By Melinda L. Lucas
Monday’s monthly meeting of the Albany ISD board of trustees, postponed one week from its regular time because of spring break, was mostly COVID updates in various areas, with a couple of motions made on routine agenda items.
The board also went into closed session about personnel for about 30 minutes at the end of the meeting, but no action was taken before adjournment.
TEA/UIL Updates
By Sandy Morris
The April distribution pickup dates for the commodity food program will be pushed back one week due to the Good Friday holiday on April 2.
Pickup dates have been scheduled for Thursday, April 8 and Friday, April 9.
Certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 8.
By Melinda L. Lucas
A Shackelford County grand jury met last Tuesday, March 16, issuing local indictments for the first time in more than a year, according to county sheriff Ed Miller.
Eighteen indictments were handed down to the sheriff’s department earlier this week, and Miller stated that he and his staff are “working through the warrants.”
This is the first convening of a grand jury locally since COVID restrictions went into effect in March of 2020.
By Melinda L. Lucas
More than three dozen FEMA surveys were completed by county residents and property owners affected by last month’s winter storm, and county judge Robert Skelton is hopeful that the response will cause Shackelford County to be included in the list of Texas counties already approved for FEMA assistance.
The deadline to submit the survey was March 21, with 17 of 33 individuals listing “major damage.”
Seven businesses also reponded, while there were 12 separate filings by the City of Albany and one from the City of Moran.
By Sandy Morris
Rehearsal for the Fandangle Sampler began on Tuesday, March 23 in preparation for the annual membership show scheduled for Saturday, April 17, with the next practice set for tonight (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m.
The Sampler is returning to Reynolds Bend on the Lambshead Ranch after more than a 20-year absence. In recent years, the spring event has been held at locations such as the old Fort Griffin townsite on Collins Creek Ranch, downtown Albany, the Shackelford County Courthouse Square, and the Prairie Theater.
By Sandy Morris
On Monday, Albany mayor Susan Montgomery officially signed a proclamation declaring this as Monarch Awareness Week, with several activities already taking place and a couple more planned in the next few days.
Montgomery decided to participate in the program after she received a letter from the National Wildlife Federation last month.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Numbers are continuing to fall in both how many COVID tests are administered locally and how many are coming back positive, according to a report distributed earlier this week by Shackelford County judge Robert Skelton.
“The Shackelford County Health Clinic (SCHC), the Shackelford County EMS, and Resource Care all combined have reported only three positive COVID-19 test results during the previous 14 days,” said Skelton, who added that as of Tuesday, there were only 17 people in a 22-county area who were hospitalized with the coronavirus.
By Sandy Morris
The recent lifting of mask restrictions has changed the location of the junior high district track meet which eliminates the concession stand planned by the Albany Athletic Booster Club.
All junior high school track teams in the district will now compete at Hamlin on Saturday, March 27 instead of being divided between two communities.
The Athletic Boosters will still host the concession stand for the high school district track meet on Wednesday, March 31.
By Sandy Morris
Several Albany FFA members have been participating at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, with more competition being held this week both in Houston and Austin.
Those results will be published over the next two weeks.
Carli Edgar won light weight Grand Champion Duroc at the show and will participate in the barrow sale at NRG Stadium later in the spring on Friday, May 21.
Laithe Leech won fourth place with his Hampshire and Tatum Grady won 11th place with her Duroc.
By Sandy Morris
The ResourceCare Community Health Center will hold a Murder Mystery Dinner fundraising event at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22.
A “Roaring 20s Murder Mystery Dinner” will be performed by the Albany Mainstreet Playhouse Traveling Troupe with attendees encouraged to wear “Roaring 20s” attire.
Troupe members include Sandy Abel, Lorna Ayers, Jacob Cleveland, Jeff Davis, Pam Davis, Wade Jones, Ragan Riley, and Cali Rose.
