The Albany Mainstreet Playhouse will bring back a familiar favorite next month with its production of God’s Favorite, a comedy by Neil Simon inspired by the biblical story of Job, with performances scheduled for February 6, 7 and 8.

This marks the second Neil Simon production for AMP in less than a year, following last winter’s presentation of Rumors. The play was last staged locally in 2010 and was well received, prompting director Lorna Ayers to bring it back more than 16 years later with a largely new cast.

The Albany Lions closed out the pre-district schedule with a perfect 4-0 showing at the Windthorst Tournament before opening district play with a hard-fought home win over Stamford, continuing a strong start to the 2025-26 season.

Albany defeated Vernon 64-56, Poolville 73-47, Archer City 83-40 and Bellevue 81-39 across the two-day tournament on Dec. 29-30, finishing as co-champions alongside Windthorst and Nocona. Coach Ryder Peacock said the unusual three-way tie was something he had never seen before.

The Albany Lady Lions traveled to Haskell on Tuesday, Jan. 6, for district basketball action.

The girls lost 21-52, with full results to be reported next week.

The Lady Lions secured their first district win of the season last Friday, Jan. 2, defeating Stamford with a strong defensive performance that head coach Ashlyn Bevel said set the tone for the night.

“Defense was what won that game,” Bevel said. “We knew going into it that we had to play tough defense to top off the win and that’s what we did. We held their best player to three points.”

A retirement reception honoring Mike and Pam Bean was held Monday, Jan. 5, at The Feed Store, celebrating more than 20 years of dedication to the Ben Richey Boys Ranch and Family Program.

Several leaders from the Ben Richey organization attended and spoke, including CEO Kerry Fortune, recognizing the couple’s longtime commitment to children and families served through the ministry.

The new year is always advertised as a time for change. A clean slate. A fresh start. A chance to improve yourself in ways you fully intend to abandon by mid January. New diets, new routines, new outlooks on life.