A large turnout of Shackelford County voters, believed to be a record for a midterm election and representing more than 56 percent of registered voters, overwhelming supported Republican candidates in state and national offices.

There was a huge gap in all races, with Republicans earning as much as 90 to 93 percent of the local vote in many areas.

Statewide percentages were much closer in most races, but Republican incumbents managed to fend off their Democratic challengers.

An event often called the official start of the Albany holiday season is set to start at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 10, with a new silent auction starring a “promising” German shorthair puppy.

Members of the Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church have been decorating and cooking for weeks in preparation for this weekend’s annual church bazaar, which traditionally features home cooking, crafts, and a classic Thanksgiving meal.

Local voters have until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, to vote early in person for the upcoming gubernatorial election, with Election Day scheduled for next Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Early in-person voting takes place on the first floor of the Shackelford County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. today (Thursday), and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. 

Hundreds of costumed children traded in tickets to play games and try to win prizes at the Albany Parent-Teacher Organization’s annual Fall Fest held at Nancy Smith Elementary School last Saturday.

“It ended up going smoothly,” said co-organizer Malarie Sutton. “We had enough help to get everything done, although we could always use a little more help.”

The majority of the booths were open for most of the evening, according to Sutton, though a few had to close early.

It’s time to fall back! Daylight Savings Time comes to an end on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2:00 a.m. Clocks should be set back an hour at that time.

Most of the United States reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

The implementation of Daylight Saving Time has been heaped with controversy since Benjamin Franklin first spoke of the idea in his 1784 essay, An Economical Project. 

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.