By Sandy Morris

Christmas is here, and as they have for the past 11 years, volunteers from Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church will make sure that no one in Albany misses out on the chance to enjoy a holiday meal on Christmas Day.

Church members are preparing a traditional dinner of fried turkey, brisket, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, and dessert.

One of the organizers, Tamara Trail said the dinner is free to the public, and anyone is welcome, but no dine-in option is available this year.

By Sandy Morris

Veterans buried in the Albany Cemetery were honored during a wreath-laying ceremony held last Saturday morning, with a large group of volunteers and family members on hand to help place a total of 531 wreaths.

The event was held in conjunction with the National Wreaths Across America Day, in which similar services are coordinated across the United States, at sea, and abroad, to coincide with the main observance at Arlington National Cemetery. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

The official number of active county-wide cases is still under 20, and the county continues to qualify for an exemption from occupancy reductions and other state mandates, even as the Shackelford County Health Clinic (SCHC) staff reports a significant number of recent positive COVID-19 tests. 

By Sandy Morris

The district-wide canned food drive competition hosted by the Moran junior and senior classes will wrap up on Friday, Dec. 18. 

The class with the most donations will be announced after the Christmas break. 

All donations will be delivered to local needy families. 

Christmas Holiday

Schedule

The Moran Independent School District will dismiss classes for the Christmas break on Friday, Dec. 20. 

The students will be dismissed at the regular time that day.

Photo packages of local junior high basketball and flag football teams and individuals have been printed and are now available for those who haven’t already claimed them.

Parents who paid in advance or who have valid accounts can pick up their packages at The Albany News office.

Others can be ordered when they are paid.

In addition, photos of all high school basketball teams are being ordered this week, and should be ready by the first part of next week. 

By Sandy Morris

While most hunters in Texas spend dawn and dusk in a deer blind, they are reminded of the second dove season starting this Friday, Dec. 18.

Dove season in Texas this year is Sept. 1-Nov. 12, and again Dec. 18-Jan. 3. 

White-tailed deer general season continues until Jan. 3, with a late youth only season running Jan. 4-17. 

Dove Hunting Rules

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.

By Sandy Morris

Students at the Albany Independent School District inched closer to their Christmas break with early dismissals at 12:30 p.m. beginning yesterday and continuing today, Thursday, Dec. 17 and Friday, Dec. 18.

Students will be off for the Christmas break from Monday, Dec. 21 through Monday, Jan. 4, which is a holiday for students and a staff development day for teachers. 

Both students and staff will return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 5 with classes at AISD resuming at the usual times.

By Sandy Morris

There are three weeks left in the annual Albany Chest campaign, and although the drive is now more than halfway to the top of the “thermometer,” contributions are badly needed in order to meet the 2020 fundraising goal of $41,000. 

The goal was set by the directors at the start of the campaign after they reviewed the submitted funding requests from 25 organizations. 

The total donated as of Tuesday, Dec. 15 was $23,935. 

By Sandy Morris

With the holidays just around the corner, holiday schedules are being announced.

City Hall

The Albany City Hall will be closed on Dec. 24 and 25 for the Christmas holiday. 

The city also will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day.

Library

The Shackelford County Library will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas and also will be closed on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for New Year’s Eve and Day. 

Republic Services, trash pickup contractor for the City of Albany, will run its regular schedule for the week of Christmas.

Residential trash containers and business and industrial containers normally picked up Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 will run as scheduled.

Trash pickup also will remain as scheduled on New Year’s Eve with residential, business and industrial containers being picked up  on the regularly scheduled date.