By Nolan Davis

The Old Jail Art Center will be hosting four Region 14 teacher workshops during the month of July, with the first one scheduled for Friday, July 12.

All four of the programs will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with breakfast and snacks provided.

Drawings will be held throughout the day as attendees can hope to win things such as books and classroom art supply kits.

Those who attend can also qualify for discounted museum membership at the Educator Level.

By Kathy Thomson

Nine Shackelford County 4-H members are headed to an overnight camp this week, according to the local sponsor. 

“This year’s 4-H Camp is July 11-12 at Buffalo Gap,” said extension agent Michaela Bradford. “Shackelford County 4-Hers will be attending along with 4-H members from Coke, Fisher, Jones, Nolan, and Sterling counties. There will be a total of 99 4-Hers at the camp this year.” 

The camp, designed for 4-Hers between nine and 13 years of age focuses on team building, education, and fun. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Jacob Chapman in Shackelford County reminds farmers and landowners that FSA is hosting an informational meeting regarding the 2019 County Committee Election process on July 8, at 9:00 a.m. at the Shackelford County FSA Office located at 584 US Highway 180 E in Albany. 

Producers, including minority, women and new farmers, are encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the 2019 election.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is currently accepting applications for certain practices under the continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup and will offer extensions for expiring CRP contracts. The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized CRP, one of the country’s largest conservation programs.

By Kathy Thomson

The final two performances of the 2019 Fort Griffin Fandangle will take place this weekend, wrapping up the 81st anniversary edition of the show.

Good seats are still available for both of the final two shows, including a very limited number of box seats as of Monday evening.

First Week Review

The first weekend of the show went well, according to board president Lanham Martin.

“It went smooth, especially on Saturday,” said Martin. “Everyone was where they were supposed to be, and there weren’t any glitches.”

By Nolan Davis

Hundreds of spectators lined the streets of downtown Albany Saturday afternoon to watch the horses, wagons, floats, antique vehicles, and longhorns take over Main Street for the 2019 Fort Griffin Fandangle Parade.

With temperatures a little cooler than the typical mid-June triple digits, both participants and spectators seemed to enjoy the event, even though it was a little shorter than usual.

Early deadlines have been set for the next two issues of The Albany News.

All news items and advertising for next Thursday’s July 4 issue will be due at 12:00 noon on Monday, July 1 rather than the usual Tuesday noon before publication.

According to News editor Melinda Lucas, the deadline has been moved up because the paper needs to be taken to the post office on Wednesday in time to be posted before the postal staff leaves for the Fourth of July holiday. 

By Kathy Thomson

The Old Jail Art Center is hosting a Family Festival “Round Up” this Saturday, and everyone is invited to attend the free event and to visit the other exhibits on display at the fine art museum.

Located one block east of the Courthouse, the local museum does not charge admission and is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Fandangle performance nights. 

The Old Jail comprises 17,000 square feet and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. 

By Kathy Thomson

Megan Harbin, the director of family outreach for Methodist Children’s Home in Abilene, will be giving a presentation this Sunday, June 30 during the 11:00 a.m. worship service at First United Methodist Church in Albany.

“There is a need for foster care for children in this area,” Harbin said. “Through MCH we help license foster families with the state so they can work with CPS, and we also have a private foster care option in which CPS is not involved.”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Summer reading at the Shackelford County Library will continue throughout the summer instead of ending this week as initially planned.

Members of the Albany Study Club decided to extend the program for local children with a weekly reading time and crafts, but the volunteers are changing the time to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons.

Children from the ages of two to four (with an adult) and kindergarten to fourth grade are encouraged to attend.