By Sam Waller

The Albany Volunteer Fire Department presented Chief Travis Gardenhire with the 2021 Firefighter of the Year merit award at its annual Christmas party and meeting on Monday, Dec. 6.

The annual award is voted on by department members to honor an individual whom they believe has best met the five following qualifications:

The firefighter must not be on probation.

The firefighter must have shown to be highly active in the department through meetings and fire/emergency calls.

By Sam Waller

The Chelsey’s Project ministry will continue despite a fire that destroyed its building last week.

A structure in the 500 block of North Sixth Street that Chelsey’s Project director Blanca Sanchez used to store items caught fire on Wednesday night, Dec. 8.

Lt. Casey Kimbrough of the Albany Volunteer Fire Department said the local department received assistance from the Shackelford County Rural VFD and Breckenridge in combatting the blaze.

By Donnie A. Lucas

For the second year, Albany will honor its veterans at the Albany Cemetery with a Christmas wreath laying ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Volunteers and family members will gather at 11:00 a.m. at the pavilion at the cemetery for a brief ceremony, then fan out across the cemetery to distribute 525 wreaths on the graves of veterans.

The program is held as part of the National Wreaths Across America Day, with Henry and Melinda Musselman donating the wreaths.

By Donnie A. Lucas

The filing period for the March 1 primary elections ended on Monday, with no new candidates signing up for the available offices this election cycle.

Several candidates filed last Tuesday with Republican party chairman Rodney Casey, and two others turned in their paperwork on Monday of this week.

The filing period ended at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.

Officially adding their name to the list of candidates on Monday were Raleigh Breeden for county judge and incumbent Cody Jordan for the Precinct 4 commissioner’s office.

By Melinda L. Lucas

News readers and advertisers are reminded that there will be no paper published Dec. 30 during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The News office will be open on Monday through Thursday, Dec. 27-30 of that week. The office is always closed on Fridays, so it will be closed all day on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.

Because Christmas Day falls on Saturday, there does not have to be an early deadline this year. The normal Tuesday noon deadline will apply for the week of Dec. 27. 

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany school board moved to appoint a  new member to fill a vacant seat, accepted one resignation, and approved a one-time payment to all school employees during a meeting held Monday, Dec. 13.

Albany resident Matt Bellah was sworn in to fill the Place 5 seat for the unexpired portion of a three-year term that ends in May 2022 on a motion by Kim Fuentes. The position opened after the resignation of longtime board member Kelly Head earlier in the year.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Most of Monday night’s brief December city council meeting was a review of November and year-to-date finances by city manager Billy Holson, along with an explanation of the need to replace “trains” of membranes at the water plant.

Billy Holson noted that the capital outlay line item will jump from $418,000 to over $600,000 before the end of the year because there are currently 71 membranes failing at the local water plant. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Two different proposals heard by Shackelford County commissioners on Monday could cost the county as much as $300,000, although there are already funds that could cover a lot of that amount.

Zach Fitzgerald of CTSI, the county’s IT consultant, recommended using some of the recently awarded American Rescue Plan Act money to install county-owned fiber between the Courthouse and the Law Enforcement Center at a cost of more than $200,000.

The project would eliminate the $1,700 monthly fiber charge from AT&T.

By Sam Waller

Judging for the Albany Chamber of Commerce’s house decorating contest will be held this weekend, but Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones said there is still time to enter.

“If someone wants to enter a house, they can text that name and address to me at 325-669-1831,” Jones said.

Judging will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Winners will be announced Monday.

First place will receive 100 Albany Bucks, with 75 for second place and 50 for third. Residents must be entered to be judged for the contest.

By Donnie A. Lucas

A number of students in grades two through eight competed in the district UIL Academic Meet over the last few weeks, with the second through fifth grade elementary students earning third place overall and the grade six through eighth competitors taking fourth place.

The meets, which were hosted by Albany schools, were conducted virtually for the most part again this year due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.