The Texas Department of Transportation has installed temporary mobile traffic signals that are now in operation as a three-way stop zone at the intersection of State Highway 351 and FM 604 in the southwest corner of Shackelford County following a sharp increase in traffic tied to construction at the Vantage data center site.

Large numbers of construction trucks and service vehicles entering and exiting the site have caused long backups on SH 351, with traffic at times stretching hundreds of feet as trucks wait to pull onto the highway.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. -Luke 2:20 (NIV)

It’s about that time, (for many the time has already passed), to box up Christmas and put it back in storage for another year. Soon the city will be de-decorating. The decorations will come down at homes, stores, and places of worship. Everything will be back to normal. So is Christmas truly over?

I’m reminded of a story I came across in one of my books, from a man in Illinois:

By David H. Waller

Note: Dad has never been one for attention, and he would much rather stay quietly behind the scenes. Not everyone gets a fancy article in The Albany News when they retire, but this is one of the perks of having a son who runs the paper, I get to honor him with words. Now to the article...

In the days leading up to Christmas, Albany is normally quiet aside from last-minute shopping and church services. This year, however, the town found itself in the middle of a 10-day kidnapping spree involving an inflatable Christmas cow named Kyle. What began as a lighthearted idea from Molly Cauble and her family, inspired by a TikTok trend, quickly grew into a full-blown crime saga that will be talked about in Albany for years to come.

Construction activity continues to ramp up at the site of the planned Vantage Data Centers “Frontier” campus in Shackelford County, drawing increased attention from local residents as work progresses on one of the largest developments ever announced in the area.

The Aztec Theater will launch a new concert series this Friday as Goodnight Steakhouse and Saloon presents The Aztec Sessions.

The series is intended to bring a regular schedule of live music to downtown Albany, using the historic Aztec Theater as its home. Goodnight Steakhouse has long supported live music through its dancehall shows and weekly Pickin’ Party, and organizers say the strong response to those events led to plans for larger concerts at the theater. A cash bar will be available inside the venue with the purchase of an event cup.

More than 100 volunteers of all ages came together Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Albany Cemetery to honor local veterans during the sixth annual National Wreaths Across America Day, placing wreaths on 610 graves and identifying four additional veteran graves during the event.

One of those graves is now the oldest veteran, pre-dating the two Civil War veterans that were previously identified. Greenham Crowder, who died around the time of the Civil War, fought in the Texas Militia and served as a Texas Ranger.

The Albany Lions boys basketball team went 4-0 to win the Lingleville Tournament last week, highlighted by steady scoring and strong defensive pressure throughout the three-day stretch.

Albany opened Thursday with a 62-34 win over Olney, then returned Friday morning for an early start against Bluff Dale, followed by a second game later that day against Coleman. The Lions closed the tournament Saturday with an 86-18 win over Eastland.

Albany Lady Lions varsity and junior varsity teams were active on the court last week, highlighted by a varsity win over Munday.

The Lady Lions lost Tuesday’s game 36-51 at Hawley. Details will be reported next week.

Albany varsity lost to Aspermont 63-23 on Dec. 9 and then beat Munday 55-49 on Friday, Dec. 12.

Welcome to The Albany News College Football Playoff Pick ’Em Challenge! To enter, simply fill out your bracket and submit a photo of it by December 19 at 5:00 p.m. Entries may be emailed to news@thealbanynews.net, texted to (325) 238-6128, or dropped off at The Albany News office. Scoring is simple: every correct pick earns one point, and the contestant with the most points at the end wins. If there’s a tie, the tiebreaker will be the predicted final score of the National Championship game, with the closest prediction taking the prize.