By Melinda L. Lucas

Students at the Albany Independent School District will be released for the day at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, and will break for the Christmas holidays at noon this Friday, Dec. 20.

The district will be closed for the winter break from Monday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Jan. 3.

A staff development day is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6, and classes will resume at the normal times on Tuesday, Jan. 7. 

AJSH

Semester finals are continuing through this Friday at the secondary campus.

By Kathy Thomson

Several students and teams from Nancy Smith Elementary School and Albany Junior High placed at the district A+Academics University Interscholastic League meets held during December. 

Writing exams were taken at the regular campuses. Speaking events were held in Stamford on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The remaining academic contests took place at Hawley on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

UIL rules group second through fifth graders in the elementary division, and place sixth through eighth grade together in the middle school section. 

The Hendrick Regional Blood Center bloodmobile will be at First Baptist Church on the first Thursday of the new year, Jan. 2, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. 

Hendrick Regional Blood Center supplies all of the blood and blood products used for patient care at 17 area hospitals.

Blood center employees urge community members to donate blood to help ensure that patients in the hospitals they serve have a supply of blood ready and waiting before an emergency occurs.

Donors will receive a T-shirt. Those who have eligibility questions can call 325-670-2880. 

By Kathy Thomson

The former Shekinah office building, located catty-corner to the post office and near the Depot, is being re-purposed into a long-awaited senior citizens center, but funding is still needed to complete the transformation.

According to Albany city manager Billy Holson, pledges for the building are still outstanding.

By Kathy Thomson

The Shackelford County Youth and Livestock Association met last Tuesday, Dec. 10, to finalize plans for this year’s stock show, and with a large number of entries expected, the annual fundraising drive has begun.

“It looks like it will be bigger than ever this year,” said association president Bronco Askew. “I haven’t heard the exact numbers yet, but Chris (Beard) had a stack of entry cards that must have been around four inches high.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

A new board member was sworn in during a very brief meeting of the Shackelford County Hospital District directors on Monday, Dec. 16.

Chris Beard, who had indicated his willingness to serve the remainder of an unexpired term vacated months ago by Angela Farmer, was present for the session and repeated the required oath.

Since there was not a quorum present, a conference call on speaker was placed to members John Ayers and Jo Ann Estridge.

The call was just long enough to swear in Beard and approve the bills for payment.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A large crowd attended a book signing of Heavy Date Over Germany: The Life and Times of B-17 Tail Gunner Ray Perry on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at the Shackelford County Library, including the subject’s son, former Texas governor Rick Perry, who wrote the foreword.

Old Jail Art Center staff member and retired history teacher Jewellee Jordan Kuenstler edited the book, using the late World War II veteran’s letters, photos, and mementos to tell his story of 35 combat missions as a tail gunner.

The Albany Chamber of Commerce will meet as usual this week on Dec. 20 at the Icehouse.

The weekly luncheon has been cancelled for the holidays on Dec. 27.

On Friday, Jan. 3, the 12:00 noon meetings move to the Beehive for the first two months of 2020.

For information about the lunches or other activities, call Mary Beth Jones at 325-762-2525.

The Chamber office will be closed for the holidays on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

By Kathy Thomson

Texas dove hunters have an opportunity to bag the migratory game birds over the Christmas holiday season, starting this Friday, Dec. 20.

Dove season in Texas this year is Sept. 1-Nov. 12, and Dec. 20-Jan. 5. 

Bag limits are still 15-birds per day, including no more than two white-tipped, with a possession limit of three times the daily bag limit.

Legal shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Sunrise in Albany this Friday, Dec. 20 will occur at 7:35 a.m., and sunset at 5:34 p.m. 

By Kathy Thomson

Friday, Dec. 20 is the final day of the third six weeks period, the end of the fall semester, and the beginning of the two-week long Christmas vacation for students attending school in Moran.

Included in the final countdown to the winter holiday have been University Interscholastic League competitions, basketball games, class parties, a visit from Santa, and, of course, end-of-the-semester homework and exams. 

Christmas Break