By Melinda L. Lucas

After a delay of a little more than a week, members of the Albany city council met last Wednesday night, Sept. 23 to adopt the proposed tax rate and work through several other items of business, including the sale of the Albany Youth Center to ResourceCare (RC) and a new franchise agreement with Atmos Energy.

By Melinda L. Lucas

After holding the required public hearing prior to their 9:00 a.m. session, Shackelford County commissioners adopted the proposed budget and tax rate at their regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 28.

There was no one from the general public to voice any opposition or comment on the proposals. 

Elected officials also acted on a number of other routine items in a fairly long agenda on Monday morning.

Budget Okayed

By Lynsi Musselman

With a few days until the Oct. 5 deadline, Census Bureau representatives are trying to wrap up their nationwide count of every resident in the United States.

As of the end of September, the count for Shackelford County is only showing a 45.5 percent response rate, which is a 9.8 percent decrease from the 2010 count.

By Lynsi Musselman

Pick-up dates for the October distribution of the commodity food program will be Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2, with no restrictions.

Shackelford County Justice of the Peace James Breeden, who oversees the program, said that if October commodities are not picked up, those individuals will not be eligible for the Thanksgiving bag in November. 

The Thanksgiving bag is in addition to the regular November commodities.

By Lynsi Musselman

The last day to register to vote in person or by mail is this coming Monday, Oct. 5.

Your Vote Matters campaign volunteer and deputy registrar Amy Kelly said all those who still need to register to vote can visit the first floor of the Shackelford County Courthouse. 

Residents have this Thursday, Friday, and Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to get registered. 

The last day to apply to vote by mail is Friday, Oct. 23, and voting by mail will require ballots be received by Tuesday, Nov. 3.

By Lynsi Musselman

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar released September state sales tax revenue amounts for counties across the state of Texas, including Shackelford County.

The City of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $34,785 from the state this month. The amount is down 8.14 percent from the $37,868 payment received this time last year.

Payments to date for the 2020 year to the City of Albany are $348,177 down by 15.84 percent from the comparable time last year, when payments of $413,711 had been made.

By Lynsi Musselman

Homecoming 2020, scheduled for this Friday, Oct. 2 has been postponed and will take place Friday, Oct. 16 when the Albany Lions take on the Ranger Bulldogs.

Albany Junior/Senior High School principal Glen Hill said with the spike in COVID-19 cases,the district did not think it was a good idea to bring everyone together in the setting that homecoming produces.

In addition, Hill explained that with the number of students in quarantine, many of the homecoming candidates would not be available to participate this week. 

By Lynsi Musselman

Officers for the Albany Parent Teacher Organization made the call to cancel the annual Albany Fall Fest for this year, a decades-old event normally held the last Saturday in October.

“This was such a difficult decision,” said Malarie Sutton, PTO president and Fall Fest organizer. 

She said the health and safety of students and the community is the number one concern and the reason for the cancellation.

Members of the Albany High School band have been having their own dress-up days for Monday night practice times, with many of the students attired as nerds this week. Band Booster Club members provide snow cones at the end of the rehearsals.

By Lynsi Musselman

Bethel Assembly’s ‘The Patch’ sign is up in the Bank Park, and members of the Albany congregation are ready to welcome residents on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Church member Betsy Spraberry said the event will have the traditional pumpkin market with various sizes of pumpkins available for purchase. 

There will also be fall photo opportunities and a bake sale, all while the organizers are being mindful and cautious of COVID-19 concerns.