By Donnie A. Lucas
The staff at the Shackelford County Health Clinic recognized nurse practioner Travis Wilburn for 20 years of service to the clinic and the Albany community on Monday.
Wilburn started working for the clinic operated by the hospital district on Feb. 3, 2003, or at least that is pretty close to his start date.
By Sam Waller
Albany FFA and Shackelford County 4-H members spent last week competing at both the San Angelo and San Antonio livestock shows.
This week, local students were busy showing barrows at San Angelo.
At San Antonio, Shackelford County 4-H had three teams competing in horse judging. Grace Fry was the third high individual in the junior division, while the junior team of Grace Fry, Artie Bell, Cody Fry, and Rainy Nitschke finished sixth.
By Melinda L. Lucas
The winners of 10 drawings for Albany Bucks were named by the Albany Chamber of Commerce on Monday afternoon, with each lucky shopper receiving a $100 gift certificate to a specific local retail store.
A total of $1,000 in Albany Bucks was given away.
The Valentine drawings were conducted during the monthly Chamber board meeting held at noon on Monday.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Shackelford County commissioners worked through a fairly routine agenda in short order on Monday morning, Feb. 13, adjourning in under an hour.
A motion passed to lift the burn ban while there is some moisture in area pastures, to be revisited at the next meeting.
County judge John Viertel said he has granted several requests for burns in recent weeks in light of participation.
Even though the burn ban is inactive, landowners or others who plan to burn should contact the sheriff’s office so officials will know the timeline of the burn.
By Sam Waller
Agriculture producers and landowners have an opportunity to earn continuing education units and TREC credits at the Texas Farm, Ranch and Wildlife Expo scheduled for Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 21-22, at Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene.
The two-day event, hosted by the Taylor County Extension Service and the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, offers seminars from crop production to range management and wildlife management. Vendors can interface directly with a combination of farm, ranch and/or wildlife managers and rural consumers in the Big Country.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Grandparents Week at Nancy Smith Elementary continues today and tomorrow, along with the associated Book Fair.
The Parent-Teachers Organization is hosting the annual Book Fair in the cafeteria on the same days that grandparents are welcome to eat with their grandchildren or other students who might need a stand-in.
“It has been really busy so far,” counselor Susie Beard said Tuesday. “We have had lots of grandparents for lunch, as well as both parents and grandparents at the book fair.”
By Donnie A. Lucas
A few Albany High School students competed in the Wylie Valentine UIL Classic last Saturday, bringing home several medals and ribbons.
Albany students placed in three of the journalism events, including news writing, feature writing, and editorial writing, while one entrant placed in mathematics.
“Our kids did great,” UIL coordinator Rick Davis said. “The journalism kids were competing against 1A through 6A competitors, while the non-writing events were broken down into smaller classifications both by grade level and school size.”
By Donnie A. Lucas
Albany ISD students will observe a holiday on Monday, Feb. 20 for President’s Day.
Staff members will still report for work on Monday for a staff development day.
Spring break is scheduled for the week of March 13-17, with regular dismal times on Friday, March 10. Classes will resume on Monday, March 20 at the normal times.
So far, the two days designated as “bad weather days” on April 7 and April 10 are still scheduled.
The holidays are in observance of Good Friday and the Monday following Easter.
By Sam Waller
The Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes concluded its Weekend of Champions camps with a another record attendance as 171 boys gathered at Eastland’s Solid Rock Camp.
The weekend camp, held Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 11-12, included nine boys from Albany and one from Moran.
“We had quite a few life-changing decisions take place,” local FCA representative Paul Johnston said. “The response from the kids was that the message was very well received.”
By Sam Waller
Albany Methodist Church will be among local congregations conducting Ash Wednesday services, but details are still to be worked out.
This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 22.
Lance Thomas, president of Albany Methodist’s board of trustees, said the transition from former pastor Tim Tremble to pastor Bob Heidecker has led to some changes.
Thomas said Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations as it falls on the first day of Lent.
