By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD’s board of trustees heard a detailed overview of the Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) for the Nancy Smith Elementary School campus during Monday’s regular board meeting.

Student Services Coordinator Leigh Lowe presented the plan as part of TEA’s requirement to strengthen the state accountability scores. Lowe and NSES principal John Gallagher have been working on the plan with a committee for the past six weeks, according to AISD superintendent Jonathan Scott.

By Kathy Thomson

Members of the Albany Chamber of Commerce are busy getting the word out about special events that will take place in the downtown area next Saturday, Nov. 30, to celebrate the start of the 2019 Christmas season. Activities including music, shopping, gift wrapping, drawings for a total of $1,000 worth of Albany Bucks, a lighted parade, Santa Claus, lighting the Memorial Tree, a wine festival, and a Christmas play. 

Lighted Parade

By Melinda L. Lucas

Members of the Shackelford County Hospital District’s board of directors spent quite a bit of their meeting on Monday night discussing ways that the EMS schedule might be changed to better benefit part-time EMTs, who currently may only get “on-call” time while fulfilling their obligation to the district for school assistance.

After looking at the possibility of appointing a special committee, the directors eventually decided that EMS supervisor Mary Quintero should work on some scheduling options and bring recommendations in December.

By Kathy Thomson

Four Albany junior high one-act play members received individual awards at the District 8-AA competition last Thursday, Nov. 14 in Albany.

Tyler Chapman won a place on the district All-Star Cast.

Stage manager Cort Peterson was named as part of the Best Technical Crew.

Brooklyn Abbate and Sidney Russell were both named to the honorable mention All-Star Cast.

Albany’s contest play was Jerome McDonough’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

By Kathy Thomson

Albany school students will be dismissed for the Thanksgiving holidays on Tuesday, Nov. 26 with a noon release time.

Classes will be at the normal time on Monday.

On Tuesday, Nov. 26, preschool through high school students will be dismissed at various times, starting with the preschool and Head Start at 11:30 a.m. Parents will need to pick up their students or make other arrangements. 

All other grades will be released at 12:00 noon, including junior high and high school students. All buses will run at noon. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Friendship Baptist Church members are inviting everyone to attend the church’s fourth annual “Harvest Acres” this Saturday, Nov. 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to buy homemade baked goods, purchase handcrafted gifts, eat a hot meal, or just “come by and drink some coffee and visit for a while.”

The gift and food bazaar will offer a wide variety of baked and craft items for sale. 

By Kathy Thomson

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be performed live at the Aztec Theater by members of the Albany Mainstreet Playhouse on Nov. 30, Dec. 1, and Dec. 8, and tickets are now on sale.

“The play is perfect for the whole family,” said director Lorna Ayers. “It is a timeless, hilarious classic. Children and adults alike will be thoroughly entertained.” 

Samuel French’s comedy is a full-length play based on Barbara Robinson’s best-selling book with the same name.

By Kathy Thomson

Several members of the Albany FFA Chapter competed at the Big Country District’s Leadership Development Events on Monday, Nov. 18 at Cisco College.

Seth Hale made up the Albany entry that placed second high team in Job Interview. Hale will advance to the Area IV contest.

Alayna Koemel competed in Senior Creed Speaking, earning ninth place for the Albany team. 

The local chapter’s Senior Quiz team placed sixth. Members of the team were Addison Asher, Madelyn Connally, Alayna Koemel, and Taylor Scott.

The Texas Tech University Meat Judging Team, housed within the Department of Animal & Food Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, capped the 2019 competitive season by capturing the program’s 14th national championship last week at the American Meat Science Association International Meat Judging Contest in Dakota City, Nebraska.

Newt Koemel of Albany was a member of the Meat Judging Team. He placed fifth high individual in the alternate division with a score of 836.

By Kathy Thomson

Each December, the organization Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and at veterans graves at more than 1,600 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad.

Part-time Albany resident Melinda Musselman would like help in bringing this display of respect and honor to the local cemetery.