By Sam Waller

The Albany Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for a festive holiday season with several events on tap.

Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones said Albany Bucks tickets, the Lighted Christmas Parade, and memorial ornament sales are once again on the calendar.

Jones said the Chamber is looking for volunteers to help put up holiday decorations through downtown and along Main Street on Nov. 20. Anyone interested in helping is asked to be in the downtown area at 9:00 a.m.

Christmas Parade

By Sam Waller

The 4-H Friendsgiving potluck dinner is set for12:30 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 14 at The Feed Store.

“We’ll plan to work on several community service projects during the afternoon,” Bell said. “First we’ll have lunch and a quick meeting.”

Scheduled activities include cooking casseroles to donate to Friendship Baptist Church’s Harvest Acres event.

“The sewing group is making things to donate to that as well,” Bell said.

Members will also write letters as part of a letters to seniors project.

By Sam Waller

The Moran Independent School District has been designated a District of Innovation, giving it more local control and flexibility.

Moran ISD superintendent John Denson said the district was notified by the Texas Education Agency Oct. 20 that the district’s application was approved .

“It gives us more opportunities to make our own decisions that will benefit us on the local level,” Denson said.

The superintendent said the district will have more freedom in such areas as setting the school calendar and hiring personnel.

By Sam Waller

The Moran Independent School District will hold its Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, Nov. 18.

The event is open to all community members.

Meals will cost $3.83 for adults and $3.09 for students.

Pre-K and kindergarten students will start lunch at 11:00 a.m. and will eat in their classrooms. First through fifth grades will start lunch at the same time in the cafeteria, followed by junior high (sixth through eighth grades) at 11:45 a.m. and high school at 12:30 p.m.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Less than 200 local voters turned out for this week’s Constitutional Amendment Election, about 8.6 percent of those registered in Shackelford County. About 80 of those voted early or by mail, with the Shackelford County Courthouse the only polling site in the county.

Local voters followed state trend, passing all eight propositions, some by wider margins than others.

By Sam Waller

The downtown area and a large section of Albany was left without power for several hours early on Oct. 27 because of a thunderstorm that downed a tree.

“All of downtown from the courthouse and the southwest part of town was out from about midnight until about 5:00 a.m.,” Albany police chief Mike House said.

Some blocks were off several more hours.

House said most of the damage was caused by a tree being blown over and falling on power lines.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Several blocks within the Albany city limits will be “moved” to a different voting precinct if  changes made by commissioners last week are approved as part of the state’s redistricting requirements.

A public hearing has been set for Friday, Nov. 12 at 9:00 a.m. in the second floor courtroom to hear comments about the redistricting proposal, which only affects Albany citizens.

By Donnie A. Lucas

A grass fire that originated on the Matthews’ Lambshead Ranch quickly raced out of control due to winds in excess of 40 to 50 mph last Thursday, eventually consuming over 18,600 acres on four ranches in southern Throckmorton County and northern Shackelford County.

The Throckmorton Rural Fire Department originally took the lead, but handed coordinating efforts to battle the blaze over to the Shackelford County Rural VFD, according to Shackelford County Rural VFD chief Brad Henry.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Families are invited to celebrate the Indian Festival of Lights at the Old Jail Art Center’s free family festival this Saturday, Nov. 6, from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.

This is the Old Jail’s first indoor family festival since COVID restrictions first affected museum activities well over a year ago.

“We are excited about the family festival and having families back inside the museum,” said Susan Montgomery, Development and Membership Coordinator for the OJAC.

By Donnie A. Lucas

All veterans in Shackelford County are invited to join local students for a Veterans Day celebration on Thursday, Nov. 11 at the high school gym.

The event will start at 11:00 a.m. with several special patriotic musical presentations, according to organizer Ann Riley.

“I sent over 90 invitations to veterans or spouses of deceased veterans,” Riley said. “I think they have a really good program planned, and we hope that the community will join us to thank our veterans.”