albany Lions came up short against the Anson Tigers on Friday, September 26, falling 22–6 in what Coach Denney Faith described as a hard-fought and emotional game. The loss marks the first time Anson has beaten Albany since 2001, ending a 24-year streak and highlighting the Tigers as a serious contender in Class 2A this season. Anson now sits at 5–0 with a physical, playoff-ready team that made an impression on the Lions’ longtime head coach.

The Albany Lady Lions volleyball team battled through a tough district matchup on Tuesday, Sept. 30, ultimately falling to rival Hawley in three competitive sets: 17-25, 23-25, and 20-25. Despite the loss, Head Coach MJ Reneau praised the team’s performance, especially at the net.

“That was the best blocking game we’ve had this season,” Reneau said, noting that multiple players contributed key blocks that helped generate energy and momentum. However, serving errors continued to cause trouble for the team.

A Saturday afternoon grass fire in Moran quickly escalated, damaging multiple structures and sending several civilians to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The fire, which began around 1:35 p.m., burned well into the evening and was finally extinguished by 10:30 p.m.

According to Moran Fire Chief Tyler George, the blaze started near a property where individuals had been using a cutting torch, which likely sparked the initial flames in nearby dry grass. The fire spread rapidly, consuming a shop building, a trailer home, and several campers before it was brought under control.

Beatitudes (Part 3): The Blessing of Peace and Perseverance

Text: Matthew 5:9–12

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

By David H. Waller

When we moved our printing to Midway Press in Dallas, it opened up an exciting opportunity to refresh Albany’s visitor guide and take advantage of improved printing options.

In years past, the guide was square-shaped, printed on newspaper stock, and unbound. 

The gazebo in downtown Albany recently received a full restoration, wrapping up a three-week project to update the 50-year-old structure. The work included new decking and repairs to help preserve the historic downtown structure.

Elevated Construction Group, based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, completed the project at a quoted cost of $35,700. The team replaced the original flooring with Trex composite decking, a long-lasting material made from recycled plastic film and reclaimed wood.