Local club, paper to receive awards

By Kathy Thomson

The Kiwanis Club of Albany and The Albany News will both be recognized by the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas at the organization’s annual conference next week. 

The VATAT gives an award in each of six categories (Outstanding Chapter Advocate, Outstanding Newspaper, Outstanding School Administrator, Outstanding Radio Station, Outstanding Television Station, and Teacher’s Media) to the top nominees from each of the 12 FFA Areas in Texas.

Local ag instructor and FFA advisor Chris Beard nominated The Albany News for Outstanding Newspaper and the local Kiwanis Club as Outstanding Chapter Advocate for their continued assistance to the Albany FFA program. 

“The Albany News does a great job of covering the stock shows, FFA conventions, CDE and LDE events, and our other activities,” said Beard. “And the Kiwanis Club has supplied all the plaques for the local stock show for many years. I was glad that they both won.”

This year’s VATAT conference will be held in Corpus Christi, July 28 – Aug. 2, and the awards will be presented on Tuesday, July 30 at the American Bank Center.

“Thank you for your dedication to agricultural education,” said VATAT executive director Barney McClure in the letters he sent to both the Kiwanis Club and The Albany News. “You and many other agriculture supporters will be recognized for your service and commitment to the VATAT and agricultural science and technical education.”