By Melinda L. Lucas Free COVID rapid tests are still available at the Shackelford County EMS station Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The tests are free, but county citizens must have a valid drivers license and an email address in order to receive a test.

By Melinda L. Lucas Albany ISD superintendent Jonathan Scott announced at the end of last week that Monday’s regular school board meeting had been postponed until Feb. 22.

By Melinda L. Lucas Members of the Shackelford County Hospital District’s board of directors met on Tuesday night, Feb. 16 with the primary purpose of approving payment of bills, and that’s about all they had time for, with a nearby house fire interrupting the session.

By Melinda L. Lucas In addition to dealing with paralyzing cold during the last few days, Albany citizens have been stunned by two devastating house fires that took the life of a local woman and  completely destroyed both homes.

By Sandy Morris & Melinda L. Lucas Old Man Winter blew into Shackelford County with a vengeance Sunday morning with freezing drizzle, snow flurries, temperatures in the teens and low 20s, and a wind chill near zero.

By Melinda L. Lucas A lengthy discussion on Monday morning to possibly adopt a local policy in connection with Texas Senate Bill 944, which updated laws around public information and retention, was tabled until the next meeting of the Shackelford County commissioners.

By Sandy Morris The Albany Chamber is bringing back the Hereford Ball celebration 100 years after the original ball in 1921, and unfortunately, there are no longer any tickets available. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Whitney Theater.

Patrick Henry (kneeling) exhibited his heavy weight cross barrow to a 10th place finish in the recent “Alternative” show in Fort Worth. Chloé Anderson also participated in the event, which drew a large number of exhibitors.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: David Waller, a 2007 graduate of Albany High School, is the Director of Stadium & Football Operations for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium.

By Sandy Morris Albany Sports Center took two cheer teams to the Varsity Spirit Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders National Championship in Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 6 and brought home awards in both the show team and elementary team divisions.