By Melinda L. Lucas
Directors of the Shackelford County Hospital District met Monday with the intention of proposing a budget and tax rate for the 2022 year, but left after almost four hours with plans to work on the numbers again in a couple of weeks.
Board members spent some time working through line items in the district portion of the budget and later reviewed the clinic budget during a separate session, but because of time constraints, they decided to delay action.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Following a series of budget workshops over the past month, Shackelford County commissioners met in a regular session on Monday morning, Aug. 16 to propose a deficit budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 and a tax rate that promises to raise “no-new-revenue” (NNR) for the upcoming tax year.
Several parts of the proposed budget were discussed in depth on Monday, including increasing county employee salaries by five percent, accounting for an additional $67,420, not including retirement, Social Security, and Medicare costs.
By Melinda L. Lucas
During their regular session on Aug. 16, Albany ISD’s board of trustees set a date for a special meeting to adopt the 2021-2022 budget and set a tax rate.
The board plans a 7:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 31, the last day that the budget can be adopted, according to state law.
Budget Projections
Superintendent Jonathan Scott, who met with the board remotely because he has been quarantined, went over the second draft of the budget.
By Melinda L. Lucas
Tickets for the Oct. 9 Friends of Fort Griffin Gala featuring Larry, Steve, & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers.
The $50 tickets are limited to 300 seats, with response to the announcement two weeks ago even speedier than expected.
“Half the tickets are already gone,” said Susan Waller, who is coordinating the event for the 17th year. “I just want everyone to know that you’re definitely not going to be able to wait until the last minute to decide. That will be too late.”
By Donnie A. Lucas
The number of local residents testing positive for the COVID-19 virus reached 21 over the last two weeks, with a total of 79 tests administered.
The results are the combined totals from both the Shackelford County Hospital Clinic and the Albany ResourceCare Clinic, for the period of Aug. 2 through Aug. 13.
Shackelford County Judge Robert Skelton issued an update on Tuesday for the two-week period, and results for the first two days of this week from the hospital district clinic were also added to the totals.
By Donnie A. Lucas
Albany ISD is expecting just over 500 students at the start of this school year, about the number the district ended with in May.
Following “Meet the Teacher” sessions at both Nancy Smith Elementary and the Albany Junior/Senior High campuses on Monday evening, local administrators were looking for a total of 501 total students to show up for classes yesterday for the first day of school.
To address long-standing care problems in long-term facilities that were exacerbated by COVID, the Texas Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program needs volunteers to serve as advocates for individuals living in nursing and assisted living facilities.
Ombudsmen educate residents, families, and facility staff and protect the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents. Services are free and confidential.
By Melinda L. Lucas
A Shackelford County man was arrested just outside of Cisco after a high speed chase last Thursday, Aug. 5 and is currently being held in the Shackelford County Law Enforcement Center on a $500,000 bond.
Jerry Lee McGough, 50, of Moran was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, as well as with felony evading with a motor vehicle.
According to county sheriff Ed Miller, his office, along with the Texas Rangers had been investigating McGough for about a week, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday, Aug. 4.
By Sidney Bartee
Citizens of Moran will hold their annual garage sale on Saturday, Sept. 4, beginning at 7:00 a.m.
The deadline for community members to register a sale is 12:00 noon on Thursday, Sept. 2.
According to community volunteer Michelle Taggart, there is no cost for Moran residents to sign up.
“After community members sign up, I will put numbered signs in their yards, and then pick them up after the sale is over,” Taggart said.
Maps and lists will be available on the day of the sale at the Moran Community Center.
By Sam Waller
The faculty and staff of the Moran Independent School District got a jumpstart on in-service training by participating in team-building activities at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
“We got off to an awesome start,” Moran superintendent Dr. John Denson said. “We participated in activities on (Tarleton’s) Challenge Course and kind of came together as a team to start the year.”
Denson said the purpose of the exercise was to help staff members get to know each other better and learn to support one another.
