By Melinda L. Lucas

An Albany blood drive is set for today, March 24.

Hendrick Regional Blood Center will park the bloodmobile at First Baptist Church at the usual time from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

The blood center depends on volunteer blood donors to supply 100 percent of the blood that is used for patient care at 17 area hospitals.

Blood center officials said that there is always a need for blood donors of all types. In particular, officials said those who have O+ and O- are needed.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Rehearsals for the Sampler of the 2022 Ft. Griffin Fandangle are set for the next couple of weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Bank Park in downtown Albany, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Director Lorna Ayers is urging people to come to rehearsals since the sampler show is so close.

“We are moving outside starting tonight to the Bank Park to work on blocking,” Ayers said. “We met at first in the Aztec to learn music, but now it’s time to get outside and start staging.”

By Donnie A. Lucas

Shackelford County residents who haven’t yet registered to vote have until April 7 to sign up if they want to participate in the special statewide amendment election and the county-wide hospital district election on May 7.

Voter registration applications can be found online at votetexas.gov or filled out in person at the Voter Registration/Tax Assessor-Collector’s office at the Shackelford County Courthouse.

By Sam Waller

Rehearsals for next month’s Fort Griffin Fandangle Sampler at Rey­nolds Bend will pick up next week with two sessions scheduled.

The cast and crew conducted a second rehearsal Tuesday, March 15 at the Aztec Theater. Next week, rehearsals will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 and Thursday, March 24 at the Bank Park.

The Sampler will be performed at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 16 at Reynolds Bend on the Lambshead Ranch. The evening will include a catered meal and dance following the performance.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany ISD students and staff are out of school this week for spring break, returning to their classrooms on Monday, March 21.

The school will pick up the regular schedule on Monday, with only two more holidays remaining in the 2021-2022 school year.

Students and staff will be off again on Good Friday, April 15 and Easter Monday on April 18.

The district is having to making up time for days missed earlier in this semester due to bad weather, but the Easter holidays will remain intact.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The number of positive COVID-19 cases tested locally has continued to fall over the last two weeks, with just three positive cases last week and four the week before.

The three local testing sites reported a combined total of  three positive test results from the 17 tests administered during the week of March 7-11, and four positive results out of 17 tests given the week of Feb. 28 through March 4.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany city council members proposed a budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year starting April 1 and set a date for a public hearing during their regular session on Monday, March 14 at the Aztec Theater.

Lester Galbreath made a motion and Austin Sherwood seconded to propose the $3,475,400 budget, which was reviewed by city manager Billy Holson at the February meeting.

A special 7:00 p.m. session was planned March 28 as a public hearing for the budget, which is expected to be adopted that evening.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners got serious about implementing formal regulations for subdivisions in unincorporated portions of the county, setting a date for a public hearing with plans to adopt the proposed regulations immediately after the hearing.

The document, presented at a previous meeting by county attorney Rollin Rauschl, is adapted from Stephens County regulations and will give commissioners more control over water, sewer, and roads within subdivisions.

By Sam Waller

The Shackelford County Library recently dedicated a bench outside its main entrance in memory of librarian Carolyn Waller, who died in December 2020.

The bench, constructed by sculptor Joe Barrington of Throckmorton, was presented by the Prairieland Quilters, of which Waller was a member.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Shackelford County residents who want to request ballots by mail for the May 7 statewide amendment election and the county-wide hospital district election can now send in their applications.

The deadline for requests to be received in the clerk’s office is April 26. The application form to request a mail ballot can be found on the county website at www.shackelfordcounty.org.

Voters can also call the clerk’s office at 325-762-9415 in order to receive one through the mail.