By Sandy Morris

The Christmas season is typically an extremely busy time of year for the United States Postal Service, and this year already promises to be busier than previous years. 

The Albany Post Office already is handling an increased volume of packages, and they need for customers to continue to pick them up in a timely manner.

By Sandy Morris

The deadline to apply for a $100 Brookshire’s gift card courtesy of the CARES Act is fast approaching. 

At the suggestion of mayor Susan Montgomery, the city council, working in conjunction with city manager Billy Holson and local Brookshire’s store director Curt Manning, established a grocery gift card distribution process. 

“This is a way the city is reaching out to our citizens during the holiday time since this year has been very trying on everyone,” said Montgomery, who encouraged anyone affected by the pandemic to apply.

By Melinda L. Lucas

With what is being referred to as “the second wave” of coronavirus sweeping across the nation, Shackelford County seems to be experiencing its own smaller version of  the surge, even though official numbers reported Tuesday by the Texas Department of State Health Services show only four new cases of COVID-19 and five active cases on the list.

However, Shackelford County Health Clinic has tested 21 positive patients in the past three weeks, according to county judge Robert Skelton.

By Sandy Morris

After much discussion and research, Albany city officials have finalized plans to use the remaining funds of the CARES Act allocation, with $100 grocery gift cards to be distributed to local residents and city employees on Saturday, Dec. 5. 

The city was originally allocated $108,000 through the CARES Act funding, and at their most recent meeting on Nov. 9, council members voted to set aside the last $25,000 to use for public health.

Republic Services, Albany’s trash pickup contractor, will run on a slightly different schedule for the week of Thanksgiving.

Residential trash containers and business and industrial containers normally picked up on Thursday will change to Friday this week. 

Normal Friday residential service will be on Saturday. Small containers will be picked up on either Friday or Saturday. 

By Sandy Morris

While the days of poring over a catalog of Christmas toys are long gone, children are still making lists for Santa.

The Albany News will be printing Santa letters and holiday essays in the Christmas issue to be published on Thursday, Dec. 24. 

Albany and Moran students will be writing letters at school which will be submitted to the News by their teachers. 

Children at other local facilities, such as First Love Day Care, also will be assisted by their instructors in writing their Santa letters.

By Sandy Morris

The Chamber of Commerce will not hold a weekly luncheon on Friday, Nov. 27 because of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to Chamber manager Mary Beth Jones.

Also, the Shackelford County Library will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27 due to the holiday.

Both Albany and Moran ISD have been closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Both school districts will resume classes on Monday, Nov. 30 at their regularly scheduled times.

By Sandy Morris

Seven local 4-H members competed at the District 7 Food Show on Thursday, Nov. 19 in the Big Country Hall located at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene. 

In the junior division, Gage Burton competed in side dish and earned third place, and Carly Kreitler competed in main dish, earning fifth place honors.

Artie Bell and Luke Smith also participated in the junior division. 

In the intermediate division, Landon Kreitler competed in side dish, placing fourth. Ellis Hise was sixth in main dish.

By Sandy Morris

National Wreaths Across America Day 2020 has been scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19 and local residents are working to arrange a ceremony to honor service members buried in the Albany Cemetery. 

“We just feel that it is so important to honor those veterans in our community who served our country,” stated Melinda Musselman, co-coordinator of the event.

By Sandy Morris

The fifth grade class from Nancy Smith Elementary School attended Camp Grady Spruce, an outdoor educational camp on Possum Kingdom Lake, last week.

Accompanying the 33 local students were NSES principal John Gallagher, and four teachers including Leslie Neve, Candy Balliew, AISD nurse Lisa Russell, and William Vaughan.

The group left the local campus on Monday, Nov. 16 and returned from camp on the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 18.