By Melinda L. Lucas

Almost 93 percent of the 2019 tax levy had been collected with the required Jan. 31 postmark deadline, according to chief appraiser Clayton Snyder at the Shackelford County Central Appraisal District (CAD) office, with eligible payments coming in for another week or so at the beginning of February.

Official CAD reports show that 8,754,165 of the $9,444,036, or 92.68 percent, had come in as of Feb. 3, when the latest reports were finalized.

By Kathy Thomson

County winners at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo last week included several family members, two of whom claimed second place ribbons in back-to-back swine classes on Monday, Feb. 17.

Callan Edgar’s Duroc barrow was selected as runner up in class 37 and Tatum Grady took second place in class 38, also with a Duroc barrow. 

Carli Edgar was seventh with a dark cross barrow in Class 58.  

Tye Edgar was 10th in class 100.

By Kathy Thomson

The National Weather Service (NWS), with the help of local organizations, conducts SkyWarn classes each spring all over the nation, including two scheduled in area towns over the next few days.

This Saturday, Feb. 29, a SkyWarn class will meet in Hart Auditorium in the Onstead-Packer building at Abilene Christian University from 9:00-11:30 a.m. 

A SkyWarn class will also be offered on Monday, March 2, in Breckenridge.

By Kathy Thomson

Students at the Moran Independent School District are celebrating national FFA week, Feb. 22-29 with different themes each day.

“Monday was camo day, and Tuesday was dress as a farmer,” said administrative assistant Jeanne TenCate. “This Wednesday was ‘bring a stuffed farm animal to school’.”

Thursday’s theme was dress like a cowboy. 

On Friday, Feb. 28, students are encouraged to wear the FFA colors, blue and gold. 

By Melinda L. Lucas

Three new exhibitions, including one that cele-brates the Old Jail Art Center’s 40 years of collecting, will be open to the public starting next Tuesday, Feb. 25.

OJAC members can attend a preview reception this Saturday, Feb. 22 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The three collections will be featured at the Old Jail’s 40th anniversary gala next month on March 28.

Permanent Collection

By Kathy Thomson

There are new faces in the Fandangle office starting this month, with Jamie Parsons taking over as office manager and Scarlett Yates heading up the marketing for the 2020 season. 

Fandangle board president Branch Bartee said this week that directors met several times in January in order to determine how best to fill the vacant office positions, announcing their decision in time for Parsons and Yates to both start working during the fist week in February.

By Melinda L. Lucas

A one-year contract extension was approved for Nancy Smith Elementary School principal John Gallagher, along with similar offers for district business manager Angelyn Faith and director of student services Leigh Lowe, following a closed session at the end of Monday’s regular school board meeting.

Three percent raises, although approved in the separate contract motions by Joe Tidwell, Ginny Ivy, and Kelly Head, are contingent on the 2020-2021 budget.

By Kathy Thomson

Text-to-9-1-1 is now available in Shackelford County, according to sheriff Ed Miller.

“The project has been in the works for a while, and it is now up and running as of the first of the year,” said Miller. 

The nationwide project was designed to give 9-1-1 callers the ability to send a text message to reach emergency call takers from a mobile phone or device. Work on the project began in 2014, was rolled out in a few Texas counties in 2017 and 2018, and more counties were added in 2019.

By Kathy Thomson

The city of Albany will receive a sales tax allotment of $48,901 from the state this February. The amount is down 4.05 percent from the $50,966 payment received in February of 2019.

Payments to date for the 2020 year to the city of Albany are $86,045, down by 16.40 percent from the comparable time last year, when payments of $102,929 had been made.

The city of Moran will receive a net payment of $2,344 this period, for a 34.88 percent increase from the $1,738 received in February 2019.

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County Hospital District administrator Jera Fairley was given a raise, and board members were updated about intensified “drug security” policies during the hospital board’s regular monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 17.

The directors also formally called for an election on May 2 since the filing period ended Friday with five candidates signed up for four positions.

Closed Session