The Shackelford County Commissioners Court met Monday, July 28, to handle a range of routine items and hear a detailed presentation on the county’s floodplain management obligations under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Floodplain discussion
This week marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for The Albany News.
As I shared in the paper a few weeks ago, the printing facility in Lubbock is shutting down. The news came as a surprise, even to the team up there. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is moving its printing operations to Juárez, Mexico. While there was an option to move our printing there as well, it did not feel like the right fit for our paper.
Atmos Energy crews are currently at work along North Main Street as part of a system modernization project to improve the safety and reliability of Albany’s natural gas infrastructure.
Online registration for returning Albany ISD students is expected to open Thursday, July 31 (today), pending the successful rollover of the district’s registration system.
The district will continue using the Ascender Parent Portal for the registration process. Parents can access the portal through the “Parent Sources” tab on the Albany ISD website. A new “Registration Help” tab has been added to provide step-by-step instructions for completing the process.
Once the portal is live, an announcement will be posted on the district’s Facebook page.
Vacation Bible School in Albany concludes today with a family night program following a full week of Bible lessons, music, and community fellowship. The event, held at First Baptist Church, has brought in nearly 200 participants, including around 150 children and 50 volunteers from churches across the area.
Organizers said the turnout this year has remained strong, matching last year’s numbers.
Each day focused on a different Bible lesson tied to the overall theme, “Magnigied! Discovering the bigness of God in the Smallest of Things.”
Albany’s annual cheer camp brought excitement and energy to the high school gym this week, as 62 young girls from ages 3 through sixth grade participated in three days of cheer, chants, and themed dress-up fun.
Held Monday through Wednesday, the camp introduced girls to the fundamentals of cheerleading while giving them the opportunity to work alongside Albany junior high and high school cheerleaders. This year’s camp was coordinated by cheer sponsor Lauren Peacock, who previously served in the role from 2014 to 2017, along with co-coordinator Ashlyn Bevel.
Shackelford County Commissioners gave unanimous approval Monday to a proposal that could bring one of the most significant economic development projects in county history to life: a large-scale data center campus developed by Vantage Data Centers.
Following a public hearing held during a special meeting of Commissioners Court, the county approved three key items: the creation of the Shackelford County Reinvestment Zone 2025-1, the acceptance of Vantage’s application for tax abatement, and the county’s intent to enter into a formal agreement with the company once land is purchased.
With the start of school just weeks away, Albany ISD trustees met Monday, July 21, to discuss a range of updates in preparation for the 2025–2026 school year. The most significant item centered on how the district will enforce a new state law banning student cell phone use during school hours.
The Albany Masonic Lodge joined fellow lodges from across the region this past week for a special officer installation ceremony at the historic Fort Griffin Lodge Hall, located at Collins Creek Ranch near the original townsite of Fort Griffin, known locally as “The Flat.”
Participating lodges included Albany Lodge, Fort Griffin Lodge from Throckmorton, Orient Lodge from Knox City, and McCullough Lodge from Brady. Many members of the McCullough Lodge also hold dual membership with Fort Griffin Lodge, which helped bring the event together at the historic site.
Landon Balliew, a 2025 Albany High School graduate with a heart for missions, recently returned from his second trip to Guatemala – one of several mission efforts he’s participated in over the last few years.
A member of First Baptist Church Albany and current intern with East-West Ministries International in Dallas, Balliew has served on mission teams to multiple destinations, but says his latest trip sharing the Gospel with the Achi people was unlike anything he’s ever experienced.
