By Kathy Thomson

The Shackelford County hospital district board of directors met for a short seven-minute phone conference at noon on Monday, April 6, with one item on the agenda at the special meeting.

“The state sent us an email advising us that we had to postpone the May 2 election until Nov. 3, as per Governor Abbott’s instructions,” said district secretary Regina Whitt.

The motion to postpone the election was made by Janna Ledbetter and seconded by Leslie Belcher.

By Melinda L. Lucas

With the circle of confirmed COVID-19 cases closing in on Shackelford County earlier this week, and after Gov. Greg Abbott further defined his week-old executive order on Tuesday, Albany mayor Susan Montgomery called for local citizens to shelter in place effective at midnight on Wednesday, April 8.

By Kathy Thomson

Last month, 8.29 inches of rain fell in the official rain gauge, making it the wettest March ever recorded in Albany. The previous record was 5.2 inches in March 1979.

The abundant March rainfall brought the 2020 first quarter totals up to 12.36, slightly below the record 13.11 inches recorded during January, February, and March of 1968, but well above the average of 5.42 inches for the first three months.

Average Albany rainfall for the month of March is 2.33 inches. 

By Donnie A. Lucas

Local schools remain closed this week and throughout the rest of the month by order of Gov. Greg Abbott in an effort to minimize the threat of coronavirus - COVID 19.

Schools across the state will stay shuttered until May 4 under the most recent order, which could be extended through the remainder of the school year.

Teachers and staff have been busy over the last three weeks delivering content to students at Nancy Smith Elementary and Albany Jr/Sr. High School.

By Melinda L. Lucas

With Gov. Greg Abbott’s newly defined stay-at-home orders and a local shelter-in-place announcement, all but essential businesses are now closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Albany Pet Hospital was closed for several days, but is now open, according to their Facebook post.

CLOSED UNTIL 

FURTHER NOTICE

•All businesses except those considered essential, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, feed stores, health clinics, etc. 

By Kathy Thomson

Social distancing requirements have resulted in the cancellation or reformatting of most community Easter activities in Albany this year, including church services, gathering of extended family and friends, and Easter egg hunts. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County commissioners met in two separate special sessions on Thursday, April 2, first extending the county judge’s week-long disaster declaration and then later in the day reluctantly agreeing to pay an almost $20,000 “migration” plan from Sam Goldsmith of Goldsmith Solutions.

They also approved a master service agreement with the county’s new IT vendor, Computer Transition Services Inc. (CTSI).

Disaster Extension

By Lynsi Musselman

Summer in Albany is  the sound of the calliope,  locals dressed in prairie costumes, and the excitement of seeing the first flag parade of the Fandangle season. 

The cancelling of the Fandangle Sampler, due to government restrictions of large gatherings, has raised concerns for the summer 2020 production. 

By Kathy Thomson

This week Moran Independent School District superintendent Danny Freeman made his weekly trip to deliver school packets to students in Cisco, Breckenridge, and Albany a day earlier than normal.

“We’ll deliver earlier this week, probably on Thursday, because this Friday is Good Friday,” said Freeman on Monday night. “Teachers have been working hard to get their packets ready in time.”

Freeman said that delivering the school items went well last week, with most parents able to meet him at the designated times to pick up their packets.

By Lynsi Musselman

Albany High School’s senior class of 2020 is encountering situations that are different from any other class before them, with academic, athletic, and senior celebrations all on hold.

Albany ISD Superintendent Jonathan Scott stated that decisions by higher authorities must be honored.