A record crowd gathered this past Saturday for the 40th annual Polo on the Prairie, as the longtime West Texas fundraiser drew an estimated 2,000 attendees for its milestone year.

Albany High School has announced honor students for the Class of 2026, with Woods Peterson named valedictorian and Mimi Ivy selected as salutatorian.Seven other seniors were recognized as honor students, representing the top 25 percent of the class.Peterson earned a four-year average of 102.

One of the most accomplished athletes to ever come out of Albany is now part of the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame, as Kami Norton Richey was inducted during last week’s annual banquet in Abilene.

The Albany Lions closed out district play last week with an 11-4 loss to Hawley, a result that secured the district championship for the Bearcats and left Albany finishing as the runner-up.The Lions wrapped up district with a 7-3 record and stand at 12-4 overall heading into the postseason.

A former Albany Lion received a surprise honor recently when a newly improved girls softball field in Sundown was named after him, recognizing years of work in the community and local athletics.Ron Holson, a 1988 Albany High School graduate, said the recognition was unexpected.

The U.S. Highway 180 bridge over Hubbard Creek Reservoir will be fully closed to traffic beginning Monday, April 27, as TxDOT crews conduct routine maintenance work on the structure.

A newly filed recommendation from state regulatory staff has added a new layer to the ongoing discussion surrounding the proposed Dinosaur–Longshore 765-kilovolt transmission line, identifying a preferred route that differs from the one submitted by Oncor.

Albany ISD officials will return to the community this evening for a second town hall meeting on the proposed $26 million school bond, giving residents another opportunity to review the plan and ask questions ahead of the upcoming election.

Two Albany doubles teams punched their tickets to the state tennis tournament with runner-up finishes at the rain-delayed Region II-2A meet April 20-21 in North Richland Hills.Coach M.J.

Nine Albany High School athletes qualified for the regional track meet following competition at the area meet held Friday, April 17, in Graham. The regional meet is scheduled for May 1-2 in Springtown.