By Sam Waller

Closet Angels and Neighbors in Need will be closed for at least a couple of weeks, as well as not accepting donations, because of illness and a shortage of volunteer help.

Lori Reames, director of Closet Angels, said neither organization has set a date for reopening.

“We’re not committing until we see how it goes ,” she said. “We’re taking it one week at a time.”

Reames said the situation is even tougher for Neighbors in Need, where program coordinator Clara Miller is expected to be out through September.

By Sam Waller

Nancy Smith Elementary School is restarting its mentoring program after being forced to drop it last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The goal of the program is to increase confidence and self-esteem and to help children make positive choices through one-on-one support, friendship, and fun.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany ISD students and staff get a day off for the first holiday of the 2021-2022 school year on Monday, Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day.

Classes will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at the normal time of 7:55 a.m. for Nancy Smith Elementary and 8:00 a.m. at Albany Junior/Senior High School.

Classes started at both campuses on Aug. 18, with the end of the first six-week grading period ending on Friday, Sept. 24.

By Sam Waller

Shackelford County 4-H will conduct its kickoff party and organizational meeting for the coming year at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13 at the Feed Store.

The meeting will be one of the first official functions for new extension agent Kelsey Bell, who took over the position earlier this month.

“It’s just kind of a come-and-learn event, and then we’ll take it from there,” Bell said.

Bell said food will be provided at the meeting.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A current Albany senior and two 2021 graduates have been named to the 2020-2021 All-State Journalism Staff, which is awarded by the Interscholastic League Press Conference.

Current senior Ty Everitt, a co-editor of the student newspaper The Lions Roar, along with recent graduates Tana Thompson and Hannah Trail, tallied the points required to earn a position on the statewide honorary staff that is recognized by the journalism branch of the University Interscholastic League.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners topped off a month of budget workshops and regular sessions by meeting for the fourth Monday in a row on Aug. 30, working through about 30 minutes of agenda items before talking behind closed doors about renewal of a lease for property that the county tower sits on.

There was no action on the “real estate” agenda item when the elected officials returned to open session.

By Donnie A. Lucas

Tickets have sold out for the Friends of Fort Griffin Gala on Oct. 9 featuring Larry, Steve, & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers, but anyone interested in attending can be placed on a waiting list.

According to event coordinator Susan Waller, the last of the 300 tickets were sold on Monday, so she is opening a waiting list in case tickets become available again.

A total of 300 tickets were sold for $50 each for the event which serves as the main fundraiser for the non-profit.

By Melinda L. Lucas

After a combination of working through line items and meeting in closed sessions about salaries for close to three hours in a special session on Monday night, members of the Shackelford County Hospital District’s board of directors ended up with a proposed budget of $2,803,020 based on the “no-new-revenue” (NNR) rate of 20.67 cents. Last year’s proposed budget was $2,913,280.

The proposed tax rate, which is a little higher than last year’s 20.05-cent rate, is expected to generate about $1,134,300.

By Sam Waller

The Old Jail Art Center will open new exhibits featuring Bill Wittliff’s “Swallowed Light” and Bruce Lee Webb’s “Hootenanny” with a dinner and reception on Saturday, Sept. 11.

“It’s a great way to kick off the fall,” said Susan Montgomery, OJAC’s development and membership coordinator. “It will be a really fun evening.”

The works, along with pieces from the center’s permanent collection, are being displayed as part of a program of a regular rotation of what is exhibited at the museum, Montgomery explained.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD trustees passed a budget for the 2021-2022 school year during a special early morning session on Tuesday, Aug. 31, meeting the required state deadline.

Total expenditures are projected at $6,113,680, while revenues are listed at $6,323,932.

This is the first time in six years that the district has not dipped into its fund balance, at least on paper, with projected revenues expected to exceed expenses.