After donations to the Albany Chest 2018 exceeded the $42,000 goal set by the directors in early October, members of the board met last week to finalize the allocations to 26 different organizations that requested help.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 9, the directors awarded a total of $42,450, which was $1,000 more than the recommended amount after the October session, but still less than the $50,000 that had actually been requested.

The fifth and sixth grade youth basketball players opened the 2019 season at home last Saturday, with three of the local teams splitting games and one team winning both of their bouts.

5th Grade Boys

The fifth grade boys came out playing good defense from the start, according to coach John Tom Heatly.

“We hadn’t had a whole lot of practice, so I was extremely proud of them, and can’t say enough about the defense,” Heatly said. “They also did a great job sharing the ball with each other on offense. The entire team played well.”

A proposed project to include a senior citizens space in the Albany Visitor Center was discussed at length during the Albany city council meeting on Monday night, Jan. 14, with Chamber of Commerce officials agreeing to bring more information to the next session.

Council members also received an update on progress of the gas line upgrades and how it will affect street repairs during 2019.

Junior Chamber Program

The 2019 Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association show is set for Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, and stock show exhibitors need to help clean up and prepare the county show barn’s facilities this Saturday, Jan. 19, starting at 8:30 a.m.

“Please bring shovels, hoes, rakes, brooms, and other clean-up tools,” said FFA advisor Chris Beard. “We will pick up any trash, sweep and clean up the bleachers and the barn, and set up the pens. It is the same as last year, except that we are starting a half hour later, at 8:30 a.m.”

Exhibitors are expected to participate. 

County officers starting new terms of office were sworn in during a brief ceremony held in the courtroom of the Shackelford County Courthouse last week.

County justice of the peace James Breeden officiated for most of the informal meeting on Tuesday morning, Jan. 1, swearing in two incumbents, including district and county clerk Cheri Hawkins and county treasurer Tammy Brown. Precinct 4 commissioner Cody Jordan will be sworn in later.

Breeden also swore in two newly elected officials – Precinct 2 commissioner Ace Reames and county judge Robert (Bob) Skelton.

General hunting season for white-tailed deer ended last weekend, but antlerless deer and spikes can be harvested until Jan. 20, and a special Youth-Only Season also extends through that same weekend.

Local hunters who harvest more venison than they intend to use are being encouraged to donate their extra bounty to Hunters for the Hungry, with distribution being handled locally through the Albany Masonic Lodge.

Locally, field-dressed deer can be dropped off at Rocker B Taxidermy, along with the required $40 processing fee, during regular business hours.

Along with the start of a new semester came new beginnings for a couple of Albany ISD administrators, notably for Jonathan Scott, who is at the starting line for his assignment as AISD superintendent.

Scott’s transition to his new duties as head of Albany ISD left a vacancy in the Nancy Smith Elementary School office, where he was in his fifth year as principal of that campus.

The official year-end deadline for the Albany Chest loomed large a few days before Christmas with the 2018 campaign more than $9,000 short of its record goal, but several last-minute donations, both large and small, have put the drive over the top, according to board president Amy Kelly.

The drive reached the $42,000 targeted goal this week and, as of Tuesday, Jan. 8, the fund had slightly exceeded that amount with a total of $42,157, according to board treasurer Paige Adair.

The Albany Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership meeting, normally scheduled on the first Friday of February, is being delayed until the second week because of a conflict with the county stock show.

Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones said this week that the traditional  membership session will take place at the Beehive Restaurant on Friday, Feb. 8 immediately after the noon luncheon.

Several of the current directors have asked to be replaced and there are others whose terms are expiring this year, said Jones.

Only a few cases of influenza have been seen at the local clinics so far this winter, and according to Jera Fairley from the Shackelford County Heath Clinic, the patients that tested positive for influenza at that clinic all had one important thing in common.

“I believe all the flu cases we have seen have all been in those who did not receive a flu shot,” Fairley said. 

One vaccinated youth was diagnosed with influenza, but her symptoms were relatively mild, reported a family member.