The 2018 “Red Ribbon Week” campaign wrapped up last Friday, and organizers were pleased with the participation.

“Red Ribbon Week went very well, with lots of participation,” said Albany secondary school counselor Dee Dee Waggoner. 

Red Ribbon Week in Albany began locally on Monday, Oct. 22. This was the 30th straight year that the national event, designed to draw as much attention as possible to the problems of drug and alcohol abuse and its prevention, has been conducted locally. 

Princeton University research oceanographer Dr. Robert Key, a 1965 graduate of Albany High and son of former local physician Luther Key, spoke to current students at the secondary school while he was in town to attend his 50th high school class reunion last month.

Key earned his bachelor of science in chemistry from Southwestern University and his Ph.D. in oceanography from Texas A&M University.

He has worked at Princeton since 1988, and currently serves as the data manager for the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project.

Adventure, the chance to bring home a trophy buck or gobbler, meat to fill the freezer, quality time in the outdoors on a beautiful fall day, and/or the thrill of the hunt are available for everyone with a legal hunting license and place to hunt when deer and turkey season opens on Saturday morning.

General seasons for both north Texas deer and turkey run from Nov. 3 to Jan. 6, and the legal shooting hours for all game animals and non-migratory game birds in Texas is the period from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. 

An FCA fundraiser is planned prior to the last home football game against Hamlin on Friday, Nov. 9, with another event to take place during the game itself, according to Paul Johnston, who works with both schools as the area FCA representative.

An FCA tailgate meal will feature pulled pork sandwich, chips, drink, and cookie for a free-will donation.

The fundraiser will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the back door of First Baptist Church and will continue “until we run out of food,” said Johnston.

The Lady Lion basketball team will open the season when Albany hosts Newcastle a week from Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10:00 a.m. 

Both varsity and JV games on listed on the schedule, but whether there are two games depends on the success of the volleyball team in the playoffs.

The team hosted Throckmorton and Munday on Tuesday, Oct. 30 for scrimmages, but the Nov. 6 regular season opener against Hermleigh and Merkel have been cancelled because of volleyball playoffs, according to head girls coach Tate Thompson.

Kami Norton Richey, originally from Albany, was honored as a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year at the organization’s annual awards banquet held Oct. 28 in Indianapolis.

The top 30 national honorees and nine finalists were picked by an NCAA committee from a pool of 154 conference honorees.

The Albany Student Council will host a blood drive at the secondary campus next Thursday, Nov. 8 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and to help students understand the importance of donating blood, Meek bloodmobile representative Frances Baker will speak at the high school assembly this Friday, Nov. 2, at 8:00 a.m.

“We are hoping for good participation for the blood drive again this year,” said advisor Donnie Lucas. “It was excellent last year, especially with it being our first year.”

Red Ribbon Week is underway at the Moran Independent School District, and students have been encouraged to dress up for the special theme days this week.

On Monday the theme “I won’t get mixed up with drugs!” was reinforced by “mixed-matched” clothes.

Camo attire on Tuesday encouraged students to “Join the fight against drugs!”

Students could dress Wednesday as their favorite character for “My character is too great for drugs!”

“Stomp out drugs!” is the dress-up theme for today, and everyone was urged to wear boots.

Local veterans will be honored guests at the sixth annual Albany Study Club Veterans Day Luncheon next week, and committee chairman Tammy Glover wanted to make sure that everyone noted the change in location this year.

“We are having the luncheon at 12:00 noon Thursday, Nov. 8, at Friendship Baptist Church,” said Glover. “This is a new location for the event! We tried to highlight the change on the invitations we are sending out to all local veterans who are already on our mailing list.”

Winning the fourth annual Junior Garcia Golf Tournament that took place at the Albany Golf Course on Saturday, Oct. 27 was The Wolf Pack, made up of Jason Gardner, Jeff Balliew, Ronnie Kitchens, and Mike Reddin.

The second place team was led by Charles Barrett, and Clint Chapman’s team took third.

Rodney Barton and Charles Barrett won the longest drive competitions.

Closest to the hole bragging rights went to Akisha Holson and Jason Gardner, while Lute Wheeler won the gun raffle.